Establishing ground-durable eucalypts

Successful eucalypt establishment requires timely planning and attention to detail. The growers' objectives, site characteristics, and threats from pests are all key factors. There is still a lot to learn about matching species to site and the climatic limits at which different eucalypt species will survive and thrive.

Suitable sites

For good survival and growth, eucalypts generally need:

• sheltered sites
• fertile and well-drained soils
• mild winters with regular annual rainfall.

So while we believe that low-altitude, sheltered coastal areas will produce the best growth from our select species, part of NZDFI's research is to investigate how well our trees perform on a wide range of site types.

Establishment in action

Some short videos filmed during establishment at NZDFI trial sites.

• Site preparation on grassland
• Successful establishment on grassland
• Laying out technique for planting a multi-species forest
• Best-practice planting on grassland 1
• Best-practice planting on grassland 2
• Planting a pine cut-over site
• Best practice planting on pine cut-over

Grower guidelines

Downloadable guidelines for growers:

• Establishing eucalypts on grassland
• Establishing eucalypts on pine cutover

Watch those eucalypts grow!

• From site preparation through planting to successful establishment - an amazing time-lapse sequence of Year One on one of our Marlborough trial sites.

NZDFI recipe for SUCCESS with eucalypt establishment:

Select site to match species by…
Understanding species and spacing requirements
Clear planting sites by spraying in winter
Control animal pests
Ensure tree stocks are high quality
Spring planting (and fertilising)
Summer releasing.