Manual Maintenance
Definition
The elimination or suppression of undesirable vegetation competing with established seedlings by means of hand or handheld tools for the purpose of reducing competition and increasing the growth and survival rate of established seedlings.
Eligibility Criteria
- An appropriate pre-harvest covertype and species diversity (see General Standards)
- Areas that support undesirable competition that is or has the potential of competing and/or harming the established seedlings
- A minimum crop tree density of 70% of the desired density and species is required
- Areas where the primary competition consists of shrubs such as raspberry or blackberry and/or annuals are not eligible for manual maintenance
- Areas must have an average crop tree height between 0.5-6.0 m or have been established for a minimum of three growing seasons, including the year of treatment
- Other areas will be considered on an individual basis (including areas where the height of the trees is above 6 m) with prior notification and interpretation from the Department
Guidelines and Inspection Criteria
- The treatment may include the pulling, grubbing, or cutting of unwanted vegetation from around established seedlings
- Plantations should be scheduled for treatment prior to the stand entering the stem exclusion phase
- Competition control zones are to be established around each seedling
- When woody stems are cut off, the maximum stump height is to be 15 cm and cut stems must be kept off of the crop trees
- When woody stems are to be broken but intact, the maximum height of break is to be 2 m, and stems must be kept off of the crop trees. The owner is to be made aware of the possible safety concerns of this practice
- Larger woody stems may be girdled
- The treatment should not result in damage to more than 5% of the established seedlings
- Damage is considered to be bark damage where exposure of sapwood is greater than 1 cm²
- Competing vegetation should be reduced, and crop trees be free of significant lateral and overhead competition for a period of at least two growing seasons, including the year of treatment