when my bonsai master died in 2017. I sold and gave away my trees. There was a potting mishap we won't talk about. It was part of the reason I got rid of the trees. My master's daughter also wanted me to travel to Japan with her and visit the family. I was thinking about starting some seedlings this year. But I was still on the fence. You reminded me how much I enjoyed it. Funny you sing for the viewers I used to sing for the trees. After watching your video. I have decided to start some trees. Thanks for the inspiration
Bonsai master? Like you wore leather and a chain and he whipped you and lead you on a leash and poked your butthole with his meat organ or other objects? Hopefully not animals
😂 you know what's funny... I found myself thinking the same thing when I slowed the video down to ½ the playback speed. It was surprisingly fast enough for the images, and slow enough for the words to be taken all in, not to mention the background music was super trippy...😂😂😂
Thank you for your video. While in college, I worked with a master tree planter in the 80's. We would transplant trees donated by farmers. What we did was dig a hole 1 foot for every inch of trunk. If it was a 2 inch trunk then we dug a hole 2 feet in diameter. I believe we would use rocks that were about the size of marbles in the bottom of the hole. Then add a nice thick layer of dirt. Then a nice layer of oats or sorghum. This would rot and decay over time providing excellent nourishment for the tree. Then we plant the tree and fill up the hole with dirt. Watering daily for about a month and then several times a week until they tree had adapted to the new environment and was growing on it's own. The college closed in the 90's and sold to a retirement community of some kind. From time to time I go on Google maps and get a view of how the trees look and they are massive.
I did this with a cherry tree early this spring. It's doing very well now (late August). It did nothing for 2-3 months, then exploded with new growth all of a sudden. The new leaves are 3-4x bigger than the old ones.
I am thinking that the time it was doing nothing, it was probably focusing it's energy on its tap roots and secondary roots. Which Is exactly what this gentleman was saying it will do. Pretty cool
Yeah. He's bit anal. The perfect circle, measuring tape, two separate water vessels,... We always added sand to the soil. Water drains right down, added compost as it grows,...
Thank you George. I don't mess around with my round holes. I take them seriously... I measure... I care... I squeeze my butt cheeks together and hold it... all day. I implore you to check out my square holes as well. I just uploaded and updated this video, but this time I dug a very perfect, serious, measured, and caring square cone shaped hole as retained it all with strain. Feast your eyes upon my latest video for perfection personafied. :P
@@lovehorses2669 Hi. You can add regular ol sand to your soil. That will help to break up the soil. The small particle of sand will get in between soil and break it up, increase drainage, and help to aerate the soil for good root development. Especially good you grow root vegetables, Like carrot. The need loose soil to grow down.
A perfectly round hole is not good. Also the water that sitts in the bottom will become anaerobic lacking oxygen. Just look up International society of Arboriculture.
While I admire anyone willing to try a new and scientific approach, this one comes with a huge caveat: Doing this in many types of soil is likely to kill the tree sooner or later. 1. In heavy clay soil, it would render a big cauldron of fetid water under the roots leading to one of several fungi (root rot being the worst). 2. When the compost decomposes, the tree would possibly drop a few inches if the roots are not established. A tree with the crown below ground level is a very bad thing. 3. In very porous (sandy) soils, the water will run right past the roots and deeper into the ground. With the exception of taproot trees, most of the flare is outward - not downward. So bypassing the majority of the feeder roots can lead to a dehydrated plant despite dumping loads of water in it. Again, thanks for trying something new. I mention the above as a 34-year landscape company owner with a horticulture degree… so it’s not conjecture. 🙂
@@lauranilsen8988 One Houstoian to another, I killed a number of trees when I first started landscaping my yard because I added amendments into the hole while planting trees and shrubs. In our soil, you'll just create a hole that holds stagnant water and that rots your tree roots if you add anything but the native soil back. Now I usually plant my trees so that they are proud (higher than the grade) by a few inches. I use plastic edging material to make a circle about 3.5 ft in diameter. I put that on top of the native soil level and add higher quality soil to that. The good soil sits on top of the native soil. The tap roots are in native soil and the feeder roots can spread out in the better soil. The tree will settle a bit over a couple of years and it only ends up a tad proud in the long run. I figure roots can burrow downward, but the crown hates to be below grade. This also works really well if you plan to come back and build flower beds around the trees. If you plant your trees high to begin with, they'll be at the right height after you add beds around them later.
@@yellowdog762jb thank you for that explanation! I like that idea. I have a few more trees and some bushes to plant (all edible stuff) and I want to make sure I do it right. My other fruit trees have done ok (grow slowly and don’t produce much) but I really need to be putting more effort into it.
As you dig the hole for you plants, trees it is a good idea to fill the hole with water. And check to see how well, how long it takes the water to drain from the hole. Depending on how deep your hole is, if you water drains in 1.5 - 2.5 hours, for example, you'll know you should not have to worry to much about stagnant water.
