Dean’s 130 million seedlings and counting

The Blowering Nursery manager is currently overseeing the biggest seedling dispersal for Forestry Corporation of NSW in more than a decade  – with 7.2 million heading out the doors this winter. 

He’s also racking up impressive numbers himself.

Mr Page has personally had a hand in producing 130 million pine seedlings during his time at the Tumut nursery, enough to cover 130,000 hectares. Or, if you like, nearly three times the Menindee Lakes region. 

Mr Page said preparations for the massive seedling dispatch began last October, when the team at the nursery planted more than 340 kilograms of seed into individual cells. 

“Over the past eight months we have carefully fertilised, watered and nurtured these seedlings,” Mr Page said. “We’ve regularly measured the stem diameter, height and nutrient status of seedlings in sample plots throughout the nursery.” 

“Each individual seedling has been assessed to ensure it meets our high standards.” 

Forestry minister Paul Toole said there hadn’t been a winter seedling distribution this big in at least 10 years.

“The 7.2 million seedlings grown at Blowering Nursery will be sent out to restock timber plantations near Tumut, Bombala, Bathurst and Walcha, which will then be used for house frames and other timber products,” Mr Toole said.

“Forestry Corporation replants the equivalent of almost 300 times the area of Sydney’s CBD to pine plantations each year and around 85 per cent of the seedlings replanted state-wide are grown at Blowering.”

Chairman of the NSW Forest Industries taskforce Rick Colless said the seedlings will go on to create homes and furniture for future generations.

“Staff at the nursery go to great lengths to ensure we deliver high quality, robust seedlings that will produce strong, straight timber when they are ready for harvest in 30 years,” Mr Colless said.

Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire said the Blowering Nursery has 18 staff to help with the three-month long dispatch program.

“At the peak of the operation, the team sent 1.7 million seedlings out the gate in just two weeks,” Mr Maguire said.