Located on the edge of Gauja National Park in Sigulda, the Zābaki nursery of Latvijas Finieris was established in 1998 with a far-sighted goal – to cultivate high-quality birch and alder seedlings in a timely manner, ensuring a sustainable supply of raw material for veneer production in the decades to come. Artis Podnieks, Member of the Executive Board and Head of the Forest Sector, and Jānis Aļļis, Head of Zābaki nursery, talk about the history, technological development and full cycle of forest management.
Zābaki – a strategic vision of Latvijas Finieris
Zābaki started by building two small greenhouses, and in its first year of operation, it grew around 300,000 seedlings. Of these, 46,000 were sold and the rest were planted in the company’s own forests.
This step marked the launch of the Birch Programme – a long-term initiative by Latvijas Finieris aimed at increasing the share of birch in Latvia’s forests, thereby securing a sustainable supply of raw materials for the future.
As part of the programme, the company not only cultivates seedlings but also acquires land and reforests it with birch trees. Zābaki plays a central role in the programme – seedlings grown at the nursery are planted in Latvijas Finieris’ newly established groves and offered to other forest owners.
The growth and quality of these plantations are frequently monitored in collaboration with LVMI Silava. It’s a win-win situation – veneer mills secure their future timber supply, while private forest owners can plant birch with confidence, knowing that high-quality wood will have a reliable market.
Latvijas Finieris also actively promotes birch planting, emphasising the high value of birch wood on the market. As a result, birch planting in Latvia has surged, making it the most widely planted young tree species – surpassing even pine.
From 1998 to the present day – the evolution of the nursery
In two decades, Zābaki tree nursery has grown from its first small greenhouses into a modern complex. As Jānis Aļlis recalls, “We started with 300,000, then we realised it wasn’t enough.” He encouraged the company to gradually extend the greenhouses – from 40 metres to 60 – and to build new ones, demonstrating the project’s true potential.
As a result of sustained development, annual seedling production has increased from a few hundred thousand to over one million. Today, Zābaki is able to produce around 1–1.5 million seedlings per year, depending on the season and technology.
Despite the increase in production, the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity, claims Artis Podnieks. While the limited territory of Gauja National Park prevents us from competing with national nurseries in terms of volume, it drives us to pursue innovation and implement new solutions.
The development of a new, modern complex in Zābaki has long been envisioned, but progress has been delayed due to funding constraints and shifting priorities.
Only in recent years has the company allocated the necessary funding, and Jānis Aļļis acknowledges that his long-held dream has finally become a reality. In May 2025, the new wooden building complex was inaugurated at the nursery – a unique project built in less than a year (from March 2024 to February 2025).
Birch and black alder seedling production cycle
The cycle starts with the purchase of the seed. Zābaki is primarily supplied by Latvia’s State Forests (Kalsnava Seed Plantation), although birch seed harvests are not consistently reliable each year. If local seed availability falls short, the nursery seeks alternative sources – such as partnering with colleagues who have successfully collected surplus seed.
We have even gone to the forest ourselves in search of the best seed. In recent years, seed shortages have become a significant challenge – high-quality birch seed is increasingly scarce, and nurseries across Latvia often rely on a single successful harvest to get through the season.
Once the seeds have been delivered and their quality checked, sowing begins. Traditionally, sowing at Zābaki begins in April, but the new heated greenhouse will allow the season to start 2–3 weeks earlier, enabling earlier seedling germination.
In the greenhouses of the nursery, seedlings grow in special crates. After approximately a month, the young seedlings are moved to outdoor growing sites, where they continue to develop until autumn. With careful planning, it’s possible to grow two seedling cycles in a single greenhouse within one season – one in spring and another in summer. In addition, Zābaki also grows plug seedlings with an improved root system – some customers prefer these seedlings.
Birch is the nursery’s primary crop, but around 10% of the seedlings are alder, which is suitable for waterlogged soils. Latvijas Finieris also processes alder wood into veneer on a smaller scale.
A good quality seedling in a well-maintained plantation will grow into a full-grown stand in about 40 years. In addition, improved planting material accelerates the production of high-quality veneer wood – making it possible to obtain some veneer-grade timber as early as the first or second thinning. This means that a productive birch forest grows faster than it would naturally, if it is properly maintained.
Once the seedlings reach a plantable size, typically around 50 to 70 cm, they are usually lifted in the spring, ready for customer collection. Zābaki aims to change this routine – with the new freezer in place, the plan is to lift the seedlings in autumn and store them in cold conditions throughout the winter.
In a controlled environment, seedlings can be stored over the winter without loss of quality, allowing them to be made available at the optimal time in spring, helping to reduce the seasonal rush. This method of storing deciduous trees is uncommon, making Zābaki one of the few nurseries to adopt it (this approach is more typically used for conifers).