That is one serious hole! I was taught to make the hole 3X the size of the root ball, but this is over the top. I'd love to see this tree 2-3 years after planting.
I've dug deep holes like this.... The soil and compost settled in and the entire root ball dropped which put the tree graft knuckle below the soil line... But I believe a tree gets it's water mostly from rooting out sideways..... I plant my trees by digging no deeper than the root ball and 3 times as wide as the root ball and top watering frequently and they do quite well.
Observing fallen trees, the roots do grow outward, but I believe this method promotes the primary tap root to dig as deep as possible. This helps the tree wick moisture from deep below on those severe drought years. I think the concept of both deep hole and your method of digging out wide is a good concept.
@@cruzmissile25From what I know, if it’s deep, microbes won’t have air to survive which in turn wont provide nutrients for the tree. I’m confused between all of different methods.
Following up. Did this to transplant a double palm that was dying when we bought our home. Man it came right to life within in a week! Rainy season now so I stopped watering it often but still do after 3rd day no rain. Thank you.
Hey Fatal. Thank you for the kind comments. Make sure you check out the follow up and update I recently uploaded for the most recent information. There's more icing on that cake as well. :P
I like the idea but you forgot to cut radial cut lines with your shovel so that there are cracks to allow roots to quickly spread out many feet away from the hole that you dug. Basically, use your shovel to create a miniature fault line and then repeat until it's like rays of sunshine coming out from around the hole you dug. This is extremely important. Also, you typically want Roots closer to the surface because a light a rain event will not cause water to penetrate super deeply and actually water the deeper Roots directly under the tree. If you live in a desert area with moisture in the soil a few feet down, your Technique is good. However, it's still important to have roots that go out horizontally that can pick up water from a light rain event
Trying to tell people on here that don’t know will find out the hard way when the tree dies after 5 years. This video is not good advice for long lasting strong trees.
The roots will go out horizontally anyway; there's no way to stop it. His cone idea may or may not be the greatest, I don't know. Like you mentioned, there are different methods for different local conditions and the tree being planted. But it's all food for thought.
@@NurseryEnterprises I've done research on this. So have a ton of my permaculture Buddies. Nearly all soils are compacted unless you are just cutting down an old growth forest and then planting trees immediately in The Amazing soil an old-growth Forest that has lots of Duff. I have seen in experiment after experiment that adding radial soil slice lines increases root expansion time much faster horizontally and those trees after 5 years are sometimes twice the size of one's without radial lines cut into the soil. And the greater number Radial lines makes a difference at the speed of horizontal Root spread when you factor in both the total horizontal area group coverage, as well as the total distance from the stem of the tree. These these radial lines are especially effective for situations where the trees will not be mulched annually over the roots. And we've even learned that you can water in a way that encourages this horizontal root growth by watering just a few of the radial lines when it's dry so you can get those roots to travel through the slice cracks made in the soil of radial soil slicing. I tend to follow the people I know that do hard science instead of just speaking perspective not based on hard data. Especially when we see the same results when the experiments are repeated over and over.
@@bonnieblenders4606 I have the same problem. I spoke with someone who removes animals humanely and they told me that gophers hate the smell of rags soaked with bleach or human urine. Also told me that they hate mothballs but mothballs are probably toxic for the soil and people/pets. You can buy some cheap cameras to see where they go and some solar powered motion sensor lights for nighttime. The gopher I have is very active around 3am but I wouldn't have known that if not for the lights and cameras.
This is common for tree planting for commercial landscaping. It’s called a deep root watering system (DWS) where a bubbler is installed at the bottom of the perforated tube/pipe and connected to an automated irrigation controller. Most landscape companies make their own because there is nothing unique or special about the pre fabricated one that you can buy off the shelf. Landscape supply companies sell this system. Usually the top of the pipe is just above the soil level so it doesn’t look unsightly. The size of the hole is typically 3X and the soil below 18” usually doesn’t have a high organic component. It’s also a good idea to put another tube to use as an inspection chamber. It will allow you to see if it is draining properly. Deep root watering does make a huge difference.
@@vijayak2470 It’s typically a 4” perforated pipe, wrapped in filter fabric, that’s installed at the edge of the root ball when a new tree is planted. It’s as long as the tree pit that was dug and it allows someone to look down into it to see if there is water. Sometimes the topsoil looks dry but there is water pooling below. You can typically see down into it during the day but if not, use a flashlight. It should stick up an inch or two and have a removable cap or grate so it doesn’t fill up with debris. It helps determine how much water a tree is receiving. Sometimes overwatered tree’s seems as if they are under-watered. It shouldn’t be watered so much that the root ball is always saturated with water. Before planting a tree, it’s best to fill the whole with water to see if it holds water or drains. If the whole doesn’t drain fairly well, you should put some sort of drainage system. I usually dig the hole deeper and put perforated pipe that is either connected to a storm water drain line or to a French drain. The perforated pipe is set in a layer of drain rock (8”-16” deep) and wrapped in filter fabric (so it doesn’t get clogged). If you can’t connect the pipe to drain somewhere, you can put an inspection chamber all the way down to the drain rock so you can pump the water out as needed.
