How to plant 500 trees quickly?

n1st

I have 500 trees to plant before Christmas.

Mostly broad leaves, Alder, Birch, Willow, some Oak, Holly.

Without machinery and only hand tools, how can I plant these as quickly as a I can?

What tools and technique can help.

The soil is mainly without rocks and should be moist at this time of year.

PilotHole

Get 500 lads with 500 shovels.

First tip:

stop posting on boards and get on with it!

magicbastarder

are they bare root? i believe the (now ended) mild spell delayed a lot of the suppliers lifting stock for bare root sale, so they're not easy to get at the moment.

if they are bare root, the easiest way to get them in the ground is the T-cut. i.e. drive the spade into the ground straight down at least six inches. then create a second cut across the top of that - like the top bat on a T, with you facing the cut already made. as you lever the spade back, it'll lift and spread the sod so it opens up to a slot you can drop the roots into, and when you return the spade, will automatically drop the sod and close the slot ove, pulling the tree down with it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118220701#Comment_118220701

ridiculous how are they gonna find 500 lads like that..

get 250 and give them TWO shovels.

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118220722#Comment_118220722

Yes bare-root, there's been a 3 week delay. Should be available next weekend.

T-Cut, very good.

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118220768#Comment_118220768

Actually just found this, https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/advice/how-to-plant/, mentions the T-notch.

10-10-20

Just a thought... Many of the 4th-years in secondary schools had their work placements curtailed due to C-19.

How about approaching the TY year-head for assistance on the premise that planting 500 trees is a significant environmental effort and could be looked upon as charity work (perhaps linked in with an Gaisce?). It's also out-doors work, so should pass muster in terms of safety. You would just need to establish ground-rules for the planters and work out how to keep them safe for the duration.

looksee

And find enough spades for them!

How big are the trees? Presumably they are 2 - 3ft whips or smaller?

Apiarist

Are there rabbits or deer in the area? Because I have lost the first 150 trees I planted to hungry deer in winter.

magicbastarder

i'd be quite sceptical about the TY student idea; it's not work experience, and if it's for the benefit of a private landowner and not actually a business (i know we don't know whether this is the case or not, but i suspect not), there would be insurance implications too.

would take far too long to set up i suspect.

beachhead

It's back to 500 lads or lasses and 500 shovels with 1,00 pints on the side.250 x 500 shovels is dodgy.Someone could hurt themselves.Beavers would prob eat the trees or build a new flood plain

Apiarist

If you want to plan 500 trees fast, hire a company, they will do it in a day. From my experience (not a fastest planter I admit), it's 50 trees a day, or 100-200 if you have another person to help you and you can organize the job efficiently.

magicbastarder

sometimes the problem with hiring a company is that often they're used to planting for commercial planting so tend to plant in straight lines which won't look natural.

dePeatrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118220768#Comment_118220768

Had a load to plant while back, bought a spade to do it, long and narrow, steel handle, 5” across, 16” deep, managed to slip almost all bare roots in with one cut only, some took two, there was two of us doing it I used the spade and OH placed the trees in the gap made by the spade then removed the spade and good firm push with boot. Worked a treat and very fast.

I shopped around for the spade and got a generic one for around a tenner…best tool for the job.

Planted around 500 in half a day, it was raining and we did put our backs into it.

_Brian

A good spade and you should do this alone on two days no problem.

Borzoi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118222116#Comment_118222116

Absolutely. A prybar can help where the stones are plentiful.

Try to kill off any grass beforehand though

n1st

What about a petrol Auger?

I'd imagine their not that easy to use.

Would it speed things up ?

Would it improve the quality of the plant compared to spade?

Brussels Sprout

Out of curiosity how much space would 500 tress fit into assuming that they're not too far spread out?

looksee

https://www.treesontheland.com/planting-guide

This is a very good website for tree planting information - they seem to suggest 500 to a half acre of potential forest/woodland.

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225601#Comment_118225601

I have a 500m length to cover and I'm planting 2 or 3 deep.

