Poplar Swamp Forestry
YOUR TIMBER. YOUR INVESTMENT. YOUR RETURN.
We're here to help you manage it!
Timber Sales & Services
Poplar Swamp Forestry understands that timber management is unique for each individual landowner. With over 25 years of education and experience, Poplar Swamp Forestry customizes forestry practices including timber sales, timber consulting, management plans (including habitat and wildlife), planting, spraying, and pre-commercial thinning.
Timber Sales
Poplar Swamp Forestry has developed an approach to timber sales that warrants top profits and best management practices for landowners. PSF monitors daily timber market values, researches and applies lucrative timber trends, maintains strong relationships with an array of timber buyers, and operates with integrity at its core. These qualities allow PSF to help landowners maximize their timber returns.
PSF assures landowners are receiving fair-market value for their timber, and, in many cases, the PSF methods produce a return that exceeds the estimated value. In short, collaborating with Poplar Swamp Forestry will produce the best outcome for the sale of your timber.
Management Plans
Having a plan for the future of your timber assures maximum enjoyment and financial benefit of your land and timber. Poplar Swamp Forestry understands and appreciates the uniqueness of each individual tract of land and strives to help landowners meet their timber and land use goals. PSF utilizes the landowner's goals, the current evaluation of the tract, industry trends and research, and its expert evaluation to write a management plan for the property.
PSF has years of experience in creating, writing, and implementing professional management plans that yield outstanding results. Management plans guide landowners through the decision making process of timber harvesting timelines and wildlife management. All of PSF's management plans include detailed maps created using state-of-the-art GIS and imaging software.
Planting
Planting trees is a best management practice for land stewardship and the first step in a new timber investment. Planting season begins in January and runs through March of each year. Poplar Swamp Forestry plants approximately 3 million trees (6,000 acres), by hand, each planting season! PSF uses Virginia seedlings grown at the Garland Gray Nursery in Sussex County, VA. There are three primary options for planting seedlings: 436 trees/acres, 484 trees/acre or 545 trees/acre on a 10x10, 9x10 or 8x10 spacing. Additional planting options are available as determined by the landowner and PSF on a case-by-case basis. The cost of planting is dependent on seedling and labor costs. See the Virginia Department of Forestry's RT Cost Share Program for current rates.
Though Poplar Swamp Forestry plants mostly pines, PSF does offer hardwood planting services as well. Hardwoods are an option for planting open fields; they are not recommended for cutover reforestation. An investment in hardwood timber is about 4 times longer than that of a pine stand, and the cost to plant hardwoods is significantly higher as well.
Spraying
When growing pine trees for profit, spraying is critical. Native vegetation will compete with newly-planted pines, thus decreasing their growth and survival rate. Poplar Swamp Forestry helps landowners coordinate the type of spraying best suited for timber management.
If the landowner's primary goal is to grow timber, site-prep spraying then planting is recommended. Site-prep spraying is done prior to a tract being planted. Early site-prep spraying is done in June, and late site-prep spraying is done from August through October.
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If wildlife management is the primary goal and growing timber is secondary, release spraying is recommended. Release spraying is done after the tract has been planted to release the new pines from their competition. Various chemical combinations are specified to meet the landowner's goals. Release spraying takes place from August through October.
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Hand spraying and aerial spraying options are available. PSF will help landowners determine the best option. Spray rates are determined based on the timber tract and spraying method.​​
Pre-Commercial Thinning
Poplar Swamp Forestry offers pre-commercial thinning services for overstocked stands of timber. The optimum time for precommercial thinning is when the stand is around 4 or 5 years old. Precommercial thinning gives remaining trees room to grow and thrive until the tract is approximately 18 years old and can be commercially thinned.
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Cost share for pre-commercial thinning services is available through the Virginia Department of Forestry and the North Carolina Forest Service. Poplar Swamp Forestry assists landowners with the cost share application, process, and scheduling.​
Habitat & Wildlife Management
Poplar Swamp Forestry takes a great interest in the synergy between forestry and habitat/wildlife management. With years of personal research, study, and trial and error, Poplar Swamp Forestry has created a portfolio of habitat and wildlife wisdom. PSF is delighted to offer consulting services to help landowners build exceptional wildlife habitat. Management practices include timber stand improvements (TSI), food plots, screening and protection, hardwood planting, and many others. Refer to the Virginia Department of Forestry website for cost share rates under the Hardwood Initiative Cost Share Program for timber and wildlife habitat improvements.