If your soil is heavy clay, backfill the hole with the soil you removed. You can add some compost to it, but be careful too not add so much that you dramatically change the texture. You can end up creating a ponding effect that can result in drowning your tree and/or causing other problems. This method would be great for folks living in areas that are prone to drought or have low rainfall. Dig your music.
I don’t agree with the idea of digging a deep narrow hole. It should be just the opposite. Dig hole just deep enough for root ball and 3 times as wide as root ball. Don’t backfill hole with anything but native soil and make sure root flare is not under the soil level.
@@jameslippert3523 I concur, the majority of tree roots are found in the top 12 - 18". The feeder roots are typically found within a few inches of the surface. It makes the most sense to make the hole wider than deeper and encourage lateral growth. I've seen too many trees needlessly die in clay soil because of digging a hole too deep and/or backfilled with soil conditioner (pine bark) and non-native mixes that trap too much moisture within the clay pond they created.
@@GrowingTogether we have solid clay, they used to make clay roof tiles out of it in the next property, so its difficult to get trees started. Like the idea of the clever watering.
Damn it's been years since i've seen this method. I used to use it and it's always worked great for me i forgot why i stopped. It may have something to do with i think planting is a life long experiment and you never stop learning so im always trying new things!
I haven’t tried the pipe yet, but I have some incredibly happy trees that I composted the entire area before planting - and then have only ever deep watered them! I built a berm around them and then leave the water on low for like 45 min ... and then don’t water again for 2-4 weeks depending on the season. They look sooo much healthier than my neighbors!! They all ask me how I get these trees to grow so well ... and I tell them ... and they don’t do what I do ... and their trees are scraggly and don’t yield much fruit ... but they keep admiring my trees! I’m all about deep watering, with or without a pipe !;-)
Deep watering better mimics nature and that's what most tree are adapted to in many climates. Tropical climates can have both frequent light showers and heavy downpours but often have shallow soils where heavy rains just runoff instead of penetrating below the surface. The important thing to understand and remember is that surface soils often dry out rather quickly through evaporation but subsurface soils can last longer and any tree that has Deep roots is going to be healthier, stronger, more beautiful and fruitful as well as more resilient to weather extremes. I appreciate your reminder on Deep watering, just don't forget to set a timer or you may forget to turn the water off. After all, we don't want to waste precious water in today's world of weather extremes like droughts for example.
Very creative approach and it makes perfect sense, should be very effective. One minor point I would add is when you back fill the hole with soil, it is important to compress the new fluffy soil to get the extra excess air out of it... otherwise it could settle later and have the tree sink several inches below grade, which wouldn't be good for it.
On the face if it, your statement seems to make good sense, however, it depends on the environment as well as the species of tree your talking about. A small basin in a dry or Mediterranean environment like Southern California would be beneficial for almost all trees as our climate is predominantly dry and short periods of rain would not harm the tree but benefit it greatly as the basin would serve as a catchment thus capturing water and allowing it to slowly sink in. A welcome thirst quencher to any tree in a dry climate and especially a drought. Having said that, if your watering your tree on a daily basis this could present a problem. The beauty of this method is that your are essentially training the tree to seek water stored below the surface, especially during dry periods. That way the tree becomes strong and capable of surviving without being watered by you. That's kind of the whole purpose for his method in my opinion. He did after all mention that once the tree was established, after a couple of years, the watering tube should be removed.
When you dig a hole like that, it can create sides that are "smeared" smooth like clay (by the shovel) to create a relatively impenetrable barrier to root growth; perforate the sides of the hole with a garden fork to avoid this, before putting the tree in the hole. Also, putting compost in just the hole encourages the tree's roots to remain in the space of the hole, instead of spreading out through the soil around. For what it's worth, I have heard that what you do is spread compost on all the ground around the tree, on top, so that the nutrients seep into the soil all around and roots will spread out evenly. Dig a hole 2-3x the size of the root ball, and dig it square, not round, so that the roots will find their way to the corners of the hole, and out of it, rather than wrapping around a circular space.
This method can be used on a smaller scale on any plant. This was the first time I've watched one of your videos. The singing was great too. Subscribed.
Beautiful. I'm researching riparian stream management innovations, and this method to me solves the riverbank erosion problem. Utilizing root biomass as a natural reinforcement retaining wall without the use of conventional mined materials. Which over time won't last forever and the oxidizing reinforcement steel molecules, proves challenging contamination for future generations. For now, I'm looking at using this method along our bank at certain points. Planting native trees integrating native guild riparian plants. Permaculture specialists are phenomenal in this field, the boundary im managing is within a cluster of river stream systems. Located in the Far North regions of New Zealand.
