Tree planting question.

[muttley9050]

Hi. When you guys are planting with stakes and deer guard tubes, do you always hammer the stake in first or plant tree first then stake?

Any other planting tips gratefully received as planting 1000 this weekend.

Also how many trees with stakes and guards do you think is doable in a day for one man.

Cheers

James

[Will Heal]

When i used to plant trees we nearly always planted first then staked afterwards. Its easier to get the stake in the right place this way round. From memory we planted 200_250 per man per day butit depeends on the ground

[agg221]

If you can, it's better to put the stake in first. It's slower to line the tree up to the stake properly, but it means you don't cause root damage hammering it in.

 

Alec

[Goaty]

First stakes then trees and guard up.

You can bash all the stakes I. First if you want.

Reason being in a forestry or grant situation the spacing is more accurate to get the number per area right and much neater which is better for upkeep later.

 

Personally I stake out first row. Maybe with a line but rarely is the lie if the land that good. Each stake measured out. Then repeat for second row. Then a stake diagonally between end and next to end stake accurately with one in the middle if the row also measured spot on then sight in the rest. I only measure the row spacings after that. Each stake initially will be inline diagonally in two directions and the row plus perpendicular every other row.

 

When you get going in a big block after a few rows you will get two more diagonals if you do it well at different angles to the originals. Not only can this be satisfying, much easy to go through with machinery mowing etc.

 

Sorry that's long winded.

 

Hammers are a pain for bashing stakes they mush the tops making it harder for the folded slot type guards to go on. But not a problem for tie in type.

I use a mini DIY post driver made from box section with added weight in the top and a T bar handle at the top.

Always plant on same side of stake. Please plant roots pointing down not bent up or doubled back in the slit or hole.

We always do a row or two then guard up. Then none are exposed over night.

 

Plan on a hundred per person per day. Doesn't sound a lot, there is a lot of carting and working out, mixing tree varieties and other things to input.

[drinksloe]

We always used pinch bars to drive stakes in.

 

1st pinch a small hole then turn pinch bar horizontal and malky the stake in with the bar, 1 hand either side of stake.

Sounds ackward but easy when u get knack, plus doesnae take a lot of driving if pinched, if going good just malky the stake with no pinching.

 

Must admit never been a fan of those post drivers for stakes or fence posts

[daveindales]

Put the stake in first. If you can get a stake in, you can always get a tree in. But if it's hard going and you put tree in first, you must get struggle with stake. Don't plant in lines unless asked, it's a pain and slower. If you have to screef, put a stake in a bare patch of soil, or in an area easier to screef. Make sure you plant all trees on same side, keep ties tight. Looks a lot better. Take a look down the guard before you tighten ties, as the tree can sometimes get caught on inside of tie.

 

Good luck

[matelot]

I'm also a plant first then stake man.

 

As others have said a claw hammer is rubbish, get a "mash hammer". When I started out I compacted the ground after planting with my foot. However I now compact with the mash hammer (less standing up and then bending down).

 

If all your stuff is on site I think 200 trees a day is an OK amount.

 

PS just thinking, are your trees "cell grown" or "bare root"? I plant cell grown, if I was planting bare root I might put the stake in first.

[7610]

Spike, stake, tree, guard.

[M Large Forestry Equipment]

Like most things, there are pros and cons to both. If the stake goes in first, you risk loosening it when you plant the tree. If you plant first, you can damage the roots while driving the stake. Both of these are bad things.

 

In theory, stake first, but in practice it's sometimes easier to stake after (I don't agree that if the stake can go in, the tree can too).

 

My advice: suck and see. As long as the tree is properly planted and the stake is firm, do whatever works best (and quickest).

 

But you'll never hit 200-250 a day if you spend too much time thinking about it.

[Matthew Storrs]

I'm with Goaty on the number of trees per day, 250 may be possible if you are just slit planting with little consideration for the roots but i planted a bareroot Beech hedge the other day and it took me most of the day to plant 100x 90-120cm, pit plating deep enough not to have to bunch the roots up a 1ft deep os so in most cases.