Nowadays, helicopters carry out the bulk of the work to fertilise Finland's forests.
The sky high price of timber has led to a budding enthusiasm among forest owners to cultivate their crops. This year, fertiliser will be spread over some 50,000 to 60,000 hectares of forest. That's five times the number from ten years ago, and double that of last year.
The practice has proven to be profitable. Fertilising costs are between 200 and 300 euros per hectare. After ten years, forest owners can reap profits of up to four times that sum.
Increasing the use of fertiliser is also seen as an answer for the growing timber needs in the forest industry. Fewer wood imports from Russia, and the country's plan to impose higher export tariffs on timber, have made it increasingly difficult for Finland's forest industry to source raw material.
The detrimental effects of fertilisers on the environment have been cut down as well. More precise distribution of fertilisers and the development of slow-dissolving chemicals have minimised harmful effects on the water table.
YLE