Kiora. Bamboo is great for erosion grows fast and those root balls or almost impenetrable one well established but make sure you get the clumping varieties they make great walls
I'm just amazed at that perfectly round, deep, coned hole you dug. I live in west central ga and we have red, hard dirt. It's a huge workout to dig deep. I'm gonna give this a try though. Thanks. And for all the comments that want to dispute everything he says, just keep scrolling and go make your own video with your vast "knowledge" 🙄
Glazing digging hole smooth when using shovel actually causes roots to hit surrounding soil and bounce back toward tree. And why is best to score and rough up sides of hole. Also today's best practice planting method involves digging hole only as deep as needed and double wide in order to help Roots strike out.
I never thought about that we have something similar for our indoor plants but never thought about it outside thank you for the schooling !!! Amarillo tx
Would be nice to do a controlled experiment with a few trees with the watering pipe, and some without in the same approximate area, then compare the results after 5 years.
i think they will have the same result. he is giving water to the anchor roots while ignoring the feeder roots (that clay soil looks quite hard also). this method is dumb and useless
@@regnbuetorsk, I think a watering spike would be a better option. Then you could move it from tree to tree, and not have a bunch of ugly PVC mowing obstacles sticking out of your yard.
absolutely yes. and i would till the top soil all around the tree and add good compost. also, i don't like to see the little trees in a "bowl". the root flare should stay on top of the soil, and that bowl is a guarantee that the root flare will be covered by soil sooner or later, leading to rot
@@regnbuetorsk you wrote the comment I was too nice to write, but it had to be said. Dont do this folks. Also, dont mix 50/50 clay soil and compost or “garden soil” your tree will sink especially in hard soil after a couple of years. Add lots of mulch, 2-8” the more the better, 6” away from the trunk and water less often but deeply. Read a book on gardening, don’t do this folks.
I've had that "experiment" on my citrus trees and it's actually 3 3ft PVC pipes all the way in. It keeps the soil very soft and the trunk looks the biggest. Also fruits great. Going to do the whole lot.
Nice video and technique. Overall in my experiences most people and so called landscapers plant to low. I always 'plant a little high to thrive' so you can see the crown of the root flare and then mulch outward to create a small basin. Too many people bury the trunk in mulch like a Volcano or worse build brick or stone tree rings then fill with dirt to make a perennial bed around the tree. Trees exchange gases at the base and they need to breath for health and success. Also nothing beats hand watering the first two growing seasons to insure success... 40 yrs of gardening from TX
Thank you! I watched your video and applied it. I used giant bamboo pole instead of the PVC. I also drilled holes around the bamboo pole and used it as the worm tower. I planted a peach tree today. The bamboo pole is both worm tower and watering for root training.
Always tickle or even hack the roots when planting from pots. That tree was slightly pot bound and likely has girdling roots that will just grow in circles. Also always plant your tree 2-4” higher than existing grade and make sure the crown isnt buried by soil or this could kill certain trees (not apple tho). Also I only add a shovel full of compost and balanced fertilizer to the hole. If you add 50% compost you just make a bigger pot for the tree. If you have poor soil the roots will just stay in the nice soft soil in the hole and never venture out. You also dont need a pipe just water longer and less frequent and the roots will follow the water.
only shredded hardwood mulch... other mulch that are dyed are typically shredded pallets and will actually pull nutrients from the soil; @@lorenluyendyk5800
Good method for water, really bad method for planting a tree. When planting a tree from a container you need to cut the sides and bottom to allow for new roots and remove circling roots as well as anything that is not straight. Also trees breath through roots, your tree has to much dirt around the truck. Good luck.
Also, did he remove the rope tie at the base of the trunk? He didn't show himself remove it. But it was on there when he took it out of the pot. Otherwise that will strangle the tree when it grows.
Also you shouldn't put so much high quality compost/fertilizer around it. You want to backfill mainly with native soil so the tree roots grow outwards looking for nutrients.
This method sounds great. The only thing I question is the fact that the roots that grow that deep are meant to thrive in an anaerobic environment. The pipe doesn't allow that. This would make think the tree will grow well until you remove the pipe. Then the deep roots will probably die out in favor of roots which thrive in anaerobic conditions, and may have slow growth until this is established. In oak trees I've noticed some roots stay on the surface, some roots run deep, serving different purposes no doubt. All this being said I'd love to see the long term results of this method.
Why remove the pipe? I have used the same method and left the pipe for 20 years. Also, why have the pipe sticking so far out of the ground? I cut mine off just a few inches above the ground. It works great to prevent erosion control in sloped areas.
I think the aerobic roots will rush down to the pipe level and then it will continue further down into anaerobic zone so the long term effect is that water is delivered to the center of the total root mass and not the bottom of all the roots. That said, I have not tried this but it's really interesting. I wish he had planted another same sized plant without the pipe as a control for long term comparison.
