OUR EUCALYPT PLANTATION

A five minute drive towards the coast from Margaret River townsite sits our family farm. The rural property is home to four generations of the Lane family. With a rich mix of: permaculture, tree plantings, stunning native bush and chalet accomodation - it has a bit of everything.

​

The main 14 Hectare Eucalypt plantation was planted by Pete Lane in 1991. Pete opted to plant a mix of species, to add diversity and resiliance in the system, instead of the traditional monoculture blue gum plantations.

​

As part of the initial managment plan an early thinning was carried out by a forestry contractor. Due to opting not to poisin cut stumps, in order to protect the biology in the soil, coppice shoots came up from the stumps and increased the number of trees. Growing trees so close together (4metres apart) drives the trees growth upwards.

​

30 years on and the plantation has trees reaching 40 metres tall. Spotted gums, Rose gums, stringybarks and swamp mahogany are the predominant trees reaching extreme heights. Sugar gum, Karris and Tasmanian blue gums are dotted around in smaller pockets. 

​

To keep the diverse plantation growing we need to give the best trees more space. What makes the best tree? For milling its desirable to have a long branch free trunk. The fatter the better. For habbitat you want snapped branches, tight unions and gnarly features for insects and mamals to find a comfortable home. For broom handles, fence posts, woodchip and bushpoles coppice can be grown to the exact size and shape required. In order to get the full range of trees intensive managment is essential.

​

With our chainsaws, logging winch, farm tractor, cows and horses* we're managing the plantation to provide the local community with valuable resources from a responsible source. 

​

Currently we are thinning to open up the plantation. Thinning is providing us a full range of forest products of all shapes sizes. Turning thinnings into useful products is a passion we're learning about day by day.

​

Get in contact with Adam to talk plantation. We're on the look out for anyone interested in purchasing raw materials or to collaborate in sivilculture on or off the property. 0497341569