Tree Planting, BH Mounted Roto-Tiller......??

[Scotty370]

OK My friendly 'Brain Trust', Here's the challenge: I've got a 4200 CUT, John Deere with a 47BH. Last year my sons and I helped a neighbor (and hunting land provider) plant Christmas trees! It worked well, but could be improved upon. What we did, is after the the tree locations were 'gridded out' with string line and paint, I'd get on the BH seat, and my son would drive, as we'd moved down the rows of the target plantings spots. He'd drive up the rows, and stop every 10'-15', and I'd take a bucket scoop! All good! But that just left a 14"x14" hole, with a clump of turf/mud/sod, next to it! I got to thinkin', How about a 14x14, or 20x20" rotating, tiller-like unit, that I could replace the BH Bucket with, and give me 'pulverized soil', for a nice planting hole? I've got Rear Ports that could support a 'Hydro-Motor', to power such a unit, and give a nice planting spot. I'm also into getting some Apple Trees, for my land , and with a couple passes, think we could use it for that. It's Winter up here, and it might be a Winter welding project, Thus I ask for suggestions! ~Scotty

 

[smstonypoint]

OK He'd drive up the rows, and stop every 10'-15', and I'd take a bucket scoop! All good! But that just left a 14"x14" hole, with a clump of turf/mud/sod, next to it!

Scotty,

Just curious. What size trees are you transplanting that would require that spacing and hole size?

Steve

 

[woody]

what about just using an auger on a three point hitch?

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I think the post hole auger is a good idea. I know they make special bits for planting trees. I have seen them up to 2' dia. And it gives you an excuse to buy another attachment.
Bill

 

[Scotty370]

Steve- I'm not the "Aborist" , just saying what we did! The place he bought was an old christmas tree plantation, that he's been trying to re-establish for at least a "Friend's/Family harvest., ie have the Grand-kids be able to cut their own tree (Norman Rockwell Style)! The trees are just 'seedlings" 10-12", but it takes 7-9 years, to have a decent size tree! As with any tree, I'm just thinking of a tool/attachment, that could give them the best start. Are you thinking a 'Spade shot in the ground, and 'stick-it in' is sufficient'? I don't know in our climate.........Thanks for your intrest.......! ~Scotty

 

[Scotty370]

Guy's- Got a 12" auger.............Duh...........Might be the answer!

 

[smstonypoint]

The trees are just 'seedlings" 10-12", but it takes 7-9 years, to have a decent size tree! As with any tree, I'm just thinking of a tool/attachment, that could give them the best start. Are you thinking a 'Spade shot in the ground, and 'stick-it in' is sufficient'? I don't know in our climate.........Thanks for your intrest.......! ~Scotty

Scotty,

I was thinking of a dibble or planting hoe.

SCFC Tree Planting Guide


IMO, you don't need an auger-sized hole for small seedlings. You are going to have to do a lot of back-filling with a shovel.


You might want to check with your local Cooperative Extension office. Cornell may have a publication on Christmas tree production.

Steve

 

[Taylortractornut]

Scotty a few years ago I was between operator jobs and a freind of mine asked me about helping clean up a pine and hardwood clear cut. They had a PC45 grey market Komatsu mini ex there. They had a to put a mouned ring around the trees to hokd some kind of fertilizer mix. They had a special shaft from a phd auger with a pilot tip. Then it had a disc bearing on a shft of the the side of the shaft a bit above the pilot. This had a scalloped disck blade and it could chew up the turf and cut through other roots and objects the rake tractors missed.

We made a cultivator one time that was from on of the old roto hoe cone cluth type tillers. They have a cast housing with a worm gear in the head running the tines. i maonted this on a quick tatch off to the side of my Case ssl. I put an orbit motor on it and it worked great for raised beds. I later mouned it inthe center for stripp tilling a 24 inch path for some flower beds. This would work good on a boom like a hoe for cleaning up so residue and then digging the hole.

 

[Scotty370]

Just a couple other thoughts........The fields that we'd be planting, may have other stumps, roots etc. The auger idea is interesting, just don't know if it would give the roots enough 'spread', or would they go into the hole, and be 'pot-bound'? Like I said: Not really a plant person.................~Scotty

 

[Redneck in training]

We have 12" auger that we use with mixed results. It doesn't have down pressure and has hard time to chew trough the grass. I have to lift it and clean the grass from the cutting edge by hand then it drills the rest of the hole in a snap. We use it even when we need bigger hole than 12". It is much easier to enlarge the hole if it is predrilled. I am thinking about modification of the drill bit so it would make about 2' holes.
As long as you use the same soil the trees will grow roots in it. If you use improved soil to fill the holes they might be pot-bound.

 

[Willl]

If this goes long term, something like this would come in handy.

YouTube - John Deere 8100 and Rotor S stump grinder

 

[Willl]

Scotty, THAT would be a fun build.