LOL. I loved the song and the outtakes. The information really gave me something to think about. I have my trees in large containers right now, which have a 3 inch reservoir in the bottom - and the reservoirs are filled with a 1.5 inch plastic pipe.. They appear to be doing well now, but I would love to be able to get them into the ground. The issue is that I live in the city, and have a very small yard. I've also got blackberries in containers, which take up most of the available space in my yard. My goal is to get about 20 acres so that i can have an orchard along with a great garden. I love your idea about feeding the roots with the pipe for the first several years. When I do finally get the room to plant trees properly, I'll give this method a try.
He did not plant that tree near high enough in relation to the ground level. That tree is going to sink when the backfill compresses. Then he is going to have problems. Plant it high and it won’t die. Plant it low and it won’t grow.
No it didn't sink ....in fact he built a chandelier on this tree and his children are playing around ...all in about 8months just coz the technique made the tree grow 3x faster.!!!
Ok at first i was focused on the tube trick, but the ending totally got me with the Jack Black tribute to the trees. Awesome video. Thanks for the effort
Wonderful! Your Love and passion for trees is obvious. This method is amazing! Such a great way to conserve water while ensuring the survival of fruits in arid climates. Can’t wait to do this!
"Today..." i watched your video :D I have done this unconsciously with my research topic plant. And i put holes in the pipe too. The plant has grown to 5 feet in just 3 months. So we are guided by our family (Trees) how to perform our trusteeship :) Just amazing. Thanks for your video. Only confirms we are guided :)
You don't need a pipe to do that, you can achieve the same effect by watering the tree in huge quantity less and less often, the water will naturally drain down the soil and accumulate deeper. The important thing is to let the surface dry to force the tree to send its root deep.
No, subsoil watering experiments show that trees grow nearly as well or even better with 1/10th of the water used in flooded irrigation. So, huge water savings and not getting dead in case of a drought.
@@RightOne1 @R R I didnt say it worked better whitout the pipe, i was just saying that you can apply the same logic by reducing the watering frequency whitout needing the pipe, i just like simpler solution. None the less if the pipe is so much more effective it's better than i thought, can you share the articles about those experiments ?
@@guysquarred no problem if u have tons of water. But not for everyone. And evaporation eats up more than half of all that water. Sandy soils are basically useless. U have to make it healthy by adding compost.
I did something similar but without the tube, an excellent addition. I dug a 4 foot diameter shallow circle to the depth of the topsoil, then to a separate pile, dug out a cylinder 3 feet in diameter and about 20 inches deep. I filled in the hole as you do with the top soil, disrupted the root structure some to encourage outward root growth, and filled in with the subsoil mixed with compost around the root ball. Left over subsoil was used to make a ring around the 4 foot diameter to hold water. I think I can use a post hole digger at the drip line to retrofit the watering tube.
I don’t like the fact that when you dug that hole you didn’t hit any rocks because every hole I dig in my damn yard to put a tree in I end up taking out a ton of rocks even if it’s away from the house we should only be dirt
Save your time by not doing this, he didn't even plant the tree right, you can't see the root flare/crown. Also, creating a perched water table isn't a great idea in the long run, and amending the soil isn't necessary. Find a tree species that will grow well in your soil, dig a hole, wash the medium off the tree and prune the roots if you need to, put it in the hole and mud it in. Give it some support for the first year if it needs it. It really doesn't need to be more difficult than that. Entire forests have grown without PVC pipes running down to their roots.
@@Infiniti25 I lost a few last year, but they were cheap, bare root trees. So far, all the ones I planted this year have lived. I still have more to go, though. But this late in the spring, they're probably going to have a harder time of it. But every year, I get further ahead. Now, if I could just learn how to root tree cuttings. I haven't had one success with that in 2 years.
@@kerim.peardon5551 look up the channel JSacadura on RUclips, he has lots of grafting videos and I believe he does a large variety of methods and large variety of fruit tree types in different forms. I know he talks about grafting onto rootstocks, he may also show how to create new rootstock. I bought all my trees in pots with soil/compost already with flower buds developed, so never had the bare root bedding in problem.
@@geoengr3 Mine near the house isn't too awful; good enough to plant in, but not 4 feet of impossibly perfect, Garden of Eden soil like in this dude's garden. But down near the creek, you can dig that stuff out and make fine pottery from it. Looks just like the clay we had in our clay class at school.
problem with "leaving the root ball intact" if there are girdling roots they will eventually cause problems: the sapling used in the video has not been in the pot long or there would be a mass of roots showing if you dig outside the drip line once the tree is established you will find it has sent roots out at the surface also these are two-fold: 1) the stability of the tree, when wind pushes the tree those roots which are stressed will thicken in opposition to the pull 2) tree roots need air, they are incapable of extracting minerals and so there is cooperation with microbes and fungi essentially this unnecessarily deep hole IS a pot dug into the ground: the extra water will certainly help and will persist longer because it minimizes evaporation; however, I am skeptical it's that big an improvement on drip irrigation for instance a large tree on a warm day loses a hundred liters of water through evapotranspiration (through the leaves) depending on size, temp, humidity and species
Your are right, all the opposite, instead of leaving the root ball intact, the best is to open it and spread the roots, cut the ones that are going inside, cut the ones that seem damage and that will allowed the roots to spread and do all that MR. BRETT B. mentioned above, also what POPEYE DOG mentioned above and below.
