Get A SubSoiler Maybe For A 50 Foot Trench?

[wirlybird]

I have an area I am going to plant a hedge row. It is about 50 feet long so I think it will be about 15 plants/shrubs.
I was thinking about using a subsoiler to dig out a basic trench to help in planting rather than digging 15 holes in relatively tough ground.
Does this sound like a good use or would there be something else to use that is not a large expense?

I could see this getting a lot of use as a friend does water and conduit runs for things like pump houses in pastures.

If I buy new what is a good brand? What to look for?

 

[K5lwq]

A subsoiler will help loosen the soil but I don’t see it opening a trench big enough to plant shrubs. You probably could rent a small backhoe cheap enough to do a job like this. A post hole digger works pretty good as well. But it is hard to beat a shovel for planting shrubs.

 

[wirlybird]

Done the backhoe thing. If I recall it was about $300 for 4 hours.
I've dug around in this area before when I did the edging, all by pickaxe. It is pretty hard and fair amount of smaller rocks/gravel which make digging a real pain!
I was mostly thinking with repeated passes the subsoiler might loosen up the dirt deep enough to make shoveling out the planting spots a little easier.
A posthole digger could be good but you just hit rocks all the time which are more at the surface level.
I think this area may have had gravel spread over it long ago.

 

[Carl_NH]

I agree with a BH, but a subsoiler will work but you will need to add weight to get ground penetration. Multiple passes going deeper should loosen the soil/rocks enough to dig the holes. Here's an inexpensive one - under $200 so your not sinking a lot of $ https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...hZSc-jopyWuoaNid87YaAu3FEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The other thing is access - 50' long isn't a big area - do you have like 75' clear or 10-20' on each end so you can work the entire 50' length

 

[wirlybird]

I agree with a BH, but a subsoiler will work but you will need to add weight to get ground penetration. Multiple passes going deeper should loosen the soil/rocks enough to dig the holes. Here's an inexpensive one - under $200 so your not sinking a lot of $ https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200660637_200660637?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Farm + Acreage > 3-Point Category 1 Implements > Category 1 Cultivators + Tillers&utm_campaign=NorTrac&utm_content=51463&gclid=Cj0KCQiAieWOBhCYARIsANcOw0ypxsdZte40lTXl6GO8NgZ6oZkSGKfZ0gB3hZSc-jopyWuoaNid87YaAu3FEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

The other thing is access - 50' long isn't a big area - do you have like 75' clear or 10-20' on each end so you can work the entire 50' length

Yes, access is no problem.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I guess a single arrow plow wouldn't work ehn ? I mean if you can use the subsoiler afterwards its alright ...I dont know how many HP your tractor has but if you buy the subsoiler Carl posted at 200$ I hope you don't have many HP. lol

 

[K5lwq]

What about renting a small tiller for your tractor? Or purchase a used one and sell it after you are done?

 

[Diggin It]

A subsoiler will help loosen the soil but I don’t see it opening a trench big enough to plant shrubs.

You don't need to open a trench to plant shrubs.

I agree with a BH, but a subsoiler will work but you will need to add weight to get ground penetration. Multiple passes going deeper should loosen the soil/rocks enough to dig the holes.

Multiple passes side by side and deeper each pass will loosen the soil. The tip of the subsoiler will usually pull itself deeper as you move forward, if you let it. At least mine does. I have two interchangeable tips, a small chisel and a wider 'potato' plow. Between the two, I can loosen 8-10" wide and several inches deep in just a few passes, even in hard, rocky clay.

Once loosened, you just use a shovel or spade tip to open a small slot, set the plant and move on. They do this with thousands of trees at a time when planting forest areas.

If OP's shrubs have a larger rootball that require a bigger hole, the loosened soil will be much easier to dig out.

 

[K5lwq]

You don't need to open a trench to plant shrubs.

I understand that. My comment was in response to what seemed to be the plan in the original post. Since then it is clear the OP was just planning on loosening the soil.

 

[Carl_NH]

I guess a single arrow plow wouldn't work ehn ? I mean if you can use the subsoiler afterwards its alright ...I dont know how many HP your tractor has but if you buy the subsoiler Carl posted at 200$ I hope you don't have many HP. lol

OP Listed machines are the JD 756 being 20HP - should have a cat 1 3PT, and 585 being a large garden tractor with cat 0 3PT - so that northern tool unit should match OK. TSC has a beefier one for $350 as a step up.

Agree a tiller will work to get the top 6-8", then you could create a trench, then use the tiller to go deeper - just depends on the size of trees/shrubs root ball you are planting. For a 5 gallon size probably 14-20" deep.