The parent stock has been sourced worldwide. Hydridising is done at the Aokautere Horticultural Research Centre which trials a variety for 8-10 years before dispatching it for further nursery and field trials by regional councils. The willows originate from salix matsudan x salix alba, providing the hybrids, moutere, tangoio and hathaway. The poplars have common ancestors populus deltoides, populus yunnansensis, populus nigra. It pays growers to learn as much as they can about the chosen site, and to seek advice from the helpful consultants at Akura, before selecting the hybrid best able to perform in the prevailing conditions.
Good establishment is the next step.
Subsoil on flat areas may be ripped mechanically. This is possible where shelter belts are being installed on land accessible to machinery. On steeper country, poles may be driven into moist hollows. If a hard, impermeable layer is present this can be broken up with a crowbar. It is very desirable that the extensive root system gets well down and spreads, thus keeping the tree stable in high winds, and also accessing moisture and nutrients far below the surface.