Adding perforation to the tube might give the roots additional air on hard compacted soils. Musical effects will also be more accessible for the root system.
Square hole to help circling roots from nursery pots break out, break circling roots out of root ball when removed from pot, without breaking roots as much as possible, backfill hole with same soil, only slightly amended to encourage roots to leave hole. It's not about initial speed or deep roots. It's about proper formation and entrance of roots into native soil for long life. Surface roots branch to anchor roots and feeder roots. They do 90% of uptake of water and nutrients. Tap roots are developmental from seedling stage. Love, an arborist.
@@DeannaHerald most important I didn't mention... Follow trunk down to root flare. Root flare needs to be above ground, roots below. If you burry the root flare you are likely to get decay into the cambial tissue and eventual root rot.
I don't think you planted it high enough in relation to the hole you dug and it might sink when all that compost/dirt compresses. It's always been recommended to me to first tickle the roots, backfill with the native dirt you dug up, then well rotted compost/leaf mold, and then a thick layer of mulch. To each is own I guess.
You’re right. In this area, everyone around me plants trees like this. We are mistaken by doing so. I’m spreading the word and I also updated this video with a follow up as well. That tree in my new video is planted with the correct elevation.
My experience is the bigger and deeper the hole, and refilling with compost mixed in the soil so that the clay content and density of the soil is reduced, the faster and larger the tree grows. 2 meters deep and wide is a great way to help trees survive gail winds. If you have compacted soil, you'll be glad you made the investment.
Great way to plant a tree I always dug a hole twice as deep as the root ball and filled with compost and soil but never thought about adding a pipe to add water down below the roots! I'll be doing this next time!
Interesting idea, and I like the thought process for making the roots reach down deeper. So much conflicting info out there on what's the "best" method to plant a tree though. My concern is, if you put the water under the tree, and plant it in a hole full of compost, the roots aren't going to spread in search of water and nutrients. And fair enough, maybe that's not an issue where you live. I'm in Florida, where the soil is just gray sand, and we have hurricanes. I'm told (but haven't yet experienced for myself) that planting like this the roots will just circle the hole full of compost, and then when a hurricane comes through the tree will blow over. I started out planting in holes full of organic matter last year, haven't had a hurricane since then (knock on wood) but I have noticed the trees I planted that way are sinking as the organic matter breaks down. What I have started doing now is planting trees straight into the crappy sand, then top dressing in a wide circle with compost and amendments, and covering with mulch. The theory being that the roots will have to go out further searching for nutrients and water in the poor soil. Time will tell which method works better, I suppose. My theory is the ones planted in compost will probably grow faster and fruit sooner, but the ones planted in the native soil may be stronger and live longer once established. What are your thoughts? Any specific info about your climate or soil that may shed some light on the different methods? Also, how much do I need to pay you to come sing to my trees?
I read the same things. Put amendments in soil and roots will try to stay within that area. In addition to that, plant will go through two slow phases because it will have to adapt to amended soil first, and then later to the regular soil. I don't know about any of that from first hand experience, but I can't definitely say one should not focus on keeping the soil and roots in pot intact. Most of the time roots are tangled and they should sure as hell be untangled and even cut from all the sides if they're too tangled. Sure the plant will go through some extra stress but it shows a lot better results. Not to mention a lot of times you can find strings that held burlap strangling the roots. or that's just where I'm from coz our nurseries are terrible
I've been around the nursery trade for a while in the US and the original post summarizes "modern" agricultural extension recommendations for planting trees: don't make a huge hole and don't fill it with compost. backfill with native soil. this superseded the "old" school of thought which was to make a big hole and use lots of amendments. it is not that the advice is conflicting, it is just that more knowledge and experience has been gained, and like op said, it has been shown that the tree roots are reluctant to grow out into the native soil if you use a lot of compost.
Florida's sandy soil is not the kind where water penetrates. The water runs right off! I hate it! I invested lots of money and time to ammend my soil. I've never dug a hole that deep to plant trees but I will from here on.
The only major advantage of this system is that the tap root will grow deeper and root firmly more due to the fact that the water from the tube will make way for it. As for feeding and receiving nutrients,it the other roots that don't grow too deep that actually feed the plant. This is why you don't dig a mile to apply fertilizer.
There’s one anchor roots, most roots are closer to the surface and spread horizontally bc there’s more nutrients and such. Not much when you go too deep.
Sí...tendrán la típica reacción de latinos: "es que los gringos están tan avanzados" .... (yo era igual...hasta que me dí cuenta y hace un año y medio fui a gringolandia...)
Huh. I’ve heard the watering tube thing before. My mother told me that’s how her grandfather set up his apple trees when he planted them. Nice to see the whole process.
