Top Crop Nursery produces a range of forestry seedlings in a composted pine bark coco fibre blend-growing medium in either shallow M128 or deep M128 trays. The coco fibre blend has a better water holding capacity and gives the grower an advantage in field when planting and a better survival rate from less transplant shock. M 128 deep trays also provide the same advantages as above which are increased due to the bigger root plug.

Species, site selection and potential markets are critical factors growers need to consider when ordering seedlings. There are basically two categories of timber products that are produced namely hard and soft woods, these two can be re-classified into three basic markets namely pulp, saw timber and poles and in the case of Acacia mearnsii ( Black Wattle) the bark. Species choice should be based on these markets to give the grower where possible the option of supplying the most lucrative market at the time of felling. Density must also be considered when looking at the market options, if for example a pulp only market is aimed for, the denser the species the higher the yield in tons/ ha.

Site species matching is a function of the following environmental and physical factors: mean annual rainfall and temperature, altitude, soil depth and type. Two physical factors which often confuse growers when referring to the cold tolerance of a species are frost and snow, some species have the ability to grow and survive in either or of these conditions Eucalyptus macarthurii for example can withstand severe frost but will break if it encounters snow and Euc. nitens can withstand snow but not frost.