Growing Trees in the Lower South East

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The Lower South East of South Australia covers an area stretching from Kingston in the west, through Naracoorte to the Victorian border in the east and to the coast in the South. Average annual rainfall is 600-850 mm. The region consists of a series of dunes, consisting mainly of deep sands or shallow soils to limestone. The sands are generally most suited to forestry. The inter-dunal flats have many different soils ranging from low sands to shallow rendzinas and vary in their suitability for forestry.

Background

Opportunities exist for farm forestry in the Lower South East because the forest industry has been established in the region for over 100 years.  This has been dominated by radiata pine until the early 1990s when short rotation Tasmanian blue gum plantations were first established to produce woodchip for export.  More recently, other species have been trialled and established to produce sawlog and firewood.

Another aim of establishing forestry on farms in the Lower South East is to address land management issues such as:

  • soil conservation,
  • shade and shelter,
  • habitat and aesthetics, and 
  • salinity.

Landowners have many farm forestry options to choose from in terms of species or products that meet the objectives of their whole farm management plan. Table 1 ‘Key farm forestry species for Lower South East (SA)’ provides a list of species and details site suitability and potential products.

Table 1. Key farm forestry species for the Lower South East of South Australia.

Details
Species Common Name
Pinus radiata Radiata/Monterey pine Prefers sandy loam over clay. Use: construction, posts, pulp & furniture.
Eucalyptus cladocalyx Sugar gum Grows well on drier sites with heavier soils, ironstone gravel & deep sands. Frost sensitive. Use: firewood, furniture, flooring & posts.
Eucalyptus occidentalis Flat-topped yate Will grow on many soil types & tolerant of poor drainage, drought & salt.  Use: firewood, construction & posts.
Corymbia maculata Spotted gum Prefers deep sands, gravels & loams. Frost sensitive in early years. Use: flooring, furniture & posts.
Eucalyptus saligna Sydney blue gum Prefers good, fertile soils but will grow on deep sands. Use: flooring, furniture & firewood.
Eucalyptus grandis Flooded gum Prefers good, fertile soils but will grow on deep sands.  Very attactive timber. Use: flooring, furniture & firewood.
Eucalyptus viminalis Manna gum Grows on sandier sites. Use: firewood.
Casuarina & Allocasuarina Sheoaks Tolerant of saline and poorly sites. Use: furniture & firewood.
Cuppressus spp Cypresses Grows on selected heavier sites. Use: specialty furniture timber
Acacia mearnsii Black wattle Grows on a wide range of sites including sands, deep loams or gravels. Use: firewood.


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