Daft Question.......Digging Holes

Working_Mum

I KNOW this is going to sound like a really daft question BUT I am going to ask it anyway.

I have a self seeded silver birch tree which has grown very nicely for a few years in a pot which is about 32" deep. I am wanting to transplant it into my garden so it can shield a nasty new build at the bottom of my garden.

I think it'll be a nightmare to dig a hole which is big enough for the root ball at the moment as it has been so dry. So was thinking I would do it in early Autumn when hopefully the ground may be a bit wetter and therefor a bit easier to dig!

The other question is...does anyone have any top tips for digging a hole which will be deep enough? I am currently thinking I will do a little bit every night until i get to the desired depth!

Grenage

I'd do it later in the year when the tree is dormant and the ground is damp. Dig until you want to hurt someone, then take a break as you suggest.


Ease is entirely dependant on soil composition!

unrecordings

At 32" that's a lot of work unless you've got a post-hole spade (like a 5' pair of salad tongs) I'd be tempted to build up a bit of a mound to save digging down so far...

...unless you mean 32cm - which for me would be bad enough as I hit boulder clay after 8-12"

Justagardener

!Iam currently thinking I will do a little bit every night until i get to the desired depth!

Best suggestion..do that! I bet you finish quicker than you thought.

-taff

If you want to do it now and the ground is too hard, dig a little bit, then fill it with water, and keep watering the hole until the soil is wet, then dig - over a few days....
Get something good to dig with as well. A ropey old spade/fork is not going to be as good as one that's strudy and won't bend..If you're finding it a bit hard going, see if you can get a border spade. You could loosen the soil with a pickaxe first if you had one, or a long bar.

madjackslam

...unless you mean 32cm - which for me would be bad enough as I hit boulder clay after 8-12"

I was thinking similarly. I'm worried about the weight of a 32" cube of soil with small tree. Do you have help for that bit of it?

Working_Mum

Thank you everyone, I really appreciate your replies.

I can borrow a post-hole spade from my friend and my own spade was a present last year (yep I have a rock and roll life lol) so am hopeful it'll help do the job.

The tree is lovely and is in a 32" metal container but I am hopeful it will grow over the coming years and shield the view of this new build.

silverwhistle

It will grow, I'm sitting at my desk looking at mine, but that was planted in the 70's perhaps? It has the advantage of losing it's leaves to give a bit more light in winter. Next door, on the other hand, is probably still cursing son who bought her a "miniature" weeping willow many years ago.. Even better if you want to block any view and host loads of wood pigeons..


They are lovely looking trees, I should add.

shortcrust

I recently used a hammer drill - just using the hammer action - to break up some ground before digging a hole for a tree. Made things much easier.

missile

When erecting a fence I bought a post auger. Found it really easy for digging holes and used it later for making holes for planting. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/292818250767

32" pot with soil will be very heavy. How are you going to move it and lift that tree out of the pot?

paddy's_mum

Sometimes, getting a sturdy bloke in is cheaper than paying out for a sessions at the osteopath and a couple of days off work!