Once the next forest crop is established and growing freely, there are a series of tending operations that can be carried out.

The first of these is pre-commercial thinning. This treatment involves removal of unwanted trees from a young stand 2 to 6 metres tall. It is sometimes called spacing. The objective of the treatment is to space the future crop trees as evenly as possible 2.1 to 3.0 metres apart so they can grow to their full potential.

The other tending treatment is called commercial thinning. This treatment involves the removal of the least desirable trees in a middle aged stand to hasten diameter growth of selected crop trees and increase to productivity. As the name implies, this treatment produces merchantable wood. The majority of trees removed would normally die from natural mortality if left in the stand until maturity.

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