Early tree planting this spring?

Did you plant trees today?? Personally I am not a fan of pre digging the holes. Will you be able to drive up and water the new trees once they are planted?? Your soil looks dry.


How long does it take to auger a hole?? I have debated getting one of these augers, but I have LOTS of tree roots in my woods. I am not so sure it would work with out killing me. Using one of these augers kinda sounds like dating a hair dresser... Don't ask me how I know.
I've rented a 6" gas powered post hole type auger with (2) handles. It worked, but it was a lot to handle. I've since then purchased a stihl BT-45 auger with a 4" bit. I couldn't imagine planting trees without it now. It can bust through some pretty good size roots. If you need a bigger hole just punch another right next to it, and it at least makes shoveling easier. It wasn't cheap, but I plan on using it around my property for a long time.
 
Couple years ago I pre drilled a bunch of holes with the drill auger for plugs. Wound up doing many again because I couldn't find some! Annoying.
 
I have three tractors, a pto auger, three different bits - and it is too wet to get any of it out of the yard. Will be digging with a shovel and post hole digger. Only six to plant
 
I'm planting Norway Spruce. Have 200 coming from the county first week of April. Creating borders on this field that will be converted to switch and bedding. Just trying to get ahead of the curve. I have a big spring ahead. And yes I built a watering rig for the back of my SXS. I'll push the dirt back in the holes more then likely. It probably only took about 20 seconds per hole. Would be even faster with no frost.
I'll bet that with planting Norway spruce and switch, you'll get some deer bedding in your cover area. Especially if there isn't much cover nearby. The Norways should grow pretty fast with open sunlight.
 
I'll bet that with planting Norway spruce and switch, you'll get some deer bedding in your cover area. Especially if there isn't much cover nearby. The Norways should grow pretty fast with open sunlight.
I sure hope so. I'm not sure I'm going to have time to weed mat everything, so may end up just spraying and mowing between a couple times a year.
 
I've rented a 6" gas powered post hole type auger with (2) handles. It worked, but it was a lot to handle. I've since then purchased a stihl BT-45 auger with a 4" bit. I couldn't imagine planting trees without it now. It can bust through some pretty good size roots. If you need a bigger hole just punch another right next to it, and it at least makes shoveling easier. It wasn't cheap, but I plan on using it around my property for a long time.

I’ve only ever planted trees in pure clay soils. It’s always been an awful job. I finally wised up and made smaller holes and bought or brought outside soil to backfill. If I didn’t, I was trying to break sod free from frozen tooth paste and it just made for a terrible backfill.

When I used to do barefoot, I got it down to about $1 per hole. Now, I operate mostly in slit and slip-in type planting where I’m not making a hole. The few holes I do have to dig, I make up a small batch of super soil from my reserves.


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I sure hope so. I'm not sure I'm going to have time to weed mat everything, so may end up just spraying and mowing between a couple times a year.
That's all we did with most of our field-planted spruce. Sprayed beforehand to kill grass & weeds - then mowed between as necessary. Worked for us, if that's any help.
 
That's all we did with most of our field-planted spruce. Sprayed beforehand to kill grass & weeds - then mowed between as necessary. Worked for us, if that's any help.
Thanks, I'm glad to hear that! I didn't know if it would be effective to spray much before I planted since it will be in the next 4-5 weeks.
 
Thanks, I'm glad to hear that! I didn't know if it would be effective to spray much before I planted since it will be in the next 4-5 weeks.
If you spray with Glyphosate (generic Roundup) beforehand, it should hammer the weeds & grass to give you "clean" planting spots for your spruce. Gly only works on what it contacts that's growing. Some guys spray gly on weeds & grass in plots, then broadcast seed right afterword, since gly has no effect on seeds - only growing plants. It has no residual soil effect to kill what you plant a few days later, like seedlings.

Before planting our camp apple trees, I sprayed about a 4' circle for each tree's planting location. When we planted the apple trees a few days later, the apple trees took off with dying weeds & grass around them. No competition for the apple trees from dead weeds & grass - no harm to the newly-planted apple trees.
 
There is no way in hell that I would ever trade a weed mat for spraying glyphosate and then continuously mowing to control weeds, especially for conifers. Absolutely none. I can take a 4'x300 foot roll of fabric and cut it into 4x4 squares in under 20 mins from start to finish. All it takes is a sharp knife and some ambition. It can be done in the basement of your house right now so they are ready to go when the trees arrive.

Then out in the woods/field you need a utility knife to cut a small T into the center of the square and then slip it over the top of the tree. 4-6 staples later you are done..... Its so incredibly simple and at the same time the most effective thing you can do for early tree growth. It is damn near 100% successful with a quality product and good installation. No more weeds, increased moisture retention for your trees and you likely never have to mess with them again. The trees will respond 100% guaranteed and in the end its likely to be LESS work than spraying and mowing.



With glyphosate sprayed into a field in Iowa in the spring you will accomplish nothing. Glyphosate is not going to kill a whole bunch of weeds in Iowa anyways. The grasses are going to be taking off after tree planting in a field. I dont know about anyone else, but I want to use chemicals less and less. I also dont want to come back and mow a couple times a year when I could have just spent a few mins in the first spring to slip a weed mat over each tree and just be done. Then you got all summer to add mulch and set your trees up for a chance at 100% success and the best growth possible.



Underneath my weed mats the soil is BLACK and usually full of worms pooping out all kinds of beneficial organic matter. I will pull a couple off this spring and get you fellas some pictures.
 
Dug up and transplanted 18 red cedars into the new (old field) conversion. Found them growing in random spots around the farm and flagged them this winter. Good warm day and the ground was so nice for digging. Started at 5 and was back in by 6:30!
 
We used weed mats / fabric around our fruit trees, then piled 3" of crushed limestone chips on top of the mats. We did not use mats for our spruce trees - though mats are a good idea for spruce, too. Our camp situation didn't require mats around our spruce. YMMV.
 
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