NOTES ON UGANDA’S MAIN PLANTATION SPECIES:
Araucaria cunninghamii / hunsteinii is slow to grow, and produces light, non-durable wood. It requires deep, well-drained, non-stony, fertile soil. It needs tending for 3 to 4 years followed by pruning.
Pinus caribaea grows fast and produces strong utility timber that takes 20 to 25 years to mature. It grows best at lower elevations where it is hot, prefers light soils but tolerates stones, infertile sites and occasional water logging. This tree does not require intensive weeding, and is fire resistant when it matures. It needs pruning and thinning, and seed for its trees must be from selected sources.
Pinus oocarpa has conditions similar to caribaea , with the advantage that it has high drought tolerance, and can grow comfortably on both hot and cool sites.
Pinus patula is moderately fast growing, and takes 25-35 years to produce its weak utility timber. Best growth is realized on fairly fertile, lighter soils and at higher elevations when it is cool. This pinus which can not withstand stony or waterlogged soil is also not fire resistant, and needs thinning and pruning. Seed for its trees must also be from selected sources.
Cupressus lusitanica grows fast, taking 20-35 years to produce strong timber which splits when nailed. It is prone to aphid attacks and is not fire resistant. Its planting must be done only on deep, well-drained fertile sites, which should ideally not be exposed as the tree is not very wind-firm. It needs spot cultivation, pruning and thinning, and is intolerant of grass. The butts of its old trees usually rot.
Eucalyptus grandis grows very fast for in 6-20 years it produces fuelwood, poles, saw logs and veneer logs. E.grandis requires fairly fertile soils with limited compaction and stones. It is affected by drought, water logging and high temperatures. Some trees are can withstand fire when they mature. E.grandis needs intensive cultivation and fertilization after planting. Thinning it is essential for good saw logs, pruning is only occasionally necessary. Termite damage may occur in young, unweeded plantations.
Maesopsis eminii is a fast-growing indigenous species which produces useful timber in 25-35 years. It prefers fertile, lighter-textured soils with good drainage and is intolerant of stony, compacted or water logged soil. Sensitive to fire, it also needs regular weeding but can tolerate some weeds. Close planting it is recommended to obtain long and straight logs. Older trees can be thinned to provide shade for other crops like cocoa, coffee and bananas.
Terminalia superba takes 25-40 years to produce utility timer. Light or medium-textured soils are the best for it if they are not too stony or acidic. It tolerates some water logging, minimum droughts, and weeds. When it grows older it can survive minor fires. This self-pruning tree should be planted at wide spacing, possibly with an undercrop