Show #51/6612. Front Yard Makeover-Outdoor Kitchen Area

Digging Holes With The Power Planer And Tips For Planting

One of Eric's favorite new tools is the Power Planter. He's dug thousands and thousands of holes over his lifetime as a gardener and one might think that someone would've upgraded the shovel at some point many, many years ago. Well, they finally have. One of the downsides to digging holes with a shovel is that you oftentimes leave slick side walls on the hole that you dig. And that makes it a little bit harder for the roots to integrate into the native soil. What Eric loves about the Power Planter is that it digs a really nice, fluffy, loose hole making it much easier to plant. It's way faster than using traditional tools and it's also better for the plant. One gets better soil integration, the root systems are going to grow into your soil much faster which means they get a head start.

With this project we've got hundreds of holes to dig, but for jobs, small or large, this really is the perfect tool. We're going to be using our six inch auger and it goes on this large Dewalt. It's super easy to set up, basically just slide it onto the shaft, pins go through the shaft, then cotter pins hold it on. Make sure the battery is charged and you're ready to start digging holes.

When it comes to proper planting one needs to consider what environment the root system is ultimately going to be happiest with, then do our best to accommodate it. Most plants are going to perform best with a nutrient rich soil that is not too compact. Compaction frustrates the roots' ability to integrate well into the new soil, and slows the plant's growth. Thus it's important to remember when we dig the holes for our plants to have a looser hole in well tilled soil instead of a hole with slick side walls from a shovel that has dug in hard, compacted soils. Avoiding these mistakes will make a big difference with a plants success. And it's also important to remember not to pack the soil too firmly around the plant when placing a plant in the hole. The fill dirt should be firm enough to stay in place and not allow for large air pockets.

It's also very important to make sure plants are planted at the correct height. Eric has seen so many plantings fail because the plants are planted too low and the roots become starved for oxygen. He likes to plant his plants anywhere from half an inch to an inch above grade and pull the loose fill dirt up to that level. If the root ball is hard and root bound it's also a good idea to gently loosen that up with our hands before planting.

Once the plants are installed make sure to water them in thoroughly. Check on them every day, especially in the first couple of weeks. At that stage ideally maintain plants on the moist side of dry for optimum results.