Airspading a planting pit - The Dogs danglies?

[David Humphries]

Had the oportunity to create a planting pit with the airspade as we were decompacting just down the hill recently.

 

Obviously easy peasy & quick as you like, but the bonus was the additional benefit of being able to not only decompact the base & sides beyond the pit to significant depths, but also to mix in the organic wth the spade. Certainly a major plus for any aspiring combatant in the establishment arena.

 

Interested in whether anyone else is using the spade comercially or privately to do this?

 

Nipped up to Barchams yesterday morning to give the Landy a run, have a tour & get to look over the quality of the stock etc.....

 

Tree was in the ground by lunch time, hopefuly it will grace it's surroundings like this fine local tomentosa does, well into the coming decades.

 

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[Big 'Ammer]

Nice one David.

 

Sounds like an easy way to do the job.

 

I like how you supported the trees in the trailer for transport, I'll be copying that.

[David Humphries]

Nice one David.

 

Sounds like an easy way to do the job.

 

I like how you supported the trees in the trailer for transport' date=' I'll be copying that. [/quote']

 

 

They endured some ferocious aero-dynamics back down the A's 11 & 1 yesterday

 

 

 

 

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[Gareth Dalzell]

"Obviously easy peasy & quick as you like, but the bonus was the additional benefit of being able to not only decompact the base & sides beyond the pit to significant depths, but also to mix in the organic wth the spade. Certainly a major plus for any aspiring combatant in the establishment arena."

 

This is an interesting point, decompacting the base - do you mean loosening it up - that's not recommended best practice now

 

And mixing in organic also not best practice.

 

I know I know its what we all do but now we're being told to leave the base firm, dig square holes to discourage root circling and not to add organic as it discourage the roots to leave the planting pit.

 

Next we'll be getting told the world is actually square after all! (I know quite a shock to some parts of the country)

 

I think we're still safe planting them with the stem up and roots in the ground but I'll check just incase that's changed also.

[David Humphries]

This is an interesting point, decompacting the base - do you mean loosening it up - that's not recommended best practice now

 

And mixing in organic also not best practice.

 

I know I know its what we all do but now we're being told to leave the base firm, dig square holes to discourage root circling and not to add organic as it discourage the roots to leave the planting pit.

 

Next we'll be getting told the world is actually square after all! (I know quite a shock to some parts of the country)

 

I think we're still safe planting them with the stem up and roots in the ground but I'll check just incase that's changed also.

 

 

I get the points Gareth, and yes roots do need to work for their living.

But I still feel that improving the soil horizon is prudential.

 

This particular planting area is heavily compacted mown grass, not the ideal establishment situation for a potentialy mature large landscape tree.

 

Using the spade to break down the pit sides (all be it a circle) I think would mitigate the need for an unaturaly square plant container type pit.

 

A few pokes with a fork to break the square spaded wall compaction, is no great substitute for blasting it to kingdom come with the airspade

 

Great debate points G

 

 

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[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

they would have us believe that encircling roots are caused by round holes, but in truth, it all begins in the round pots within the nursery!

[Amelanchier]

You'd get circling roots in square/triangular/concave decagon pots if you left them long enough - its not the shape, its the time the tree spends in it...

 

Nice project though David. Just to play devils advocate (which is obviously my natural state), I wonder if use of the airspade to dig pits might encourage the planting of trees in soil environments that offer poorer long term viability?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

You'd get circling roots in square/triangular/concave decagon pots if you left them long enough - its not the shape, its the time the tree spends in it...

 

Nice project though David. Just to play devils advocate (which is obviously my natural state), I wonder if use of the airspade to dig pits might encourage the planting of trees in soil environments that offer poorer long term viability?

 

since when did a lack of airspades ever stop them planting in less favourable conditions in the past!

[David Humphries]

You'd get circling roots in square/triangular/concave decagon pots if you left them long enough - its not the shape, its the time the tree spends in it...

 

Nice project though David. Just to play devils advocate (which is obviously my natural state), I wonder if use of the airspade to dig pits might encourage the planting of trees in soil environments that offer poorer long term viability?

 

 

 

If space allows, just blast a bigger pit

 

Create the environ.

 

 

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[Amelanchier]

they would have us believe that encircling roots are caused by round holes, but in truth, it all begins in the round pots within the nursery!

 

since when did a lack of airspades ever stop them planting in less favourable conditions in the past!

 

Who is "they" and "them"? You know you should really wear two layers of foil to stop the CIA using their satellite to read your mind...

 

You're right of course - you can plant a tree in the wrong place without an airspade. However, you might not be so inclined to delude yourself into thinking that its a good idea just because you used one.