NUFG Leichardt Plantation

NUFG members own this property.  The trees immediately behind the NUFG website sign on the Calder Hwy at Leichardt are sugar gums Eucalyptus cladocalyx from the Wirrabra the provenance in South Australia. The trees are being grown for sawlogs to be harvested in 25 to 30 years.  A plantation development notice has been lodged with the Loddon Shire Council.

The ground was deep ripped to 1.5 metres and mounded in July 2002. The trees were hand-planted in October 2002 at a density of 1000 stems per hectare.  They were guarded with milk cartons and watered in 'once'. They have relied on rainfall ever since. 

To see the rainfall graph for this property click here

The trees were 'form pruned' in 2004 and 2005 by removing any double leaders.  Weed competition has been controlled by whipper snipping (2002, 2003, 2004), herbicide (2003, 2004) and slashing (2003, 2004 and 2005).  In June 2006 the trees were lift pruned to 2.5 metres and thinned to 600 stems per hectare. The thinnings were removed for firewood.  Ultimately the trees will be thinned to about 200 stems per hectare.

Sugar gum is frost sensitive and the young trees were knocked around by frost in 2003 and 2004.  They have recovered well from frost damage. The trees are growing at an estimated growth rate of 3 cubic metres per hectare per year and sinking carbon at an estimated 5 tonnes per hectare per year.  A proper assessment of these parameters is under way.

The other species in the plantation adjoining the sugar gums are Eumong (Acacia stenophylla from Bael Bael). Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa from Wellsford Forest), Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata) and Swamp Yate (Eucalyptus occidentalis).

Click to see a slide show of the changes in the plantation since 2002 
(Requires Windows Operating System)

PowerPoint Presentation Version

Be patient as these are large files that may take a few minutes to load

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