Over the life of the trees, pruning will probably be required three or four times. The idea is to encourage one straight section at least two to three metres in length, which will be the future commercial log. The rule of thumb when pruning is to not remove more than one-third of the tree crown at one time otherwise the growth rate of the tree will be adversely affected. Thinning is also important, the timing of which is dependent on the tree species and the initial planting density. Thinning should be done to remove stunted trees and competition to maximize the growth rate of the remaining trees.
Specialist advice is recommended on the pruning and management of commercial plantations.
An advantage of trees, as opposed to annual crops, is that the harvest time is not as crucial, and the trees may be harvested over many months or years as required. The sprawling form of this tree will usually result in a low timber yield. There is a good opportunity with specialty timbers for value adding through processing on farm. For small lots of very high value timber, on farm processing would be the most profitable option for farmers. This is the process of taking a fallen log into dry, sawn timber, ready for use in making cabinets and furniture.