New Zealand Treecrops Association

Information Exchange Mailroom

Information Request: Hardwoods for Timber

We are interested in growing hardwood trees for timber on our land in South Wairarapa.
The area we want to plant is about 4 acres, reasonably sheltered, hot in summer with some frosts in winter, very dry, but with access to water for irrigation, not particularly fertile but free draining.
As we already have grapes and olives in other areas of the land, we are looking for something that is reasonably low maintenance.
What species should we be thinking about?


Thanks.

Margaret

Replies Received:

It sounds as if walnuts would do well on your site. (That is the European walnut, the one you eat.) They would not be low maitainance, but you would get a full crop of nuts to compensate for the extra work.

To achieve a nutting stand, you should plant a variety grown from good quality nuts, and plant these seedlings about 4 metres apart, with the idea of thinning out tree quarters of them eventually. That way you get to choose the best trees for your site.

Nick Nelson Parker

http://www.treecrops.org.nz/knowl/infothr/hardw.html
Created: Saturday, 12 April 2003 - Updated: 2003 July 8 - Updated: 2007 August 11