Trimble Forest page
Last updated 20th June 2005
Last updated 20th June 2005
The Trimble Forest is on 127 ha of stony river terrace located on the eastern side of State Highway 2 18km north of Masterton. The forest was first planted in Radiata pine in 1950. That crop was harvested in the late 1970s and a second one planted. About half the second crop was harvested in 2001 and the felled area replanted again. The site is flat, frosty and weed infested but earlier crops have yielded good logs described as short and fat. The flat free draining site next to a State Highway means that harvesting costs are low and harvesting can continue all year, something not often found in the Wairarapa.
A view of the forest from the State Highway 2. The row of Eucalypts along the front was intended to provide a screen for the pines.
There are 38ha of mature Radiata trees in the Trimble forest and the Foundation will review the harvesting of these trees on an annual basis.
A feature of the forest is a stand of mature Matai trees that escaped the bushmans saw. The Matais are particularly good specimens because they are growing beneath a river terrace and are relatively sheltered from the prevailing North Westerly winds.
The river terraces of the Trimble Forest seem particularly suited to Totaras. This is a self sown stand of good straight trees which the Foundation will protect.
These trees are the third crop on this land planted in 2002 and have been struggling to compete with the weeds. Broom is particularly prevalent in this area and it has been sprayed recently to allow the trees to get above the weed layer. These trees are on the upper terrace and should be not need any more attention until pruning time.
Stuart Orme with a 4 year old tree test pruned. In June 2006 the trees are well above the broom and looking good.
On the lower terrace the new crop has not fared as well and this seedling is typical of those struggling to make headway against the weeds in spite of a similar spraying program to that on the upper terrace.