Like other farming enterprises, the success of farm forestry is based on selecting the best species for the growing environment and the end market, according to Louise Maud from South East NSW Private Forestry, Bega.

"An increasing number of landholders are choosing to participate in farm forestry as a way of diversifying their income and improving the environment for livestock, pastures and native animals," Ms Maud said.

"Selecting the most suitable species is one of the best ways of ensuring the time and effort that goes into tree establishment and management is not wasted."

In the Bega and Bombala region, SE NSW Private Forestry has spent the past 14 years establishing trials and demonstration sites to identify the most suitable species for planting in the district.

The group is now able to recommend species with the greatest potential to produce a commercial timber crop over a wide range of environmental conditions.

The trials include pines, eucalypts, acacias and casuarinas.

"The results have not only been useful in identifying suitable species, but also highlight significant difference between the provenance of the seed, or the region the seed came from," Ms Maud said.

For example, she said in the Eden district, manna gum (Eucalyptus viminali) grown from seed collected from Franklin River grew much better than manna gum grown from seed collected from Delegate.

At a trial site at Candelo, hickory wattle (Acacia falciformis) growing from seed collected near Lithgow has almost doubled the survival rate of hickory wattle growing from seed collected near Crookwell.

At the same site, the survival rate for a range of acacias varied from 20 per cent to 90pc.

Ms Maud said there was no difference in ground preparation or planting techniques or after care - the only difference was the species.

"The cost of failure is more than just the cost of preparing the ground and purchasing and planting the seedlings," she said.

"Failure can lead to a reluctance to have another go and as a result, further tree planting is abandoned or delayed."

Ms Maud said access to reliable local information was vital.

"It is unwise to transfer the results of a trial carried out in the Bega Valley to a site further inland, and vice versa. And it is also necessary to be patient when interpreting the results from a trial.

"Experience shows that the results from a young trial, say less than 10 years old, are not reliable," Ms Maud said.

"Often, as a tree matures and competition for moisture and nutrients increases, the true growth potential of the site becomes evident.

"Growth measurements taken at years two and five can be very encouraging, but by year seven or eight the limitations of the site begin to have an impact and growth rates can decline and in extreme conditions, death occurs.

"This is when you know the wrong species has been planted." She said some minor site limitations could be addressed with thorough ground preparation, reducing planting density and with fertiliser application.

However, the best results will be achieved by selecting the most suitable species for the site.

Contact your local Private Forestry Development Committee for information on selecting the best species for your site.