Begeleidingssnoei in functie van kwaliteitshout

Author & Project details This document was written by Sander van Daele as part of the Interreg Project CAMBIUM: Cambium: boslandbouw integraal - Agroforestry This article is published online: Begeleidingssnoei in functie van kwaliteitshout - Agroforestry Content In this document, an article is written on wood production from agroforestry systems. The reader can find information about: How tall and thick do trees need to be to be marketable? Which factors determine the marketable trunk length and thickness? When to prune? Pruning in summer or winter? How to prune? Pruning tips & tricks Which branches should you prune as a priority? Introduction The tree itself does not need to be pruned. If it grows in full light, as is usually the case in agroforestry, many trees will develop many thick, low branches that will remain there for their entire lifespan. If it grows in a shady forest, many trees will try to sprint to the light along the shortest route (straight up) and develop a long, straight trunk on which low branches die off due to lack of light (natural trunk cleaning) and you get long branchless trunks: think of the cathedral beeches in the Sonian Forest. Both a low-branched and a high-branched trunk are therefore natural growth forms of trees, depending on where they grow, but the latter are economically more interesting. For example, it is easier to make beams, planks or, in the best case, veneer from a straight trunk without side branches. Veneer are very thin (up to 0.5 mm) sheets that are cut or peeled from a trunk to make plywood or other wooden panels. If quality wood is an objective, then you should aim for those long, straight, branch-free and preferably thick trunks. In the forest, this can sometimes be achieved with some species (oak, beech) without pruning, but in agroforestry this will only be possible by applying good guidance pruning. Additional motivation in agroforestry to prune, in addition to quality wood production, is also of a double practical nature: An agricultural crop also grows on an agroforestry plot or cattle roam near the trees. By removing low side branches, you create the necessary space for these crops or animals. A tractor or other (large) machine must be able to pass on most agricultural plots, which is why thick low side branches are a problem. Summary / Conclusion First decide what branch-free trunk length you want to achieve. Summer is by far the best period to prune to achieve quality wood. Always leave the branch collar. Prune away double tops and suckers first.