Tending of seedling stands (taimikonhoito)

Tending of seedling stands means cleaning the brush and thinning the stand to a suitable growth density. This is done to ensure that the seedlings get enough sunlight and space to grow well. For example, it is recommended that a spruce seedling stand should be thinned when the height of the tree plants is 4–5 metres. Tending the seedling stand at the right time increases the profitability of the first thinning, which is done several years afterwards, and thus, the forest yield. If the tending of seedling stand is not done at all or is done badly, improvement of young stand is needed before the first thinning can be done.