In this shining gum (E. nitens) plantation a tree grower starts the operations for solid wood production 32 months after planting. Due to the absence of shade cast over this plantation by surrounding groves the trees still retained alive branches on the lower trunk. Depending on the time of the year planting was done and for areas where this species achieves excellent growth rates in the Iberian Northwest, the optimal period for this first low pruning can oscillate between 20 and 30 months old. Pruning height in this plantation lightly exceeds the maximum recommended height for the impact of canopy loss on next year's growth being low: not beyond 50% canopy height, preferrably on trees over 5 meters total height.

The aim of pruning operations is producing as reduced knotty cores as possible, so increasing the volume of high quality lumber you can obtain per tree, especially in the basal logs. The efficiency of pruning operations, both early low pruning on basal log and later high pruning up the trunk, for the obtention of high value knot-free iumber depends on these operations being done at the right stage of tree growth. Trees should be pruned before lower branches lose their leaves (dead branches). Pruning on alive branches must be carried on with the right equipment (proper pruning scissors) to make sure every cut is a clean one. The ideal cut is clean and as close to the trunk as to leave not more than 1 cm of branch length remaining, does not cause big wounds and is preferrably done over branches with less than 2.5 cm calliper .