Summary
This guide brings together practical advice on site suitability, establishment, silviculture, harvesting, marketing, and processing for growing quality crops of alternative conifer species.
Some species need a different silvicultural approach than Sitka spruce—often closer to methods used for quality hardwoods. The focus is on effective silviculture to produce high-quality final crops for specific markets, rather than simply maximising volume.
The guide also provides detailed information on selected alternative conifer species suitable for Scotland. It covers their history, potential use, current resources, site suitability, provenance selection, establishment, silviculture, harvesting, marketing, and processing for key end uses.
