Silverwood
Farm
Forestry

The photos in this gallery are of trees that are from one line of Acacia dealbata, planted in 2010. Approximately 30% death due to frost damage. One of those is photographed.
All have been damaged by the severe – approximately -8 deg C frost on about 15 June, 2012.
Photos were taken on 24 June 2012 – some branches are reshooting rapidly and some branches are unaffected. Most are brown with frost.
Note the very variable branch form in this line of commercial material. If timber rather than shelter was the primary aim, the grower would likely be disappointed as form in this line of trees is variable.
Note by mid-November 2012 the surviving trees were shooting away, but had been thinned by the frost so that each tree was more branch than leaf. Hopefully by end of Summer they will look more normal again.
These trees are at 2003 Bealey Road, Hororata, on Jake’s Rd – the offshoot road and are opposite our home.

There is a tremendous amount of diversity in this species. Farm Forestry are beginning work on silver wattle – it is a wonderful timber – hard and rich and a wonderful brown colour – makes great kitchen benches etc.
This line near Bangor Road show what a good seedline can produce. There are plenty of good straight trunks here. They have been helped by good shelter from 20 year old pines nearby. One photo shows the result of inadequate attention to form pruning – a vertical branch has reduced the straightness of a trunk. Many others, as photos indicate are straight and if they had been pruned earlier – would be well on the way to valuable timber. It’s a pity that many trees like this will end up in firewood when they could be replacing our need for tropical hardwoods.