Home Made Tree Planter

[Localmotion]

Really need some good advice / ideas on this one please...

We have a job coming this winter which will involve the planting of about 500 Olive & Almond trees, probably with rootballs of c.30cm. While we could plant by hand, or scrape individual holes with the excavator, I think it will be easier to use a purpose built tool on the tractor - especially as all the trees must line up in a grid pattern.

I'm thinking of something like this:


There are lots of tree planters available, but given that this is likely to be a one off job I am guessing it will be cheaper to temporarily modify one of our existing ploughs or build something from scratch - although my engineering skills (or rather lack of them :hammer mean I'll probably have to get a friend to do the pre-fab for me. One concern I have is that most the tree planters I've seen are designed to plant saplings with only a very small root, not 30cm like these will be.

Has anyone built a tree planted or modified an existing peice of equipment to do a similar job?

If I can work out now if it is possible, and what it is likely to cost, I can hopefully include that within my quotation to the customer, and have a tree planter available for future use...

As I said at the beginning, any ideas or thoughts greatfully recieved... :thumbsup:

 

[woodlandfarms]

In our area they use your pictured device for christmas / reforestation projects, but those only handle bare root trees and really small ones...

Given the fact you want the soil to be turned larger than the area of the root on a tree like that, you are going to want a post hole digger. We planted 150 trees with one. Took me just a few hours to dig the holes, but filling them took a couple of days...

30cm for those who are metricly challenged (like me) is 12"

 

[California]

Apple orchard here. We planted 85 replacement bare root trees this spring, and 35 a couple of years ago.

We run a rototiller over the planting location to get a head start on weeds then use a large post hole digger.

Our replacement locations are all where trees died. Often the hole reveals a gopher nesting cavern that was located beneath the old tree. So I recommend a post hole digger as big as your tractor can handle, to disrupt gopher (or other) nests if this is a replanting project.

Note the post hole digger gives you a head start on the levee you need around each tree for watering.

Heres a picture of the next stage after planting: mulch to reduce weeds, deer netting, and a simple watering trailer I cobbled together using an IBC tote on a little Harbor Freight trailer. There's a 12V sump pump inside with its switch next to my steering wheel. That is a vacuum breaker near the top of the tank to prevent siphoning as I drive to the next tree.

 

[BHD]

I do not have the best pictures of it but I made one and planted over 10 miles of trees one year,


first a three point mount, there is room for a colter in the front, then a single shank I welded a square tube on the back of the shank and then welded Shields on the tube to keep the slot open, the shank is adjustable up and down,

the two packer wheels are off a old roll over plow, and they ride independently, and the seat is attached to the tube that they ride on and the platform there is a stop so they can only drop so far, so one can lift it out of the ground for transport, the wheels are on a tube that can slide for adjustment on the tube that is attached to the three point mount,

the chain is attached to a old plastic jug, with a little water in it for weight, and was used for a marker by adusting the lenght of chain one could be the spacing to all most the inch once one got use to the watching of it,

one has to creep along as one can get very busy back there putting in trees,

Sorry I do not currently have any side pictures,

 

[Localmotion]

Great job BHD - just the sort of thing I'm thinking of...

Did you have any issues when using it / anything you would do different?

 

[BHD]

not really, I modified the packer wheels once, the way the arms swung I think at first I had them rigid, I will try to go over and take a few more side pictures of it, it has been a few years since I use it,

 

[Localmotion]

more pics would be great - thanks...

Has anyone tried tractor planting 30cm rootballs? I know a hole augur would work - but would be quick to use the excavator, and am still looking for an even quicker / more acurate solution using the tractor to avoid having to mark all the holes out in advance!

Any more ideas?

 

[woodlandfarms]

I cannot believe you are fighting the idea of a post hole digger as it is the implement used by most farmers for this.....

If you want to use a plow (I have no real idea why when you dealing with a large root ball) you are probably going to want something like a Ditch Plow.



Then after the ditch plow weld a couple of plates on in a V shape to push the dirt back in, but leave enough space for the trunk to fit between the plates.... Something like this \/

It won't work as well as a post hole digger but at least you will have what you want...

 

[mjncad]

As much as I hate 3PH posthole diggers, I vote for using one in this case as you're not digging very deep.

 

[California]

I cannot believe you are fighting the idea of a post hole digger...

Agree. I am trying to imagine plowing and backfilling a furrow big enough for a 30cm / 1 ft rootball. A contractor who does this specialty might do it easily but it seems to me there would be a lot of imperfect work while an inexperienced crew learns by trial-and-error. Designing and perfecting the equipment as the project moves along sounds like a slow process.

Then you have to go back to each tree and construct a watering basin. Using the post hole digger there is plenty of crumbled soil around the tree for backfill and for making the dike. Could a plow provide this?

I don't think it is practical to take a process used for tiny saplings and adapt it up to 30cm / 1ft rootballs. Especially for a one-time project of only 500 trees.

Here's a tip we use: We set a stake at each new tree location. Then we use a special board with notches at the ends and center to set outer stakes, just beyond the diameter of the hole, that the post hole operator can see later as he lowers the auger to start digging. The notch at the center of the board is placed around the tree-location stake, two or four outer 'pins' (small stakes) are placed, guided by the notches at the end of the board, then the center stake is removed before the auger is brought in.

 

[bcp]

I cannot believe you are fighting the idea of a post hole digger...

I recommend you forget the post hole digger and get a tree hole digger. It looks exactly like a post hole digger, but trees go into the hole instead of posts.