Infrastructure and technology in the new complex
The new wooden building complex at Zābaki tree nursery consists of several buildings. At the heart of the complex is the first-of-its-kind wooden seedling cooler in Latvia and the Baltics, equipped with precise microclimate control. This € 5 million investment demonstrates that a production facility can be harmoniously integrated into the landscape in an environmentally friendly way.
Foto: Pauls Zvirbulis/TVNET GRUPA
The complex was developed in close collaboration with architects and scientists, incorporating innovative timber construction solutions and serving as a platform for research into the properties of wood under specific humidity and cold conditions.
Foto: Pauls Zvirbulis/TVNET GRUPA
Solar panels covering 565 m2 have been installed on the roof of the cold store, capable of generating up to 106 MWh of electricity annually.
The administrative buildings and outbuildings are covered by green roofs, which blend in with the beautiful surrounding landscape. The buildings feature an energy-efficient heating and water supply system – rainwater collected from the roofs is used to irrigate the nursery’s seedlings.
Foto: Pauls Zvirbulis/TVNET GRUPA
Research and scientific cooperation
Zābaki nursery works closely with forest science organisations. Seedlings are already being cultivated from selected and improved seeds and clones, developed in collaboration with breeders from Silava and other research institutes.
The nursery is continuously experimenting – testing new cultivation methods and regimes to identify the optimal growing conditions. Every innovation takes years to fully evaluate, making the involvement of scientists essential to the process.
One of the latest joint projects with LVMI Silava focuses on plant disease prevention – researchers are investigating which fungal pathogens develop in plant containers and are tracing their sources. The nursery is testing different hygiene practices to reduce the risks of disease. This research is especially urgent, as EU regulations have banned many previously used fungicides, making it essential to find new, environmentally friendly solutions for disease control.
Zābaki also serves as a training ground for future forest owners, managers and enthusiasts. The nursery regularly welcomes schoolchildren, students and industry professionals, offering them a firsthand look at the plant cultivation cycle, daily operations, and the latest technologies in use. Artis Podnieks describes Zābaki as a place where science, education and experts meet to create new ideas and collaborations.
Foto: Pauls Zvirbulis/TVNET GRUPA
The company’s management highlights the fact that Zābaki serves as a platform for raising awareness about responsible forestry and the role of wood in the economy – engaging the younger generation, industry partners, and even policymakers.
Market demand and trade logic
Although Zābaki was originally established to serve the needs of Latvijas Finieris, today, only 25–30% of the seedlings are planted in the company’s own forests each year – the remainder are purchased by other customers.
In recent years, large landowners, including those from abroad, have become active, planting large areas. However, the nursery intentionally avoids supplying all its seedlings to a single customer in order to mitigate any risk.
“If one customer suddenly refuses to plant, the seedlings continue to grow and overgrow – they cannot be put aside,”
explains A. Podnieks.
Foto: Pauls Zvirbulis/TVNET GRUPA
In practice, demand for birch seedlings in Latvia exceeds supply by at least a factor of three. This is why almost all of Zābaki production is reserved 2–3 years in advance.
Forest owners submit their seedling requests well in advance, and the nursery carefully coordinates this to ensure sufficient supply for all the confirmed orders. If a customer cancels part of an order, the remaining seedlings are promptly offered to other interested buyers. No seedling grown goes unused.
Future challenges and prospects
The company has no plans to build another large nursery just yet. J. Aļļis admits that he would not locate the nursery in Gauja National Park again. For now, instead of quantity, Latvijas Finieris prioritises enhancing seedling quality and strengthening its raw material base.
One of the key challenges for the future is ensuring a stable and reliable supply of high-quality seed. Artis Podnieks notes that the current seed shortage is a critical issue, prompting Latvijas Finieris to seriously consider establishing its own seed plantation – a dedicated birch stand designed to provide a consistent supply of high-quality seeds for the future.
The other area of development is breeding innovation.
“We need even higher-quality planting material – next-generation clones,”
says Podnieks, emphasising that this is a long-term undertaking.
Over time, as this improved generation of seedlings matures in the forest and their growth becomes measurable, it will be possible to evaluate the effectiveness of new techniques and consider potential capacity expansion.
In order to develop knowledge-based forestry, demonstrate the use of wood in construction in Latvia, and promote wider availability of birch seedlings, on May 29, 2025, a new and technologically innovative wooden building complex was opened at the Latvijas Finiera tree nursery in Zābaki, Sigulda County. Its central element is Latvia's first and the Baltic's only wooden construction solution – a seedling cooling chamber with specific microclimate conditions.
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