Posthole Digger using post hole digger to plant shrubs

m3rd · Dec 17, 2004

I am thinking of buying a post hole digger for my limited cat 1 tractor to plant small trees and shrubs . Also to use to some degree as a back hoe by "drilling" multiple holes and then scooping out dirt with a shovel or the front loader.

Has anyone tried this? I have clay type soil with rocks.

Thanks.

Cliff_Johns · Dec 17, 2004

( my limited cat 1 tractor )

Which tractor do you have? In what way is thr hitch limited? Different manufacturers use this term to mean different things.

But to answer your question, there are several members who do this sort of thing.

Cliff

Tdog · Dec 17, 2004

Yes, I've used my phd to dig a hole for moderate sized shurbs. I have a 9" auger - - if the hole is not large enough, it's a small matter to enlarge with a [yuk] shovel or manual phd. I do have a back hoe, but that seems like overkill for small plants. Sure have used it for planting trees, however.

bubenberg · Dec 17, 2004

we use the post hole diggers all the time to plant trees and bushes. just one little advice after drilling the holes. most often the sides of the holes get very hard for the roots to penetrate; so please take a spade and just slightly roughen up all side to facilitate root growth.

good luck
an old ag. prof. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

m3rd · Dec 17, 2004

I have a Bolens HT23 with FEL which has a Cat 0 TPH. I am considering buying a BX23 since I have a (11) large 7' rhodos to transplant, stumps to pull, and trees to plant. In the near future will be needing to redo the driveway and possibly an addition to the house. Backhoe would be handy for these tasks.

Just trying to determine if I can justify the BX23 outlay vs getting a PHD for my HT23 and contracting out the other work.

NY_Yankees_Fan · Dec 18, 2004

( I have a (11) large 7' rhodos to transplant, stumps to pull, and trees to plant. )

I would be the last one not to tell you to buy a BX /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifBUT it looks like a few weekends of work with a backhoe rental unit for the planting and contracting out the other stuff. The BX is a fine tractor but you maybe asking too much of it to dig a foundation. Yea it can be done but will take a very long time. BUT it sure would be fun to have all that seat time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

alco141 · Dec 18, 2004

i have put in about 400 trees with my worksaver 3pt hitch post hole digger with a 12" auger, works like a charm, even if you have a large root ball to deal with, just drill a couple of holes that are touching and scoop out the extra dirt to make a larger hole for the root ball. i have glacial till soil with a large amount of rock and heavy clay. i put in about 12 rose bushes , mulched the garden with bark in about 2 1/2 hours, one day while my wife was away. she was pleasantly suprised when she got home, i never could have done that by hand in this soil.

alex

gcrabb · Dec 18, 2004

m3rd,

I have planted 30 or so 8' maples with 18" root ball in just a few hours with an 18" augar.

On another instance I planted 100 24" bareroot trees in about 4 hours with a 9" augar.

I use a backhoe when the trees get bigger.

The right tool for the job makes it significantly easier, before I had the post whole digger and other tools, it took me a couple days to plant 150 trees.

What seems to take the most time for me is mapping out where I want the trees.

JD4600 with 460FEL with grapple fork, pallet fork and 7'6" Western Snow Plow, JD LX279, 84" KK finishing mower, 84" KK Landscape Box, 84" KK Landscape Rake, 84" KK Blade, and 72" KK Bush Hog, 7' Northern Tool Backhoe, Bri Mar 6X10 Dump Trailer, 20' Rugged Road Equipment Trailer.

Greg

RalphVa · Dec 18, 2004

Lots of folks with Gravelys have used the Gravely rotary plow to dip holes to plant trees and shrubs. It's sorta like an 18" to 2' diameter pole hole digger.

I'd follow Bubenberg's advice to rough up the sides of the hole a bit with a bar or skinny shovel, to allow root penetration into the compacted sides of the hole. The hole mainly needs to be 2 to 3 times the root ball, only deep enough to put the tree/shrub at the proper depth.

Ralph