The shelterwood system is often perceived as a silvicultural technique with a high implementation cost. FERIC thus developed a relatively inexpensive method for the first entry of a shelterwood system, the seeding cut, based on the selection of dominant trees: the 1-2-3 method. This method helps compensate for the productivity decrease experienced by harvesting equipment as a result of the reduced removal level. The present report summarizes various examples of the use of the 1-2-3 method, and provides guidelines to facilitate its implementation.