middle buster

[deereman10]

So i'm trying to think of a way to plant 500 christmas trees and 7 acres of pumpkins this year with minimal tilling. I do not have a no till planter and i'm not buying one at this point. I'm toying with the idea of using the middle buster to make a row every 5 feet. Good Idea? Bad idea? Other Ideas?

 

[MMagis]

A planting bar would do a better/faster job I think.

 

[LD1]

How big are the trees you want to plant???

A post hole digger might work a little faster for the trees. A middle buster might not get you a deep enough trench for the trees. But that depends on how big they are.

 

[jonyyuma]

How big are the root systems on the trees? They need space to spread quickly and easily. I get about 12 inches form my middle buster, and some falls back into hole immediately. Jy.

 

[deereman10]

Trees are 6-12 inches tall. Getting the middle buster 12 inches into the ground would definately be enough for the roots.

 

[flusher]

So i'm trying to think of a way to plant 500 christmas trees and 7 acres of pumpkins this year with minimal tilling. I do not have a no till planter and i'm not buying one at this point. I'm toying with the idea of using the middle buster to make a row every 5 feet. Good Idea? Bad idea? Other Ideas?

That JD2440 has enough hp to bury a MB 12 inches and pull a trench. I used my little 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto, 4WD, hydrostatic tranny) and a King Kutter MB from Tractor Supply to plow the areas around my new house for landscaping to about 8" depth in fairly soft soil.



Just be sure to get a stout MB--that little KK MB I used would probably get bent quickly trying to dig to 12 inches. You may have to get out your welder and reinforce your MB with some steel bar.

 

[deereman10]

Just be sure to get a stout MB--that little KK MB I used would probably get bent quickly trying to dig to 12 inches.

What brand do you recommend if not KK

 

[MMagis]

You’re going to spend FOREVER getting 6”-12” trees planted using a middle buster, and they won’t be panted well. Get a planting bar and it’ll take about 10 seconds to plant a tree.

 

[flusher]

What brand do you recommend if not KK

Howse

Howse Middle Buster — 3-Point, Category 1 | Category 1 Cultivators + Tillers | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[flusher]

What brand do you recommend if not KK

You can also attach various size furrowers to the MB frame

FURROWERS - Agri Supply

Here's a 6" furrower on my MB frame



BTW: King Kutter makes a heavier duty MB frame

King Kutter Incorporated

 

[TripleR]

We have planted, or rather my sons and nephew have planted about forty acres of pines and hardwoods with planter bars and as mentioned, it goes pretty quickly once you get the hang of it. My son made the planter bars though you can buy them.

 

[luca]

What is a planter bar?

 

[jbooth]

Youæ±*e going to spend FOREVER getting 6?12 trees planted using a middle buster, and they won稚 be panted well. Get a planting bar and it値l take about 10 seconds to plant a tree.

Please describe a planter bar, I could sure handle some 10 second tree planting. I googled "planter bar" and all I came up with were some 30 to 60 ft models.

 

[jonyyuma]

I have two types of middlebusters, and they are greatly different in size and type....I still would like to see this planter bar?? Yes, I could put a furrower on my new mb if i wanted, as it bolts on. We have planted a thousand pine trees on our deer property, not to say we had the easiest way to do it...Jy.

 

[TripleR]

Please describe a planter bar, I could sure handle some 10 second tree planting. I googled "planter bar" and all I came up with were some 30 to 60 ft models.

Ours was like the third one from the top left.

Insert at a slight angle, push forward to make opening, put the tree in, insert the bar on the near side and push back, this will straighten the tree and cover the roots leaving a divot close by for water to get close to the roots.

tree planter bar - Bing Images

 

[jeffreythree]

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.

 

[TripleR]

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.

That is the way we did ours, I left off the heel part as it has been a long time. Once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty quickly. We hired a crew to do some of ours then had my son and nephew do the rest and some follow up after some mice got into them a couple of years later.

My son used the pattern from one we bought and made some extras. I have loaned it out to a couple of friends who really liked it.

 

[jonyyuma]

Ours was like the third one from the top left.

Insert at a slight angle, push forward to make opening, put the tree in, insert the bar on the near side and push back, this will straighten the tree and cover the roots leaving a divot close by for water to get close to the roots.

tree planter bar - Bing Images

Okay,,,Hey triple R, we have one of those, made it at home. Manual job, thought it was refering to something attachable to tractor.?Sharpshooter just was not doing a good job. I did not know it by this name.Thanks,,,Jy

 

[TripleR]

Okay,,,Hey triple R, we have one of those, made it at home. Manual job, thought it was refering to something attachable to tractor.?Sharpshooter just was not doing a good job. I did not know it by this name.Thanks,,,Jy

They make tree planter to attach to a tractor, but $$$$$$$$$.

I had cheap labor, so it worked out for us.:laughing:

 

[jeffreythree]

They make tree planter to attach to a tractor, but $$$$$$$$$.

I had cheap labor, so it worked out for us.:laughing:

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.