# Want your opinions on starting a tree farm



## Byron Barker (Mar 29, 2017)

Hello, I own a 2 acre piece of mountain land in Taiwan where I live and am wanting to turn it into a multi-use tree farm. I would like some advice from people who plant and manage trees about how I could best set this up. In particular, I am wondering about things like how to maximise the amount of space I have without harming the trees. As in, how close do you think I could plant the trees to each other without them having issues? Water is no problem as it rains constantly, but the soil tends to be quite heavy in clay. I am right now leaning toward planting mahogany, teak or magnolia since the climate is right for it, they are deep rooted, and they are relatively fast growing and straight. However, I would also like to seed the under canopy with trees that can produce harvestable products. Maybe something like agar wood? I want to steer clear of fruit. Anybody have any thoughts or insights?


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## Graybeard (Mar 29, 2017)

Here where I live I'd contact my county forester or university extension for advice. We also have the Forest Products Research lab nearby and they're an outstanding resource. I don't know if they work with international clients however. Do you have any local government assistance, tree farm associations or other trade groups to speak with?

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## Nature Man (Mar 29, 2017)

Think you need to know the local market, and what the demands are. If you can locate a lumber wholesaler it might help you in your decision process. Also depends on the type of soil, and what grows naturally. Mahogany and teak would seem to be natural winners, not sure about magnolia. Good luck, and let us know how your decision process goes. Chuck


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## Byron Barker (Mar 31, 2017)

Thanks guys! I think the local forestry department and university are really the way to go like you said and I don't know why I didn't think of that. There is an office right down the road and my friend is a PH.D in botany at the local university. I'll se what info I can get off of them. The local demand is primarily for Hinoki and Incense Cedar since it is basically famous in Taiwan. Unfortunately I don't have 500years of life to wait for a tree like that to mature. Teak is surprisingly available since we are close to Indonesia and Malaysia and isn't really all that expensive...yet. My guess is in 20 or 30 years the price of wood will be out the roof in Asia since it isn't as heavily regulated here and there isn't as much of it. Magnolia and Mahogany are commonly sought out for furniture here, but I feel like Mahogany also is a highly recognised name internationally, so if the value here is low, I can possibly export it to China or Japan.


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## DKMD (Mar 31, 2017)

I would take a look at Lyptus, and see if it's appropriate for your climate. I've built a little furniture with it, and I understand it grows faster than many other hardwoods.

Here's a little snippet from Wiki:
*Lyptus* is the trade name of a wood made from a hybrid of two species of Eucalyptustree, _Eucalyptus grandis_ and _Eucalyptus urophylla_. Developed for quick harvesting, and grown on plantations in Brazil, Lyptus is marketed as an environmentally friendly alternative to oak, cherry, mahogany, and other wood products that may be harvested from old growth forests. Lyptus trees can be harvested for lumber in approximately 15 years, much sooner than woods from cooler climates.[1]

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 3


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## SENC (Mar 31, 2017)

I only know about planting pine (and only a little about that!), but the general concept in pine tree farming is to plant with multiple cuttings involved. The first thinning (10-15 years) is primarily for thinning itself (roughly a third of the stand), though it has value as pulpwood and generally repays the initial land prep and planting costs. The second thinning 10ish years later is to remove lesser trees and allow the remaining stand to fully mature into sawtimber. The chip-n-saw timber from this thinning has a nice return, around 4× the pulpwood return. Another 10ish years sawtimber is ready, hopefully with 2x return over chip-n-saw. The general goal (in our area) is a total 15-20x return on original prep and planting cost over 30-40 years - a decent return when you consider you also get to use the land, but not without risk (insects, weather, economy, demand, politics).

The specifics above won't apply to what you can grow and profit from in Taiwan, but I thought the general equation might help evaluate the value of what you can do.

One other thing to consider that many don't when planting trees is weed control. You'll need a way to keep weeds from crowding and starving your young trees. For pine stands that is usually a targeted herbicide in the first few years to "release" them, though a small stand you might manage with mowing. Either way, another expense to include in your initial investment.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Byron Barker (Apr 4, 2017)

Helps a lot SENC! I am also considering planting ornamental trees as they are quite popular for landscaping among rich Chinese landowners who move here. Chinese Juniper is a big one as the tree hold a sacred value to the Chinese who associate it with the dragon ancestral spirt of Chinese culture. Juniper is obviously a slow grower and I get the feeling it's needles would make the soil acidic for other plants, but the tree needn't be fully mature to sell and still fetches a good price for a gnarly looking tree. Orange Jessamine is another one that is a popular landscaping tree that works well in the shade so it would probably be good under larger timber trees. Options options options...


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