middle buster

[clemsonfor]

I would add another vote for the planter bar, also called a dibble bar. You would have to go behind the MB anyway with one or a shovel to get the dirt tight around all of the roots of the trees anyways. I used one to plant 250 cypress, 50 cottonwoods, and 25 mayhaws 2 years ago in about 2-3 hours, and about to plant some more. The time is mostly spent walking from spot to spot since the tree goes in fast after you get the hang of it.

Im a forester and had no idea what you were talking about till i saw this picture. We call those Dipples, see the word in the diagram. The real layman term here is tree planter.

The mexicans around here use like a pick-ax type tool with the wide horizontal blade they swing it remove it place tree and then step on the side to close the hole up. A group of 4 mexicans can out plant a tractor and a tree planter anyday i think.

 

[TripleR]

You might see if there is a planter to rent through your state forestry department or other entity. A state forester should know. I have heard of others having access through their state or a forestry organization.

Oh, and a sharpshooter is nothing like a dibble bar, to much flex in the blade. Mine is a big wedge of cast iron and has barely any resemblance to a shovel, probably weighs 20 lbs.

We checked and were told they use crews in our area.

Yeah, ours are the heavy type used by a crew we hired initially. My son looked at them and used metal we had around the shop to make a couple that worked really well.

 

[Haoleguy]

Not sure if you are planting bare root or container tree seedlings but I thought I might bring up something I ran into when looking at efficient planting of grapevines. On the following youtube video there are 3 techniques of manual tree planting and I would suggest you look at the pottiputki demonstration which is the 2nd device used...... YouTube - Darren Doherty : Mechanical Tree Planting Systems . These devices are sold through forestry suppliers...... Tree Planting Tools - Pottiputki, Hamilton, Bushpro Spades, Kidney Trays and Planting Belts . For the pumpkins I wasn't sure if it was seeds or seedlings being planted but if it was seeds the following homemade device is cheap and works if you have the stamina to walk the acreage...... A Homemade Seed Planter ThinMan痴 Blog . .....Gary

 

[spruce Deere]

For 500 trees, a planting bar will work if the soil is soft enough. A planting bar will work in firm, slightly packed, rocky soil at the expense of your sore body at the end of the day. More sore than in a soft, tilled field at the end of the day that is

After planting 12 acres of trees 'bare root' with planting bars in tilled, prepped soil, the wifester and I found that a transplanter works very well. This particular one has a coulter to use in a no-till application. I till the first few years anyway for weed control and helps the already streesed seedlings root in better.

As far as pumpkins go, We just do a few in the garden

 

[deereman10]

Haoleguy- The root systems on my trees are just a little to big for the planters you showed me. Thanks for showing them to me though they are very cool.

I'll probably just pick up a planter bar. I'm still thinking about the middle buster for the pumpkins though. Just drop the seeds by hand then kick some dirt over them as i walk by. We'll see

 

[spruce Deere]

Sorry.... here is a picture of the tree transplanter we use behind the 790

 

[jeffreythree]

I was reading one of my many forestry books lasy night and the author spoke of using a chisel plow to help plant seedlings with. Opens up the ground just enough so the dibble can be used easier in tougher soils to get the seedling in and pack the dirt.