Harvest time in Saxony's forests: The seeds are ripe and the seed harvest can begin, according to the state enterprise Sachsenforst. The start was made in the Eibenstock forest district with the Douglas firs, whose cones must still be green when they are picked.
The work is accompanied by a drone. With its help, it is possible to check in advance which trees are worth harvesting. It also provides an overview of the stands. "The drone helps us to assess the treetops in a targeted manner and also provides an impressive demonstration of how our cone pickers work. Every seed counts, because it is a small building block for the forests of the future," explained Johannes Riedel, head of the Eibenstock forest district.
The harvested cones are then cleaned, dried and processed into seed in the Flöha state kiln. The cone pickers have special training and are equipped with climbing technology.
