Pine seedlings are cheaper and easier to plant than hardwoods. Seedling costs for pine average $40 per 1000 seedlings, while hardwoods such as yellow-poplar and oaks average $250 or more per 1,000 seedlings.
Keep in mind
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Pine is more valuable on the timber market than the red maple, low-grade oaks and sweetgum that generally occur on poorer sites.
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Pines are cheaper to establish and are grown at shorter rotations, 20 to 30 years, than hardwoods.
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Establishment and management costs are recovered more quickly with the shorter rotations.
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Annual rate of return for pine in the southeast averages 10 to 12 percent per year.
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