Implement to Prepare for Tree Planting

[Bull88]

I've got about fourteen acres, and each year I work on planting around my perimeter to create a private oasis from the outside world. I'm planting lots of pines, arbor vitaes, and forsythia in my first "phase" of beautification.

The soil here is very dense, thick clay. When dry it is like mortar, and when wet it is like gooey play-doh. For each tree or shrub that I plant, I have a routine that is good exercise, but makes for slow progress. I use the wide blade of a cutter mattock to peel off the sod in a circular area larger than the tree. I then use the mattock to soften the soil and break it up, because it starts as clumps. I then use a shovel to turn the soil over and break it up some more. Then, I can finally dig the hole.

I am looking for an implement to help me with this. I have a 19hp diesel tractor. I have spent some time reading on this site, and am wondering if a sub-soiler would help? I don't have the budget for a good tiller, but I see the fairly cheap sub-soilers are supposed to loosen the soil. But, do they just break it up into large clumps that I would still have to bust apart by hand?

Sorry for the long post, thanks for any help.

 

[MarkV]

Bull I think a sub soiler would just make large clumps and you would still have a lot of hand work. Now if you could get a post hole auger with a 12" bit you could drill your hole and loosen the soil just fine.

MarkV

 

[RalphVa]

My neighbor used about an 18" OD posthole digger to plant his trees. His is a 35 hp tractor.

I'd think you could do it with about 3 or 4 12" holes on your tractor. It may not drive an 18" PHD in your soil. A wide hole is better than a deep one. With 3 or 4 holes, you'd have a nice, wide hole.

Ralph

 

[deereguy]

How many trees do you plant at a time? What size root ball are these plants? 2 gallon? 30" B&B? smaller/larger?

I have heard good results from using a trencher, it crumbles the soil, makes back-filling much easier, and takes on water better. If you can rent a walk behind trencher for a day, you may be able to get your needed holes done and plant trees the next day.

The post digger which I have used, tends to bring up larger ribbons of soil and takes more effort to back fill the hole.

 

[AlanB]

I would go the PHD route and 12" auger.

We have a 12" and do multiple holes, and a 24" that is really bigger than we often need.

We want an 18" but the availabity of them makes them stupid money when compared to a 12" and if you are just doing it occassionally, I think the 12" and some handwork would be a real good compromise.

 

[john_bud]

One problem with PHD holes in clay for trees is that the tree will get root bound in the hole. The walls are hard and the lazy roots don't work to penetrate them. Trees look good for 2-4 years then stunt with a twisted up root ball.


You may want to use a subsoiler and make a cross hatch pattern of furrows going first N/S then E/W. Use the PHD to make a hole for the trees at the intersections. The side walls will be broken in 4 places and the roots will have a place to go. Should work with minimal out of seat time.

jb

 

[SnowRidge]

I use this for planting bare root seedlings in hard ground. I cut the damaged handle off of a dibble and welded it to the bottom of a quick attach plate.

 

[ampsucker]

as mentioned, wider is better than deeper. it's also important to kill the sod in a 3-4 foot radius around the root ball to minimize competition with grasses and weeds.

i think if i had a limited budget and a lot of trees to plant in a line, i would go with a single bottom moldboard plow. do about 4-5 passes wide in the row you want to plant and your sod problem is gone and the top 7 inches or so of soil is loosened. then, depending on your root ball size, you can come back and either hand dig a shallow hole where each tree is going or rent an auger and drill it.

although, i agree that it is easy to get a root bound tree in a hurry if you only use an auger and don't break up the sides of the hole. the hole should be wider at the top and deeper than the root ball to get the trunk the same depth as it was planted in the pot. the best way to do this is dig deeper than you will plant and then backfill with loose dirt to build a perch for the roots. this also helps with drainage and keeps the roots from sitting in a pocket of water. very important with thick clay that drains slowly. you can kill a tree quickly in clay soil that doesn't drain well if the roots are always in water and oxygen cannot diffuse down into them.

if i really had a lot of trees to plant, i would hold out for the roto tiller. i love mine and have found MANY other uses for it. (garden, orchard, windbreaks, loosening up clay soil and sod so can scoop with FEL, incorporating mulch, creating shallow and level drainage ditches i can mow over them, planting grass seed, busting up ice, shallow trenching for surface water drain pipes, digging out potholes in gravel driveway, etc....)

good luck!

