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nafex - Re: [nafex] Re: hole digging

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  • From: Don Yellman <dyellman@earthlink.net>
  • To: nafex@egroups.com
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Re: hole digging
  • Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 14:03:20 -0500

Wow, Del. With that "soil" of yours maybe you should be running a brick
factory
instead of an orchard. Just kidding here, old buddy. What happened to the
glacier
when it passed your way? Didn't drop anything? I have an old Gravely. What
a
workhorse. The Rolls Royce of lawn and garden equipment. A 20 year old
Gravely with
a Kohler engine is worth a dozen of the new lightweights with Briggs..
Rgds, Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

del stubbs wrote:

> Thanks much for the imput. I have considered mounding. I have a
> 50 yard
> pile of very black dirt from the wetland excavation I had done last fall,
> but I'm concerned that, since these are to be full size trees (malus
> prunifolia however big they are) that they need to adapt to reality - which
> is clay for 300 feet down. And there is the compaction problem of getting
> the black dirt transported there in the soggy soil stage prior to
> planting
> time.
> If I wait till the soil is friable the 2 year old grafted trees
> will be
> well leafed out already in their nursery bed. The problem with using
> 'gorilla tactics' is that this clay is so dense that it just makes solid
> bricks the size of the shovel, so the roots, rather than being spread out
> are crammd into a few cracks between lumps of clay. Isn't this worse than
> the clay pot syndrome, and can it not be solved by using machine pulverized
> clay well tamped?
> I really would like to know what tools and techniques commercial
> growers
> use to excavate holes whether gas or potato powered.
> The christmas tree planter referred to I presume is the 'tow behind
> the
> tractor furrow cutting' type of planter used here in forestry. Since these
> trees are 2-4 foot high I think the ' all roots in one slot' would be an
> issue, and the glacial boulders really make em jump! But I really appreciate
> the thoughtful 'plus and minus' type of reply. Mn. Del
>
> >From: edforest55@hotmail.com
> >Reply-To: nafex@egroups.com
> >To: nafex@egroups.com
> >Subject: [nafex] Re: hole digging
> >Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 23:18:10 -0000
> >
> >Have you considered mounding soil or soil/compost over the roots
> >instead of burying the roots, or burying part of the roots and
> >mounding over the rest of the root? Then, the clay pot syndrome may
> >not cause much of a problem if any and this assures that the crown is
> >prevented from rotting in case of an extended wet period.
> >Just wondering if you'd considered it, I know it is often recommended
> >for home growers but don't know if there are any glitches for
> >commercial growers, such as mid summer drought and the task of
> >watering 200 newly transplanted trees in mid July whose roots are
> >somewhat above the surrounding soil line.
> >Kevin B
> >
> _________________________________________________________________
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