Bruce

 

[woodlandfarms]

Thank you bruce. I knew I was suggesting the wrong gear.

 

[California]

get a tree hole digger. It looks exactly like a post hole digger, but trees go into the hole instead of posts.

My neighbor's tree hole auger, note the large diameter.

 

[woodlandfarms]

California,

I would love more pictures of our operation. We over engineered our fruit tree protection (planted a dozen replacement trees) but the CFO wanted metal fencing (1/2" square) so it became, and still is, a megilla. I like the conical shape, we can't mow inside ours at the base as it is so huge...

But I have never had fruit trees until this property so appreciate seeing your systems.

Carl

 

[284 International]

I understand exactly what you are trying to build. I use a large auger as California showed, but if I were going to transplant that many trees, I would look into something like what you are talking about. However, depending on the spacing required, I have seen an extremely simple and effective tool that you could easily construct.

Basically, it is a bar that bolts onto the tractor wheel, that sticks out beyond the tire tread. When the tractor drives forward, the bar pierces the soil and pulls out a cone-shaped plug of dirt. If the bar protrudes only on one side, the spacing is simply the circumference of the tire. I will see if I can find pictures of what I mean. It is very fast, very simple, and, I thought, exceedingly clever for relatively small tree holes. It also avoids the necessity of backfilling furrows or trenches. There is some difficulty starting the rows at the same point, but one can overcome that trouble readily.

Here is a short description of proper commercial orchard preparation according to Dave Wilson Nurseries: DWN: Commercial Catalog: Orchard Planting Guide

They mention troubles with root bound trees following auger hole plantings, but I imagine narrow backhoe trenches would have similar effects.

A small ditch plow like Woodlandfarms posted would work, but you need a way to backfill. Angled discs would fill the trench back in, but would require spade work to excavate each tree hole. Keeping an open trench seems undesirable, and filling the trench in once trees are in place seems more difficult.

Let us know what you do, and show us how it works.

 

[284 International]

I actually found something like what I was talking about: http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/info/pubs/misc/Tree planting attachment for a tractor.pdf

This is the same idea as what I saw, and of the same vintage. The version I have seen was on an old orchardist's tractor. He said he used it with the disk mounted, but lifted, to add more weight to the tires. He said it worked well, but I did not see it operated. His looked fairly wide, perhaps 10 inches up top, but tapering to a blunt point of about 3 inches in width. His looked to protrude about 10-12 inches from the tire, and was quite beefy in construction. He used 1/2" plate with a 3/8" or so backing plate perpendicular to the broad face to add strength. I wish I had seen it in action, or been able to take some photos.

 

[Localmotion]

Nice watering rig California- will remember that for future! On this occasion we are installing drip irrigation to the trees, as we get very little rainfall here and the customer spends a lot of time away from home.

I cannot believe you are fighting the idea of a post hole digger as it is the implement used by most farmers for this.....

Woodlandfarms - what do you mean by most farmers? I assume you mean in the US as here in Europe I have rarely seen or heard of any farmers using a post hole auger to plant a field.... It must take ages!!!

If you want to use a plow (I have no real idea why when you dealing with a large root ball) you are probably going to want something like a Ditch Plow...

The modified ditch plough is a great idea (although the one in your photo might be a tad too large) :laughing: - I'll look into a bit more - Thanks!

I have used post hole aguars many many times for fencing, and for trees I have always used the excavator. However as I originally said we have 500 trees to plant for a customer this winter, and am looking for a much quicker solution. The customer has specified that they don't want saplings (bare roots), but older trees (with c.30cm roots) as they are wanting an "instant vista" of olive and almonds!!! With Olive trees, a 30cm rootball is still only a relatively small 3-5 year old pot grown tree (most common here as the soil conditions are very poor).

Both the post hole auger / excavator would take about the same amount of time (slow) and an added draw back is that the field will need to be marked out in advance to ensure acurate spacing. If I can plant using a tractor, I can then use a bout marker to provide a guide for my next row, saving a lot of man hours, effort and fuel - meaning it will work MUCH BETTER than an auger!!!!

Plus of course I'll have it ready for the next job ;-)

 

[Localmotion]

I actually found something like what I was talking about: http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/ext/info/pubs/misc/Tree planting attachment for a tractor.pdf

That's a wonderfully simple solution - will need to calculate the spacing vs the circumfrance of my tractor wheel first though! :thumbsup:

 

[284 International]

?..will need to calculate the spacing vs the circumfrance of my tractor wheel first though!

Or you could make the rig offset, with two spuds for digging, at whatever interval lines up properly. This would leave an unused hole between every tree, but they are easy to fill. It may not be the right solution for you, but the 50-86 is likely heavy enough to drive a tapered spud deep enough to plant a 12" root ball through a disked and leveled field.

 

[California]

... drive a tapered spud deep enough to plant a 12" root ball through a disked and leveled field.

Wouldn't that cause severe compaction around the hole? That Dave Wilson Nursery instruction page mentions trees staying rootbound in an auger-drilled hole, and this sounds even denser.

Also - it seems like blind luck if the tractor tire circumference matches the spacing this customer wants. I can see using that method for planting a windbreak on your own property where spacing isn't critical, but an orchard has to line up on both the X and Y axes so you can cross-disc. How the heck do you get adjacent rows to line up? All I can imagine is jacking up the tractor at the start of each row to rotate its tire to the right point.

I'm sure this can be done, but i sure don't understand how it works.