Branches of SFE “Forests of Ukraine” fulfilled the forest cultivation and natural regeneration care plan by 116% for the third quarter

A total of 115.9 thousand hectares of forest care work has been completed — this represents 98% of the annual plan.

Almost all branches carried out more forest cultivation maintenance work than planned. The “Pivnichnyi Forest Office” branch became the leader, exceeding its Q3 plan by 75%.

Forest maintenance is an essential condition for the development of forest plantations. It ensures the timely transformation of plots into areas covered with forest vegetation.

Maintenance work is carried out throughout the entire growing season. The scope and duration of these activities in each region depend on forest and vegetation conditions, the biological characteristics of the tree species, soil cultivation methods, planting techniques, and the size of the planting material.

This represents an enormous amount of work. It involves soil cultivation and removal of grass and shrub vegetation that hinder the growth and development of young trees. These measures help retain soil moisture, improve light access and nutrient availability, and ultimately promote the development of healthy and resilient forests.

Almost 90% of the work is done mechanically. Soil treatment is carried out using disk harrows, cultivators, and mulchers. To clear the spaces between rows from unwanted vegetation, foresters use corridor cutters, mulchers, and brush cutters.

As a result, large areas can be treated faster and more efficiently. For example, a KANSAS-type mulcher can process 1.5–2 hectares per day, while manual methods cover less than 0.2 hectares.

According to the investment plan for this year, the enterprise will increase the number of machines used for forest cultivation and natural regeneration maintenance by 156 units.