Other videos I've seen open up the roots before planting and plant in a square hole to stop roots circling and choking the tree (critical for larger trees)
Hey Saeed. You must be one of the chosen for we are all connected in ways that we cannot even imagine. Helen G. White, who originated this method a hundred years ago, claimed to receive her revelations from God with her methods. Make sure you check out the follow up and update I recently uploaded for the most recent information.
Great video. Only thing I think you skipped over is firming in the soil after planting. You don't want it soft with pockets of air. Also if it gets windy the tree could blow over.
@@katsmith-riply9862 Go google "heeling in" or "firming in" and learn something. You don't make it compacted, just firm enough to prevent root damage if it can move around too easily in the wind.
Never ever break up the root ball especially if it’s burlap wrap. I’m another person who knows absolutely nothing about planting trees. I’ve only planted couple hundred
@@kimberlyregister9298 that's what I do. I try not to remove all the soil that's there, but I basically smack it and rub it with the palm of my hand to loosen it up and try to get the outer roots to hang instead of it all being bound, circularly.
That's the most perfectly dug hole I've ever seen.
If you have to wear a mask to use compost you aren’t using good compost.
right? like.... HUH?!
I think the holes are made by AI. Unreal.
square hole is best- roots wont circle.
Don't be a square...😎@@paullhirondelle1188
when my bonsai master died in 2017. I sold and gave away my trees. There was a potting mishap we won't talk about. It was part of the reason I got rid of the trees. My master's daughter also wanted me to travel to Japan with her and visit the family. I was thinking about starting some seedlings this year. But I was still on the fence. You reminded me how much I enjoyed it. Funny you sing for the viewers I used to sing for the trees. After watching your video. I have decided to start some trees. Thanks for the inspiration
Bonsai master? Like you wore leather and a chain and he whipped you and lead you on a leash and poked your butthole with his meat organ or other objects? Hopefully not animals
This was strangely psychedelic and far more entertaining than it needed to be. Thank you.
Through the Tube.
😂 you know what's funny... I found myself thinking the same thing when I slowed the video down to ½ the playback speed. It was surprisingly fast enough for the images, and slow enough for the words to be taken all in, not to mention the background music was super trippy...😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Thank you for your video. While in college, I worked with a master tree planter in the 80's. We would transplant trees donated by farmers. What we did was dig a hole 1 foot for every inch of trunk. If it was a 2 inch trunk then we dug a hole 2 feet in diameter. I believe we would use rocks that were about the size of marbles in the bottom of the hole. Then add a nice thick layer of dirt. Then a nice layer of oats or sorghum. This would rot and decay over time providing excellent nourishment for the tree. Then we plant the tree and fill up the hole with dirt. Watering daily for about a month and then several times a week until they tree had adapted to the new environment and was growing on it's own.
The college closed in the 90's and sold to a retirement community of some kind. From time to time I go on Google maps and get a view of how the trees look and they are massive.
That’s pretty cool bro 👀💪🏼🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Enjoyed your comment 👍
Àà
Q
So gor that 2 feet trunk the hole was 2 feet deep and 2feet wide(diameter)?
I’ll admit I was fairly skeptical at first but once the singing started I was sold
This was the wildest most appreciated turn of events hahaha
I only waited for the stripshow...🤣🤣🤣🤪🥰😎
Legit
Ill admit i waited thru the shit to here the sarading you spoke of and it was awseome start with the song
Serious fun!
I did this with a cherry tree early this spring. It's doing very well now (late August). It did nothing for 2-3 months, then exploded with new growth all of a sudden. The new leaves are 3-4x bigger than the old ones.
I am thinking that the time it was doing nothing, it was probably focusing it's energy on its tap roots and secondary roots. Which Is exactly what this gentleman was saying it will do. Pretty cool
why not 5times bigger? or are you just lining up with his 3 times larger method? lol
Is nobody going to talk about how perfectly round his hole was?! 🤯
He done a good job.
He cut it with a compass
Yeah, I noticed that too.
Pretty sure tge hole was dug with a power auger and not by hand.
Thats pretty much all I noticed. I was very impressed
That hole has got to be the most perfect hole ever dug.
Yeah. He's bit anal. The perfect circle, measuring tape, two separate water vessels,... We always added sand to the soil. Water drains right down, added compost as it grows,...
Thank you George. I don't mess around with my round holes. I take them seriously... I measure... I care... I squeeze my butt cheeks together and hold it... all day. I implore you to check out my square holes as well. I just uploaded and updated this video, but this time I dug a very perfect, serious, measured, and caring square cone shaped hole as retained it all with strain. Feast your eyes upon my latest video for perfection personafied. :P
@@geraldj3623 what kind of soil are you adding sand to? How much sand and what kind of sand would be that?
@@lovehorses2669 Hi. You can add regular ol sand to your soil. That will help to break up the soil. The small particle of sand will get in between soil and break it up, increase drainage, and help to aerate the soil for good root development. Especially good you grow root vegetables, Like carrot. The need loose soil to grow down.
