Our Process
“Over the last 40 years, timber investments have returned 13.3% versus an 11.6% return for the S&P 500 index over the same time frame.”
Smart Money
How we grow trees for investment
We scout the world’s perfect locations to grow the best long-term investment crops, primarily hardwoods like teak and mahogany.
Using our knowledge and local skilled labor, our site selection and preparation is the first step in producing the best quality and highest value timber products on the market. Without the ideal site selection and preparation, the end result may not be as desirable or valuable. This is just one of the many reasons why we consistently produce the most valuable hardwoods on the market today.
New Area Selection
Our newest plantation location is a beautiful 200 acre property in Southern Belize. It was carefully selected based on its prime location, perfect soil, temperature and annual rainfall for the growth of teak. The plantation has been designed to co-exist with the natural flora and fauna which thrives in this region. It is our firm belief that when planned and executed properly, a strong financial gain can be achieved in the hardwood industry, without disturbing the ebb and flow of nature.
Surveying the Best Planting Locations
Hardwoods are valued and graded on a scale. Without the ideal growing conditions and care, the final value can be greatly reduced. Once a site is researched, approved and acquired, we begin the painstaking task of seed selection. As important as the actual land they are planted in, the proper seed selection is paramount to the success of the final harvest value. Our seeds are hand selected from local parent trees that have already developed the genetics to thrive in the exact climate and conditions.
Mahogany Seeds
Once the seeds have been acquired, cleaned and inspected, we begin the process of germination. Germination is done in our custom built “seedaries” or “shade lots”. This process must be timed perfectly to insure that the best quality and healthiest plants are ready for planting. Germinated and cared for under shade throughout the dry season, we strive to have plants up to 3’ tall ready for planting at the onset of the rainy season, approximately 6 months after germination begins.
Seedlings Under Shade
This large scale process allows us to plant as many as 100 acres in a single season, while keeping the quality and consistency uniform throughout. Keeping a fresh and healthy supply of seedlings also allows us to replace any seedlings that may die in the first years or may not be performing as well as the others. These amounts are small, however, even small setbacks early on can have a large impact on the final results. We strive to ensure that all plants are healthy and are “top performers”. Tropic Hardwoods implements a high density planting strategy. We plant 900 seedlings per acre (with teak). This amount is actually too large, and if not maintained and thinned properly, crowds the trees resulting in a poor yield. However, this strategy does make the plants grow tall and straight very quickly, since each tree is competing for the sun’s light.
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