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I have to agree with John Bud about the roots getting bound after a couple of years with that kind of soil. Using a small ditch witch to trench out the soil to loosen it up to a reasonable depth in a square. You still may have to break up some clumps. If you are near any farmers looking to get rid of some manure use that to help the soil. Do you have gnawing animals to worry about eating your new plants? It wouldn't be any fun to plant all of that and have deer ruin them.

 

[IslandTractor]

There is an attachment called a QuickSpade that might be of use with your FEL bucket if you don't need to dig more than about 18 inches deep. I have the version that fits on to adjustable forks and my version can dig about four feet deep but the bucket only version would still be very useful. It is essentially a very large shovel blade that mounts to either the bucket lip or to forks. I recall that Northern Tool carries them or you can order direct from the manufacturer. The nice thing about them is that you can use it both to dig the hole for the new tree/bush and also use it to uproot an existing plant and move it.

 

[Bull88]

Thanks for the many suggestions, everyone. Although, as is often the case, there seems to be a few ways to go with this and so I am still not entirely sure what implement to buy first.

The moldboard plow sounds good...I'll see if I can find what they look like and where they are available. I actually have a gas-powered hand-held auger that I tried to use for a few trees. Helped, but was still hard work...I'm sure it would be much easier if the tractor was doing the holding of the thing!

The spade looks cool, too, but I am not lucky enough to have a bucket on my tractor

Oh, and now I am scared about this root-bound issue, as I am not sure I broke up the soil enough in the area beyond the root ball. Time will tell, I guess. I'll be more careful with this spring's trees!

 

[Ford850]

Bull88,
What size trees are you planting? Bare root seedlings? Larger trees? The answer to this would make a big difference on your options.

 

[ToadHill]

I yse the local boy scout troop. It is work toward their forestry merit badge.

 

[kthompson]

Bull88 it might be your best action to be sure on the trees you are planting they can handle the soil you have. Some will handle such better than others.

 

[Kamik]

You might also consider a raised bed comprised of your clay soil ammended with compost, sand and gypsum.

K

 

[Bull88]

I had meant to answer the question about the size of these tress earlier, sorry for the oversight.

Most of what I buy is in the 4-6' tall range, with a burlap root ball. These are primarily pine trees at this time, and so they do well in or at least adapt to soils from sandy to clay. I have plenty more trees to plant...when I'm done, I don't want to see any neighbors, just have privacy and wildlife!

The raised bed idea is interesting, but sounds possible like more work?

Dave

 

[Drexel]

Bull88 I'm doing just what you are, planting trees around the parameter, in heavy clay soil. I'm planting seedlings from the local forestry. Started off with a post hole digger, dropped that idea after four holes. With hundred of holes to dig it's to slow. Went to middle buster, rolled out large clods with not enough loose soil to even pack around the seedling. Then went to the sub soiler. It leaves clods but smaller then the middle buster and does at least leave enough loose dirt to pack around the tree. If you find a better way of doing it let me know, I've still got about a thousand seedlings to plant

 

[Taylortractornut]

I help a friend thats a forester sometimes and made a few things to speed up planting. one is a tree hole digger that goes on a phd. its just a pilot shaft tip from a post hole auger with an arm coming off one side of the shaft about 18 to 20 inches up. The arm holds a scalloped disk blade at an angle. The pilot cutter extends about 4 inches past the bottom of the disc blade. It will started a hole and gring the soil making it easier to back fill and makes a largeenough hole for the root ball. also takes care of the local weeds.
The other is just a subsoiler with a coulter wheel mounted ahead of the shank to cut the sod. and a pair of wings on the back of the shank to make the hole spreat out. Its basically a tree planter with out the rider and press wheels. If Im around the tree farm this week ill take a few pictures of the tree hole digger.
One other thing if you want to make a raised bed thats loose you could take a single gang disk or adjust the top link where the back gang isnt touching the ground this makes it pile all the soil in a raised mound. Just middle bust subsoil or break the ground firsth then you can make your bed with the disk. It just takes multple passes.