The 500 trees is a mix of tall and small, Alder, Birch, Oak, Willow, Whitethorn, blackthorn, Crabapple.

I'm also putting in some concentrated planting, something like the Miyawaki method in corners.

magicbastarder

you've one tree for every metre, but are planting them two or three deep? it's not a hedgerow you're aiming for so?

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225636#Comment_118225636

Great link

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225981#Comment_118225981

Sort of, I'm following the boundary of a long field which currently has a drain and light fence.

I'm hoping to follow the boundary with large trees and make more concentrated groves along the way which I could potentially use for coppicing later,maybe.

looksee

I've seen that 'long narrow woodland' effect on the sides of fields a few times and I always think it looks great, even just short stretches. I got a book last christmas called 'The Secret Life of Trees' which seems to be on the same topic as the Miyawaki method of planting, interesting. One metre apart seems very close for other than hedge planting, but I suppose it depends on the purpose of the area.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118226207#Comment_118226207

Is this for farm payment purposes? Seen lads do this where they are obliged under schemes and run the saplings along some ditch, fence it off roughly with a bit of electric fence and let them take their chances. Usually mostly fails, but the terms of the scheme are met. In my experience young saplings need quite a bit of care & attention in the first few years, once established less so. But there's work n it, not just the planting.

n1st

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118226339#Comment_118226339

No not this time. I'm just interested in adding trees and increasing biodiversity. I'll probably get penalized for it later.

Best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago

DylanQuestion

I don't know 100% why you are planting so many trees, but THANK YOU for doing so! I'd love if you could share some photos with us. I've planted three trees over the last three years and thought I was Mother Nature, you doing 500 in one year is amazing. Very best of luck with it! Imagine if every adult in Ireland planted a tree or two next year in their garden, it would be amazing. Public trees are important fbut a lot of people have big patches of unused grass just sitting there, ripe for a tree or two - some big trees, some small.

magicbastarder

I was once talking to a chap who reckoned he's planted over 100,000 trees - he worked for the contractor who had the job of planting along the motorways as they were built in the last two decades.

It sounds a lot but it won’t take that long with bare root slips. 5 people a hundred each. It literally takes a minute with the T cut and a good spade. Use your food to tamp down the soil around it. Otherwise do it yourself over a few days

PoorFarmer

I did about 700 last year. Used a shovel instead of a spade as the ground is stoney in places. One good shovel of soil out, tree in and turn the soil in around it again but upside-down. Hold the tree up straight up and stand the soil back in tight

n1st

I purchased a Planting Spade today, the blade is much longer than a normal spade

https://www.countrylife.ie/shop/product/True-Temper-Planting-Spade-with-D-Grip-Wood-Handle/9091072

n1st

All done here, 500 native Irish trees in the ground in 2 days.

No special tools required, ordinary spade does the job.

The T- notch cut does the job perfectly.

Oak had bigger roots so dug small holes for them.

Had some help, ground was perfect, no stones or rocks.

If soil is good then one person could plant 500 alone in 3 days with just a garden spade.

hirondelle

Great progress OP- did you think the planting spade was an improvement on a regular?

If you can get a few people to tramp the grass flat around them next year and the year after (maybe twice or three times) in my experience that really allows the saplings to get better leaf on and so establish quicker. I had a primary school group do it for local public planting- gently hold the top and walk clockwise (or anti!) until all the grass was flattened- they thought it was great craic and three hundred saplings were freed in about five minutes!

n1st

Planting spade wasn't required, I used an ordinary one in the end.

I'm planning on putting mulch on and maybe some manure, in spring, old mushroom compost maybe , to keep the grass down

DylanQuestion

Any pictures? :) Congrats!

n1st

Hi, some detail here on the outcome, time will tell if it's a success.

https://ballyglassthatchedcottage.wordpress.com/2022/01/09/trees-how-to-plant-500-native-irish-trees-in-2-days/

Thanks for the help

10-10-20

Good job on going native.

Do you have many deer or rabbits around?. I'm not in favour of those plastic sapling-guards, but I'd also like to see a low rate of failure for you too.