Trees, Rocks, and a BX22

[Junkman]

I thought that after I purchased and planted the 3 trees last month that I would be finished planting trees for a while. My wife had other ideas and now wants me to plant trees all along the driveway. This presents a major problem, because the hill behind the driveway is covered with a lot of weeds and scrub pine and some larger oaks that will have to be removed. It also has more than its share of tree stumps since the land was logged a few years ago. I had left this area for the last to be "groomed". Now it has moved to the top of the list. So far, we have 9 trees that need to be planted about 30' apart and will be getting about another 20 in the fall. Today, I started to dig the holes for the first nine. The BX22 was defeated on the first hole because I ran into ledge. Moved over and started over again. This time it was easy digging in nothing but gravel. Measured out 30' from that hole and started digging again. Great, I hit a vein of nothing but loam, easy digging. Then came the next hole 30' away. Just under the surface of the ground, found my first rock. BX handled that one like it was a marble. Next scoop, and I knew that I was in trouble. The bucket teeth hooked onto something that just didn't want to move. Kept digging around it and finally it started to move. It was a LARGE rock. Bigger than I thought that the BX could handle. Kept digging and finally after about 30 minutes, it finally came loose. Well, almost. It was moving, but the BX couldn't handle the weight of the rock. Finally got that one out of the hole and continued to clean up the hole.
Here is the picture of the first one out.... more to come... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Junkman]

Ops.... there is its brother, Bigger Rock. Another half hour and that one was also out of the hole. Here is another picture of 4 of the 5 rocks that came out of the one hole. It measures 3'4" across.. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Junkman]

Here is the rest of the rocks in the one hole.....

 

[Junkman]

Here is the hole that they came out of. They were tightly packed together.

 

[Junkman]

This group of rocks is from the next hole that I dug. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Junkman]

Here are 4 of the trees that are going to be planted. Anytime anyone questions the ability of the BX22/23 tractors, I can attest to their ability to work like their bigger brothers. It might take longer to get the job done, but they can certainly handle their own. I am certain that just one of the rocks weighs nearly half of the weight of a BX22!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bird]

Are you sure there's any dirt down there for those trees to grow in? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Junkman]

Anytime anyone questions the ability of the BX22/23 tractors, I can attest to their ability to work like their bigger brothers. It might take longer to get the job done, but they can certainly handle their own. I am certain that just one of the rocks weighs nearly half of the weight of a BX22!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Are you sure there's any dirt down there for those trees to grow in? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif )</font>

Once I got the rocks out, it was good digging further down. I just fluffed up the soil so the roots will have a place to go and I am filling the rest of the hole with topsoil. I have to build up the bottom some before I put the trees in. I got all 9 holes dug today, but some of them presented a problem. The next problem is disposing of the rocks because I believe that the bucket might not lift them to put them into my dump truck for the trip the the "rock hole". I might just put them on the banking and use them as accent pieces.... LOL...

 

[DannyD]

OK, junkman, you have got me wanting to trade the 2200 for the 23 i guess what they call the new one.

oh and i want those rocks too......I am actually going to have to PAY for some about like those

 

[GerardC]

<font color="blue"> .....the bucket might not lift them to put them into my dump truck for the trip the "rock hole". </font>

Any chance of trying to drag them to their final resting place? G

 

[Egon]

Danny:

I've got lots for free. Just come and pick.

Egon

 

[DougM]

Place rocks at the start of the drive way...
Paint them burnt orange and paint ur name on them
this way every one will know where ur at. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

DougM

 

[tennis]

WONDERFUL!!!! Gives me hope it can handle rocks from the "GRANITE STATE" as well!!!!

 

[johnw]

Danny, I also have a pile of rocks that you can have. It is as big as my truck. that's why they call New Hampshire the granite state. Not the best top soil in the world but plenty of rocks.

 

[Poppa]

So, I 've heard the term a few times here at TBN and it has me baffled. Since I am trained geologist, I am finding this a little more than embarrassing. The only thing that makes me feel better is that when I see the term, it is usually from some easterner and I have never been east of Shiner TX.

What is "Ledge" ?

Whatever it is, it appears to be extremely hard and capable of making a grown man and his tractor cry. Not to mention change the plans they had.

Mike

 

[JerryG]

Junkman,
Use the rocks in your landscaping.

 

[Jim_Becker]

Junkman, I agree with you. While you can't necessarily lift large things, with a little thought, you can move them. For many of us, the BX has everything we need Think the process through and in most cases, you can do the job. In the odd chance that it's truely more than the small machine can handle...you can rent something bigger since you already know how to drive the thang!

Thanks for the pictorial. It was very useful.

 

[Junkman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What is "Ledge" ?

Whatever it is, it appears to be extremely hard and capable of making a grown man and his tractor cry. Not to mention change the plans they had.

Mike )</font>

Ledge is large outcroppings of rocks that are so huge and so big that it is impossible to move them in one piece with any piece of equipment known to modern man. When road builders encounter it, they drill and blast to move it. It doesn't move at the base when it is blasted. I don't know of anyone that has ever been able to get to the base of "ledge", because it is like a iceberg. What you see on the top is only a small fraction of the total. When I built my home, there was a small pinnacle of ledge that stood 4' high and was about 12" round at the base. A D-11 bulldozer was unable to break it off! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif We moved the location of the house to get around it.
You are correct that it isn't the proper geological term for it, but I have no idea what a geologist would call it either. Around here, we just call ledge a problem....
In this first picture, I will call this the "face" of the ledge. Many of the rocks that I have dug out, appear to be pieces of "ledge" that have been broken off possibly when the glaciers moved through this area millions of years ago.

 

[Junkman]

Here is a side view of the same piece..