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Matching nutrient release to the growth curve

Written by:

Dr. Colin Smith

A young tree’s demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium changes month by month. How release curves are designed to follow that demand instead of front-loading it.

Aerial view of farmland next to a fertiliser plant

Tree nutrition

Research & innovation

21/08/2026

The challenge

Where this started

A young tree’s demand for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium changes month by month. How release curves are designed to follow that demand instead of front-loading it.

Growers asked us the same question in different regions, so we set up a study that could answer it under real plantation conditions instead of in a greenhouse.

What we tested

Plot design and measurements

Each site had treated and untreated plots side by side, planted on the same day with the same clones. Our field team measured survival and height at fixed intervals and took soil and leaf samples along the way.

Aerial view of a plantation in rows

What it means for growers

The results are a starting point, not a recipe: soils, climates and species differ. Talk to our team about how the findings apply to your own sites, or join a trial through the Growth Optimization Program.

Relevant insights

Grow your knowledge

Field results, research and practical advice from the Forest3 team, to help you get more out of every plantation.

Why the first 90 days decide a plantation’s yield

The weeks after planting set the pace for the whole rotation. We look at what young trees need in their first 90 days, and how matching nutrient release to root growth cuts losses in the field.

The weeks after planting set the pace for the whole rotation. We look at what young trees need in their first 90 days, and how matching nutrient release to root growth cuts losses in the field.

Tree nutrition

Plantation performance

Sustainable forestry

14/10/2026

Controlled-release nutrition in eucalyptus nurseries

Nursery seedlings grow fast and use up soluble fertiliser just as fast. A controlled-release blend keeps nutrients available for the whole nursery cycle, with fewer top-ups and more even plugs.

Nursery seedlings grow fast and use up soluble fertiliser just as fast. A controlled-release blend keeps nutrients available for the whole nursery cycle, with fewer top-ups and more even plugs.

Tree nutrition

02/10/2026

What five years of pine trials taught us

Five seasons of side-by-side plots show where pine responds to nutrition at planting, and where it does not. A summary of the results and what we changed because of them.

Five seasons of side-by-side plots show where pine responds to nutrition at planting, and where it does not. A summary of the results and what we changed because of them.

Plantation performance

Research & innovation

18/09/2026

Less run-off on steep plantation slopes

On sloped sites, broadcast fertiliser washes away with the first heavy rain. Placing nutrients in the root zone keeps them where the tree can use them, and out of nearby streams.

On sloped sites, broadcast fertiliser washes away with the first heavy rain. Placing nutrients in the root zone keeps them where the tree can use them, and out of nearby streams.

Sustainable forestry

04/09/2026

Inside the Growth Optimization Program

From the first soil sample to the final measurement: how a GOP trial runs, the checkpoints along the way and the data growers receive at each step.

From the first soil sample to the final measurement: how a GOP trial runs, the checkpoints along the way and the data growers receive at each step.

Plantation performance

07/08/2026

Rootzone placement versus broadcast application

Same product, two ways of applying it. A trial in KwaZulu-Natal compared survival and early height growth with fertiliser in the planting hole or on the surface.

Same product, two ways of applying it. A trial in KwaZulu-Natal compared survival and early height growth with fertiliser in the planting hole or on the surface.

Research & innovation

Sustainable forestry

24/07/2026

The Forest3 team standing on a dirt road in a eucalyptus plantation
The Forest3 team standing on a dirt road in a eucalyptus plantation
About us

Rethinking forestry nutrition.

Forest3 brings a fresh perspective to forestry, connecting nutrition to the needs of trees at different stages of growth. We combine specialist knowledge, field experience and targeted solutions to help trees grow stronger and plantations perform better.

By looking beyond conventional approaches, we optimize growth and support long-term operational profitability. We develop custom nutrition programmes for large-scale plantations and commercial solutions for smaller growers worldwide. Through continuous improvement, we keep raising the bar for forestry nutrition.

Start the conversation

Let’s grow together

Whether you’re looking for premium forestry growth solutions or a custom strategy to improve plantation performance, we’d love to explore what’s possible together.