Hi folks,
We have bare root trees coming in the winter, and are worried we won’t be able to actually dig all the holes in time to get them into the ground (assuming they have about a week). How long does it take to dig a hole for a 2-year-old 4ft bare root tree?
We’ve been lovingly planning out our new garden, and have pre-ordered 12 fruit trees for the winter, plus about as many berry canes. We planned to hire a couple people to help us dig the holes, as it seemed like a lot of work for the two of us, both working. BUT, this past week, I learned my job will likely not continue, and we’re facing some seriously difficult financial times. Hiring to help with the digging is out. The trees are already mostly paid for, and it would be a shame to lose the money and the trees. Can we take this on ourselves, or do we need to cancel or reduce our tree order?
I’m pretty strong, but inexperienced. I haven’t dug holes before. My partner knows about digging, but only from the urban farm where she grew up, and it sounds like they had wonderful fluffy soil, unlike the CA clay we have here, which seems to be much harder. We have access to a tool-lending library, so could perhaps get some extra equipment–but mostly assuming we’ll be working with shovel, spade, and pick.
We’re in the hills of the SF Bay Area. We added a big load of wood chips a few years back, and had our chickens foraging in it all until recently. So the soil is in decent shape, not exactly hardpan, we find earthworms etc.–but still California soil. That said, when we put in a fence post in the summer, the person we hired used motorized equipment to be able to make it work, and it seemed like tough going. Granted, this was in the summer, when the soil was dry. Presumably the soil will be wet in the winter (though no guarantee).
SO–are we crazy to try to take on 12 bare root trees at once with just the two of us?
Appreciate your thoughts! Thank you
