Seven million seedlings and cuttings lifted at Blowering Nursery
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More than seven million pine seedlings and cuttings have been lifted at Forestry Corporation Blowering Nursery near Tumut.
Nursery manager Dean Page said it was one of the largest crops ever lifted in the nursery, which has capacity to produce 10 million seedlings and cuttings.
Lifting finished in early September.
“Ninety per cent of the crop is sent out across NSW to be planted in State-owned plantations while 10 per cent goes to external customers as far up as Glenn Innes, across to the ACT and down to northern Victoria ,” Mr Page said.
“It is a high-tech nursery with improve genetic stock and our seedlings and cuttings are in great demand.”
The nursery is one of the largest Pinus radiata seedling producers in Australia . It produces five-and-a-half-million seedlings and one-and-a-half million cuttings.
At the same time stock was lifted, almost two million cuttings have been established or ‘set’ in stool beds for the 2005 crop.
“These cuttings have been grown on site to highly specific specifications using seed from New Zealand , which is the best available,” Mr Page said.
“It is essential to have the best material available as these cuttings will be become high-quality logs further down the track.”
The nursery employs five permanent staff and 40 casuals during the lifting season.
“It is great casual work for working parents as they start at 8 am and finish at 4 pm , which allows them to be home when their children return from school,” Mr Page said.
Maintaining the quality of the stock is crucial and seedlings and cuttings must be kept moist and cool as they are transported out by truck in containers for planting.
Mr Page said the crop for next year was looking very favourable and could be a record of up to 10 million seedlings and cuttings.
“The increased production for 2005 will most probably lead to more casual jobs than usual during the lifting season,” Mr Page said.
Media contacts: Dean Page, Nursery Manager on (02) 6947 6210 or Sarah Chester on (02) 6036 2110 or 0417 207 669.
Photos available by contacting (02) 6036 2110.