I need to plant a dozen tree root ball approx 1.5 ft.
Looking for something powered or not – have no idea. I have to deal with clay, location SE Michigan Troy area.
by Earlyretirement55
I need to plant a dozen tree root ball approx 1.5 ft.
Looking for something powered or not – have no idea. I have to deal with clay, location SE Michigan Troy area.
by Earlyretirement55
30 Comments
Juan
Shovel…
Lowes or Home Depot should be able to rent you a gas-powered auger. Drill out a “pilot hole” then expand it with a shovel. Just be sure to call before you dig…
By the time it ll take you to rent something, picking it up, dropping it off, using it, and you ll still need a shovel to adjust the height or width or whatever , you re better off just digging by yourself .
How about a shovel….youre going to more damage with equipment than what’s necessary.
Make sure you buy at least 56 cypress trees for this space
I just planted 10x 8-9′ tall ginkgo trees on our 1.5-acre lot, pretty similar to what you did, and had three little ones running around like crazy the whole time.
I’d recommend using a trench/drain shovel. Start by placing the tree where you want it, then measure out about twice the width of the root ball. Move the plant out of the way, and use your trench shovel to dig straight down along that outline, working your way around the full circumference. Once you’ve cut the perimeter, start prying inward toward the center to loosen the soil.
When backfilling, I’d mix topsoil with the native dirt you removed. You’ll probably end up with some extra soil left over (which is always great to have to fill low spots in your yard).
Also, don’t forget, you’ll want a soaker hose for those evergreens.
It’s not too tricky to dig out clay with a trenching shovel. Give the area some water with a soaker hose the night before which will soften things up a bit. Start with a small hole with the trenching shovel and if things are workable switch over to a standard spade. Also don’t forget to amend you soil with roughly 30/70 organic matter to clay & slightly mound up. Take your time and don’t feel like you have to do it all in one session.
That is perfect for 56 trees. I’ve done the math.
Im not familiar with your soils, specifically the presence/absence of boulders, but if you dont have to battle boulders (post-holing in new england sucks no matter what you use) renting an auger would be my play. Gets 80% of the job done, plus, when in doubt, power tools are always more fun than hand tools.
You can rent a mini ex for like 500 bucks by me, I’d just dig a trench and then fill it all in around the plants. But that’s also just an excuse for me to play around with heavy equipment.
Bobcat with an auger.
Will put a smile on your face.
Rent a dingo with a auger
Forget the auger and get a stump grinder. Use it to break up the clay soil then dig out the planting holes with a shovel.
You want the hole to be at least 2x the width of the rootball.
A shovel.
And I would recommend spacing them farther apart. Either a couple less trees or a zigzag pattern.
Just put them right in the garbage, and save yourself the digging.
TBH I’d use this as an excuse to rent a mini excavator for a day and go buck wild.
I did something similar with a shovel and it sucked trying to dig through clay.
Plant them in a slight zig zag pattern instead of a straight line!! Faster better privacy
12 holes that are only 2’x1’ deep? Brother go out there with a shovel, you’ll be done in less than an hour.
Auger. Invest in one and then go ice fishing in the winter
Mini track with an auger. I live where there is a lot of clay and rock. Takes forever to digger with a shovel or 1/2 man auger.
I would rent a mini excavator for $300 bucks for the day and dig one trench so you can backfill with premium soil and so there is less chance of “drowning”them in their individual hole.
Highly recommend calling around to landscapers. It’s a tough job. Plus they could edge and mound the area with soil and mulch. Probably double the price of the rental.
Is this where your planting ends? I purchased an auger after a project like this and have since used it hundreds of times. If you plan to plant a lot of other shrubs and trees in the future it is well worth the money to just own one. Otherwise you should just rent one for this project.
Harbor freight has cheap gas augers
I got a gas auger from harbor freight a few years ago for a multi day project. It paid for itself considering how much rental fees would’ve added up to and I use it at least a couple times a year. For 1 foot holes though you would have to auger the hole and then expand it outwards with a shovel and post hole digger. Might be easier to get a larger rental on a trailer or tractor. Or hand dig for some exercise
ME
Pay for my plane ticket and I’ll come dig those holes
2 ft by 1 ft deep?
1 FOOT DEEP?
12?
Are you sure you only want 12? You don’t want them on both sides? I’ll come do the other 12 for free.
My deer would love them. They eat my green giants even
Skid steer with an auger
Trench witch. Runs 4″ so do one path down, skip 4 and do the other 4. It’ll all break up and you can just clean it up w a transfer shovel