Worked the dirt, planted trees

[spruce Deere]

Put the LS to work today and my ol' whitfield transplanter.

With a crew of 3 my better half, a nephew and the crank of a tractor operator 'me' we got 900 spruce seedlings in the ground. Averaged about 133 trees an hour.

We planted by hand for the first 6 years. It would take us 3 days to plant 1400 trees, good thing we were 20 years younger.

We had been loaning a transplanter from another tree farm for a short time till this heavy duty whitfield forestry transplanter came up for sale. It's a perfect match for the LS xr3140. The 790 would pull it good but I had to adjust the hyd. Relief so it would lift it, not the story with the LS.

 

[TCowner]

That looks nice. Tell me, how far apart are the rows and what is the spacing in the rows?

 

[IndyJay]

Put the LS to work today and my ol' whitfield transplanter.

With a crew of 3 my better half, a nephew and the crank of a tractor operator 'me' we got 900 spruce seedlings in the ground. Averaged about 133 trees an hour.

We planted by hand for the first 6 years. It would take us 3 days to plant 1400 trees, good thing we were 20 years younger.

We had been loaning a transplanter from another tree farm for a short time till this heavy duty whitfield forestry transplanter came up for sale. It's a perfect match for the LS xr3140. The 790 would pull it good but I had to adjust the hyd. Relief so it would lift it, not the story with the LS.

How did you work it where you get to ride in the climate controlled cab and she rides in the dust trail?
My wife would not have agreed to that deal!
Hats off!

 

[big bubba]

irrigation?

 

[ruffdog]

When we would plant whole fields, we would get the planter from the DNR. It was a bigger unit that could be delivered by a truck and pulled by a tractor. Being that we sold cut-your-own trees, we then had to plant by hand to fill the spaces every year. The trick is getting into a rhythm matching tractor speed and planting speed. To help keep water at the roots, you can get crystals that is mixed in the water. It forms a gel that sticks to the roots and absorbs water. The smell of planting time (evergreen) was the best!

 

[MossRoad]

Very nice!

The first time I ever saw a tree planter similar to that was back around 1990 when we had some of our land reforested. I was impressed with how fast they planted our trees.

 

[ruffdog]

A planter like that can do about 5000 trees a day in normal conditions.

 

[spruce Deere]

The spacing is 8 foot by 8 foot Tcowner. A tree every 8 foot. Would prefer 10 foot just don't have the room.

IndyJay, we plant at .7 mph. Seems slow but that's light speed compared to hand p!anting so there is not much dust. I have modified the planter with an old office chair and an umbrella for more comfort and shade. And the back window is always open on the tractor

No irrigation big bubba. We grow drought tolerant, cold hardy stock from the get-go.

 

[Thomas]

For future Christmas tree sales?

 

[spruce Deere]

These spruce are for ball and burlap, dug by a spade once they get 6 foot and up.

We have used the water retaining crystal s that turn to water jelly. Even used a root inoculate stuff with water jelly crystals.

Speed is key, well consistent steady speed for nice even rows.... So is a good person placing trees in the ground

 

[ruffdog]

What type of Spruce are they?

 

[spruce Deere]

Colorado blue spruce , Kaibab variety.

 

[ruffdog]

We have needle cast on the Blue Spruce in this area. Nasty stuff. Norway and White Spruce doesn't seem to be bothered by it.

Rhizosphaera Needle Cast

 

[spruce Deere]

Ya, we spray for the rhizo also, It not so bad here but present. Have more of an issue with weevil getting in the tops than rhizo.

 

[mred2]

Well, I planted 6 apple trees with my backhoe digging the holes. Does that count? I only have 5 more to go, 3 new and 2 that must be moved from old spot to the new. Still small trees. Too much shade in the old spot.
But I love your planter.

 

[spruce Deere]

Thanks mred2

That most definitely counts, More care must be taken wrestling the bigger trees!

 

[mred2]

Anyone planting fruit trees should read the Ellen White method of planting them. Nice read. Her method is over 100 years old.