Tilhill automates tree planting: terrain, safety and productivity notes for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Tilhill Forestry has begun UK trials of the Swedish Plantma Forestry PlantMax automated planting system to accelerate woodland restocking and new planting. The machine combines ground scarification support with twin automated planting arms featuring adjustable compaction, and early trials show consistent planting quality across multiple site types at commercially viable rates. Performance is being benchmarked against manual methods over several seasons, with particular focus on terrain, drainage and ground preparation constraints, and on deployment in hard-to-reach areas where mechanised planting could materially reduce exposure for planting crews.
Technical Brief
- Plantma Forestry’s PlantMax unit combines ground scarification with twin automated planting arms using adjustable compaction force.
- Tilhill is running multi-season trials to validate planting quality, operational fit and long-term establishment performance.
- Terrain, drainage and prior ground preparation are being treated as key constraints in deployment suitability assessments.
- Hard-to-reach or difficult-access areas are a specific focus, aiming to reduce exposure of planting crews.
- Safety evaluation centres on how mechanised planting can support teams while maintaining high establishment standards.
- Tilhill is coordinating with external partners to benchmark outputs and refine safe operating envelopes for the system.
- Outcomes are expected to inform wider UK forestry mechanisation strategies as woodland creation demand increases.
Our Take
Swedish-origin equipment such as Plantma Forestry’s systems has tended to be proven first in Nordic conditions; deployment in the UK suggests operators see enough commonality in terrain and cycle times to justify importing that technology rather than waiting for domestic solutions.
With this article tagged to Safety as well as Projects, automation in Tilhill’s UK operations is likely being evaluated not only for labour productivity but also for reducing manual handling and exposure hours, which is becoming a key justification for mechanisation in our recent infrastructure coverage.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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