Before seedlings grow into sturdy log wood that provides a source of income for their owners, their habitat needs to be tended quite a few times.
“In practice, it is pretty much about following the forest plan on an annual level. When you get things done on time, you will not be left with a backlog of management and thinning work. At the same time, we are ensuring as good a profit as possible for the forest owner,” says Tuuppa. The annual planning is based on walking through the forest with the forest specialist twice a year. “During the walk, we can view the forest plan in the Metsäverkko service with a tablet or phone. We plan harvesting, preliminary clearing, the tending of seedling stands and planting. Being there, on location, gives you the best idea of what needs to be done,” says Vehmas. In the spring, you should at least map out the seedling stands that need to be managed in the summer. The best time for this is the middle of summer, because that is when the broadleaved trees put out the least amount of shoots. This means that the stumps of felled trees put out less shoots to compete with the seedlings. An early clearing is the first clearing to be carried out in a seedling stand. Depending on the soil, it is carried out roughly 4–8 years after the seedlings have been planted. It is important to carry out the clearing on time, to ensure that the seedlings get enough light and room to grow prop- erly. This is when the seedling stand will be cleared of any broadleaved trees disrupting its growth. When necessary, dead seedlings are replaced with new ones. “Many forest owners are happy to carry out the prelimi- nary clearing themselves, provided that they have enough time. It is a fairly simple and straight-forward job that also serves as good exercise,” adds Tuuppa. TENDING SEEDLING STANDS IMPACTS FUTURE PROFITS Before seedlings grow into sturdy log wood that provides a source of income to their owners, their habitat needs to be tended quite a few times. The second clearing, or thinning, of a seedling stand is carried out 10–20 years after the planting. The purpose is to improve the quality of the cultivated stands. This hap- pens by removing any poor seedlings and any broadleaved trees competing with the seedlings for growing space.
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