planting pit shape

[log dog]

good evening all planting some trees and shrubs today . working away in my own little world got too thinking about the shape of the planting pit round or square or does it matter ? or should i get a life ????

[RobArb]

Ideally the planting pit should have angled sides to allow lateral roots to establsih and not girdle themselves, I'll get a diagram, hang on a sec:biggrin:

[slack ma girdle]

Square. If the plant/ tree has come out of a round container, and goes into a round hole, the roots can sometimes not be able to break out and cause the tree to fall over.

With a square hole the roots have corners to get stuck into.

[Daniël Bos]

Depends on the size really. If less than 2 spades² then square for easy of digging, if more than that" round, for ease of digging:biggrin:

 

But really, option3:lol:

[RobArb]

It’s better to plant a £10 tree in a £20 hole than to put a £20 tree in a £10 hole

[VEG]

I like that

[pgkevet]

HOLE IN THE GROUND

by

Bernard Cribbins

 

There I was, a-digging this hole

A hole in the ground, so big and sort of round it was

There was I, digging it deep

It was flat at at the bottom and the sides were steep

When along, comes this bloke in a bowler which he lifted and scratched his head

Well we looked down the hole, poor demented soul and he said

 

Do you mind if I make a suggestion?

 

Don't dig there, dig it elsewhere

You're digging it round and it ought to be square

The shape of it's wrong, it's much much too long

And you can't put a hole where a hole don't belong

 

I ask, what a liberty eh

Nearly bashed him right in the bowler

 

Well there was I, stood in me hole

Shovelling earth for all I was worth

There was him, standing up there

So grand and official with his nose in the air

So I gave him a look sort of sideways and I leaned on my shovel and sighed

 

Well I lit me a fag and having took a drag I replied

 

I just couldn't bear, to dig it elsewhere

I'm digging it round 'cos I don't want it square

And if you disagree it don't bother me

That's the place where the hole's gonna be

 

Well there we were, discussing this hole

A hole in the ground so big and sort of round

Well it's not there now, the ground's all flat

And beneath it is the bloke in the bowler hat.

 

And that's that!

[kevwrenn]

always square, as someone mentioned, with round holes there is a chance that the roots wont break out of the pit, but just keep spiralling round the hole.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

and dont dip your shovel in a bucket of water to get the sods off, it increases the glazing on the pit sides, which should be raked out a bit before the pits final, smooth sides not good.

 

certainly in clay soils

[Stephen Blair]

get a life!