 

[jdmar]

Wow, does this sound familiar. We planted just about 260 trees this year on our property-all types...thats another thread. I used about the same tractor setup as you. I have a 4300 with 47 hoe and used the 16 inch bucket. I just drove over the marks, turned around revved the RPMs and dropped arms for one scoop.

I have mostly muck soil so generally I picked up a wad of sod--not easy to break up adn use in the hole. Then I drove around with a bucket full of topsoil to pack in the dirt when the trees went in. I then picked up the sod wads to put in low areas. My son (10 years old) drove a smaller tractor with the trailer full of trees. As he passed a hole I'd yank off the right tree and drop it in the hole. He fealt REALLY proud workin with dad and HIM driving the tractor.

I had thought about first hittin the areas with the rototiller so I didn't have to bring topsoil to each hole. Problem is my tiller is 5 1/2 feet wide and I only need 2 feet at most.

So....heres my solution to your idea. I do have aon old Craftman tiller (about 24"). Maybe I could make a bracket to attach that to the end of my hoe. Then I could just keep the tiller revved and "dip" it at each spot to till up a small area. Hmmmmm...another excuse to weld something... Now any ideas on a fast was to spread mulch on 250ish trees?

 

[Reg]

Guy's- Got a 12" auger.............Duh...........Might be the answer!

and if you scatter whatever compost/fertilizer/nutrients are desired on the spot before drilling they will get nicely blended into the fill ready for fill-in time, though the rocks will still have to be picked up.

I doubt that a cut with a hydraulic PHD out on the end of an 8 or 9ft hoe boom behind a (relatively) light CUT would be a good idea...
Without doing ANY arithmetic, it just seems something could go weirdly wrong and do damage and/or injury if/when the auger stalls.

 

[TO_Bud]

You could make a first pass down the row with a 3 pt tiller. If old stumps are a problem raise and lower it over the marked planting spots. The second pass would be as you are doing now.

 

[J_J]

How about something like this. The augers come in different sizes. The hyd auger motor can swivel for hilly terrain

 

[Argosy]

I'd also use an auger. I'm guessing you're planting seedlings so you don't need a very big one. It would only take a few seconds with a steel rake to cover them. Make sure the soil is compacted well (use a foot to press the soil down), air on the roots is failure. If he has a water wagon giving each one a good shot would help a lot to give them a good start by settling the soil on the roots.

 

[Kernopelli]

I have been searching the net and can't find the video I was hoping to post, but remember seeing an old video of the forestry service or conservation corps or other Gov related service doing a large scale seedling planting. As best as I remember, the workers wore a back pack that held a small power unit for a hydraulic auger. They'd walk down the row and plunge the auger in and pull it out a couple of times in a matter of seconds, the second guy would pull a seedling out , stick it in the ground and push the soil in and tamp it w/ his foot and then on the the next. I'm not saying these guys weren't tired at the end of the day but it was amazingly fast and efficient. The whole process literally took probably less than 10 seconds per tree as best as I remember.

There are a lot of manufacturers of portable self powered earth augers and drills....Baileys has some to give you an ideaBailey's - Outdoor Power Equipment > Augers & Drills but I have even read some good reviews on Harbor freights cheapo 1.5 HP Gasoline Auger Drill. I lugged a similar one around as a teenager and dug about a million holes with it...darn thing worked pretty good, even in S. Illinois clay.

I know if it were me, I'd be looking for any way possible to stay on the tractor but the fastest and most efficient way may be a lot cheaper and simple. In the end, it really may not be that much more labor intensive?

 

[Scotty370]

Guys- Thanks for the ideas! Willl, I just don't think Santa's 'springing' for a 140-300hp 'Christmas-Tractor' to plant 'seedling' trees, through a maple stump, on a friends! (Momma-Might even have some reservations about that!) That is an awesome You-Tube video! The auger idea is a good one, but I'm thinking of strolling through a few small equipment 'boneyards', and see if I could pick up an old tiller 'carcass' without an engine, but that had a tine assembly and gearbox. Might just be a matter of burning off the handlebars, fabbing up the mounts, slapping on a hydro-motor, and 'viola'! Thanks again! Keep the ideas comming...~Scotty

 

[2458n]

There is a tree planter that is used to plant seedlings for christmas trees, oak ,apple etc. Bought one for planting CRP set aside acerage. Used it on 10 acres with good success. Resembles a tobacco transplanter. 3pt hitch had a single disk followed by a ripper to open a small 3'' x 14'' deep trench. People had two steel seats and a basket to hold saplings. They were seated backwards as the tractor moved forwards. After the saplings were put in the trench two rubber tired wheels pinched the earth back together. Good soil was a key. Would post a picture but I am 104 miles from storage location. Renter has probably sold it for scrap.