Stihl Planting Auger

[Mandrake]

Wondering if anyone has any experience with one of these:



We just lost a tree to pine bark beetles. Horticulturalist says it is due to the last few years of poor rainfall. No water = weak trees. He recommends epic watering for the foreseeable future.

Horticulturalist #2 recommends $2000 work of deep root fertilization. I've read that punching the holes and filling them with pea gravel allows you to deep root fertilize any time in the future with surface sprays. It also aids getting water to the root structure.

At $600 for the motor unit, + $$ for the bits, you get pretty pricey for a tool that will get used as often as a basin wrench. But its still less than half of paying for fertilization; and less expensive than loosing more trees.

[daveferg]

First off----I own a number of Stihl tools and they are the BEST!

But----knowing how our soil is in this drought (northern Calif.) I would have serious doubts than this auger would have enough power to dig much of a hole.

Hadn't heard about the idea of holes and pea gravel, but guess it could work. I do know that root watering is best done around the perimeter of the tree at the fall line (furtherest point where branches extend out from the trunk).
I've always used a root feeder (narrow spike that connects to your hose)---works well with or without fertilizer. You likely will have to do this a bit at a time----wetting the soil to allow penetration of the feeder, around the perimeter of the tree. Good luck

[Curlycherry]

Where the H was that 16 years ago when I planted 5000 daffodil bulbs in my back yard?

[Woodenfish]

I have used one of these with good results for deep root watering. Water in a ring under the treeline so you can punch a few holes in the soil with an old broom stick a foot deep then fill with Milorganite. I have had very good results with using this fertilizer on all types of trees and bushes with no burning. I'll drill one hole for a bush, two for a newer tree planting and maybe 3-5 on larger trees.

[daveferg]

The Ross Wooden Fish posted is what I've used. Just a thought----as it doesn't give you a lot of purchase in hard soil----what about something like a steel construction stake and a sledge to pilot your holes?

[EatenByLimestone]

Why not drive a pipe down to make a core and then remove it. I can pick up a 3 foot long pipe pretty cheaply. Drill holes into it if you want to leave the pipe in there. You can even use a piece of PVC and a hose to do it. A post hole digger will make a larger hole.

I don't want to get in your way from buying a new tool though.

[DieselDennis]

I'd recommend renting a post hold auger. Get the one with the smallest auger you can find. I'd like to say 4" or less diameter, but might go up to 6". Pea Gravel is cheap. Besides, you'll let more water down there when you have a bigger hole.

I'm guessing you could rent the post hole auger for like $100 a day?

[woodworker2000]

DieselDennis said:

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I'd recommend renting a post hold auger. Get the one with the smallest auger you can find. I'd like to say 4" or less diameter, but might go up to 6". Pea Gravel is cheap. Besides, you'll let more water down there when you have a bigger hole.

I'm guessing you could rent the post hole auger for like $100 a day?

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Or just buy one for less than the cost of renting it for 2 days ($160 after applying HF 20% off coupon): HF 4" Post Hole Auger

[fredhargis]

I'm not sure of the diameter hole that thing cuts, but I've had a couple of these things for a whole lot of years we used for what we were told was "vertical mulching" of our trees. It's the hole/pea gravel trick you mentioned. Funny thing, the auger in the link is a whole lot more expensive than I remember paying for mine, biut with a good heavy drill (I use a Milwaukee 1/2") it works just fine down to about 18". I've also had a Ross Root feeder for more years than I can remember, and they work well alos...but they take more time since I have to move it around the tree as popposed to just setting a sprinkler to water them.

[daddo]

Right now, I can water roots through the huge 2" wide cracks in the ground.

If lack of rain is going to be the norm here from now on or until....??, I've chosen to adapt my yard to less water. After reading an article in National Geographic about how only about 1% of the Earths water being "drinkable", I've changed my habits and have a hard time with dumping billions of acre feet of water onto a yard. However, root feeding is much better than spraying in the air, and losing a big beautiful tree is something you just can't watch- myself included.

I've read that most of the feeder roots are at the first 2 feet of soil, so the root feeder you jab in the ground is a good option. The other I'm told is a less thirsty lawn grass and a thin layer of lawn mulch.
The gravel thing relies on rain and I would guess you would have to drill hundreds of holes, digging up weed seeds and tearing up roots you are trying to feed.

I would look into the root feeder and a way to enrich the soil and keep the moisture it gets in the soil around the tree line.

Then start planting Mesquite.