Drill bit for plugs?

[bueller]

I'm leaning towards planting plugs for the first time next year. I seem to remember seeing somewhere that an extra long length drill or auger bit can be used with a cordless drill instead of one of the typical plug planting tools. Anybody have experience with this?

 

[UP Powers]

yes.. and it really torques your arm. Tree roots, rocks etc. I bought mine from a local gardening store. IT's a bulb planter. I have an earthquake auger now. I have to say that is really the ticket.

 

[Buckly]

I use a 1" brad point bit on a cordless drill exclusively. Works the best for me over the plug tool. The ground needs to be just right for the plug tool. The drill can work on a lot of various soil and rocky ground. I can get about 150 holes out of an 18v Dewalt. 2 batteries gets me all I want to do for a day. I also use a 30" extension that really helps take stress off your back.

 

[jaximus]

they sell a small auger, 2.75" at Menards. its $9 now. im waiting for it to go on clearance. it should work really well for planting from the tootmaker 32 cell trays. i have 800+ wild plum seeds and 300+ bur oaks that im going to try to start in RM32's and plant along the edge of an old hay pasture

http://www.menards.com/main/p-1444421447041-c-13241.htm?tid=8404838505235397113

 

[scott44]

I tried a bulb auger this last spring and it seemed to work pretty good other than the auger was a tad too big.

 

[scott44]

I'm leaning towards planting plugs for the first time next year. I seem to remember seeing somewhere that an extra long length drill or auger bit can be used with a cordless drill instead of one of the typical plug planting tools. Anybody have experience with this?

IMO once you start planting plugs you'll never go back to bareroots, I still plant some bareroots but for the most part I plant plugs, much easier.

 

[bueller]

I use a 1" brad point bit on a cordless drill exclusively. Works the best for me over the plug tool. The ground needs to be just right for the plug tool. The drill can work on a lot of various soil and rocky ground. I can get about 150 holes out of an 18v Dewalt. 2 batteries gets me all I want to do for a day. I also use a 30" extension that really helps take stress off your back.

Do you use the 1" for 4a plugs?

 

[Buckly]

Yep, the 1" brad point is for the 4A plugs. I find the brad point works better than an auger or bulb planter bit. The auger bit just fills with dirt where the brad point self cleans much better. Once in a while dirt will stick to it but, just running your glove down the bit is fast and easy. The auger bit not so much. I have not planted other sized plugs but you would just size accordingly.

 

[bueller]

Thanks for the input guys. I've been wanting to try plugs but I backed off planting much of anything the last two years. My only concern is survival if it is dry after planting. The sand we have dries out so quickly. The roots from bareroot stock start out so much deeper than the plugs.

 

[Buckly]

True but, the plugs need much less water than the bigger bare root and I think you would have better success rates. Drill bits are cheap and the plug tool is not very expensive. Buy both and use whatever works the best, maybe both.

 

[scott44]

Thanks for the input guys. I've been wanting to try plugs but I backed off planting much of anything the last two years. My only concern is survival if it is dry after planting. The sand we have dries out so quickly. The roots from bareroot stock start out so much deeper than the plugs.

I usually let my plugs soak over night in a tote or pail the night night before planting, seems to have worked for me.

 

[bueller]

If the success rate is equal or even lower I should come out on top based on the fact that I will be able to plant 10x as many plugs in a day vs bareroots.

 

[scott44]

If the success rate is equal or even lower I should come out on top based on the fact that I will be able to plant 10x as many plugs in a day vs bareroots.

I ordered only 50 bareroots from MDC yesterday just because of this reason, price was right tho .40/tree.

 

[treeandgrassguy]

I use a plug planter from forestry supply. Me and 2 others have planted over 3000 plugs in a day several times. Basically can plant as fast as you can walk but you have to have at least 3 people to be efficient. If I was by myself I would guess I could do around 800 a day. The planting bar cost around $80.

 

[Big Snow Man]

I'm trying some this year. Man Itasca is almost sold out of the good evergreen varieties already.