Need a 14" Auger

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

So in the spring and summer I will be putting my trees in pots in the ground for my farm. This will be my first year doing this, so I'll be learning a good amount, but one thing I'll need is an auger to dig the holes for the Pot in Pot pots.

I know NOTHING about augers but I obviously understand that I need a 14" head (example) and thus need to get a power head that can accommodate that. Anyone got some good knowledge they want to throw my way on a brand to look at or specifically avoid? I'd really rather not go to a two-man auger head as that means I need my wife to help me with each of these.

I was looking at Earthquake but the powerhead says it only handles up to 10", but I'm guessing that's because they don't make bits bigger than that, so they're not going to advertise it.

 

[bobm]

Do you have a tractor with a PTO to handle that size of auger ? I would recommend that you drill 3 holes side by side to a depth of 42" in a triangle to make one large planting hole so that you can drill through any hardpan ( if your soil has one ) , and amend the surrounding now loose soil. This will also allow you to install an irrigation drip system by taking a perferated sewer line pipe , cut it into 3 sections , set one in each hole , then run a water line with water emiters to each location. This takes the water to a lower depth to keep the soil moisture up and forces the trees to send their roots deeper . Makes for much easier maintenance labor as well as increases tree survivorship. I did this with 100 Redwood trees in the High Desert area of Central Cal. with 100 % tree survival. Today, the trees are over 40 feet tall and are hale and harty. Good luck !

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

No traditional tractor but my Huskvarna has a PTO.

That sounds like a real good watering method for some of the other permanent trees I will be planting

 

[flowerbug]

if your soil isn't too bad you could just plow a trench, place 'em and push the dirt back on 'em. stopping and restarting for each hole and having to do that a lot of times sounds like a much longer and harder amount of work, when all you really need is to get the trees roots in the ground.

your location may make irrigation not really needed that often if at all other than watering them in to get them started (in the fall is the best time for many species).

i think @bobm is in a much more arid climate than you are Sprig...

 

[dickiebird]

One man and a 14" auger probably ain't gonna happen. I've got a 40 HP John Deere tractor and I bet an auger that large would be a load for it to turn.

THANX RICH

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I'm doing pot in pot systems, so I have to dig the holes. I don't have a tree spade and am a one man operation, so I need to make this easy enough for packing up 15 trees to deliver to my customers

 

[baymule]

You might have to get a smaller auger and drill several holes, then shovel it out.

 

[thistlebloom]

That pot in pot system is the best for growing commercially.
Although I have fallen in the empty holes at a nursery before. Usually they put a plywood square over the empty ground pot, but I was looking up at a trees top growth and not paying attention to where my feet were. Sure woke me up!

Is it possible to hire a tractor and operator for a day to dig all your holes at once?

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

That pot in pot system is the best for growing commercially.
Although I have fallen in the empty holes at a nursery before. Usually they put a plywood square over the empty ground pot, but I was looking up at a trees top growth and not paying attention to where my feet were. Sure woke me up!

Is it possible to hire a tractor and operator for a day to dig all your holes at once?

That's a possibility, but I'm hoping to just do it myself so I don't have to do it all in one day and then get the pots in that same day

 

[ducks4you]

Before you BUY, think if you will need this in the future, or just for this project. I would rent, but I own a manual auger that I use pretty much every year to dig a few holes. Here is one like mine:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?...ger&selectedindex=1&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6