A perfectly round hole is not good. Also the water that sitts in the bottom will become anaerobic lacking oxygen. Just look up International society of Arboriculture.
I was gonna take a dig at the music... and then 6 minutes rolled around. Bravo sir, bravo.
Read this comment at 3m in, skipped to 6m. Wasn't disappointed.
I almost cringed at the end but the commitment and confidence delivered in that song had me in awe.
Ya gotta love a guy that ends his video like this, and his planting strategy is intriguing as well as practical. Will give it a try. Tanks!
While I admire anyone willing to try a new and scientific approach, this one comes with a huge caveat: Doing this in many types of soil is likely to kill the tree sooner or later.
1. In heavy clay soil, it would render a big cauldron of fetid water under the roots leading to one of several fungi (root rot being the worst).
2. When the compost decomposes, the tree would possibly drop a few inches if the roots are not established. A tree with the crown below ground level is a very bad thing.
3. In very porous (sandy) soils, the water will run right past the roots and deeper into the ground. With the exception of taproot trees, most of the flare is outward - not downward. So bypassing the majority of the feeder roots can lead to a dehydrated plant despite dumping loads of water in it.
Again, thanks for trying something new. I mention the above as a 34-year landscape company owner with a horticulture degree… so it’s not conjecture. 🙂
Thank you, very useful technical info...
I wondered about the compost. I was told not to add anything to the native soil here in Houston area. Just put it on top.
@@lauranilsen8988 One Houstoian to another, I killed a number of trees when I first started landscaping my yard because I added amendments into the hole while planting trees and shrubs. In our soil, you'll just create a hole that holds stagnant water and that rots your tree roots if you add anything but the native soil back. Now I usually plant my trees so that they are proud (higher than the grade) by a few inches. I use plastic edging material to make a circle about 3.5 ft in diameter. I put that on top of the native soil level and add higher quality soil to that. The good soil sits on top of the native soil. The tap roots are in native soil and the feeder roots can spread out in the better soil. The tree will settle a bit over a couple of years and it only ends up a tad proud in the long run. I figure roots can burrow downward, but the crown hates to be below grade. This also works really well if you plan to come back and build flower beds around the trees. If you plant your trees high to begin with, they'll be at the right height after you add beds around them later.
@@yellowdog762jb thank you for that explanation! I like that idea. I have a few more trees and some bushes to plant (all edible stuff) and I want to make sure I do it right. My other fruit trees have done ok (grow slowly and don’t produce much) but I really need to be putting more effort into it.
As you dig the hole for you plants, trees it is a good idea to fill the hole with water. And check to see how well, how long it takes the water to drain from the hole. Depending on how deep your hole is, if you water drains in 1.5 - 2.5 hours, for example, you'll know you should not have to worry to much about stagnant water.
How does this video only have 125 likes? Musical gardening tutorials is the best genre ever. Sincerely, thank you.
It has 131 now. 😜 You’re welcome. These comments put a big a smile on my face and warm my heart.
923 now--and I just subscribed, too!! what a cute dude, right?
2.1k now
Clearly the algorithm suddenly noticed it, because it has 4.7k likes now. Including mine!
@@rodshop5897 yeah, pretty sure watching the entire video to the end, pressing like and commenting jump starts the algorithm
That is one serious hole! I was taught to make the hole 3X the size of the root ball, but this is over the top. I'd love to see this tree 2-3 years after planting.
I've dug deep holes like this.... The soil and compost settled in and the entire root ball dropped which put the tree graft knuckle below the soil line... But I believe a tree gets it's water mostly from rooting out sideways..... I plant my trees by digging no deeper than the root ball and 3 times as wide as the root ball and top watering frequently and they do quite well.
Observing fallen trees, the roots do grow outward, but I believe this method promotes the primary tap root to dig as deep as possible. This helps the tree wick moisture from deep below on those severe drought years. I think the concept of both deep hole and your method of digging out wide is a good concept.
He did insist that this was done for "root training". I'm going to try it.
@@cruzmissile25From what I know, if it’s deep, microbes won’t have air to survive which in turn wont provide nutrients for the tree. I’m confused between all of different methods.
Following up. Did this to transplant a double palm that was dying when we bought our home. Man it came right to life within in a week! Rainy season now so I stopped watering it often but still do after 3rd day no rain. Thank you.
This is actually wrong! Read a book from ISA
Came for the gardening tips, the musical and bloopers at the end were just icing on the cake.
I need a method of growing trees slower. They are getting too big.
@@seanleith5312 depending on how soon you start pruning, you can have a tree be as small and manageable as you want.
Hey Fatal. Thank you for the kind comments. Make sure you check out the follow up and update I recently uploaded for the most recent information. There's more icing on that cake as well. :P
I like the idea but you forgot to cut radial cut lines with your shovel so that there are cracks to allow roots to quickly spread out many feet away from the hole that you dug. Basically, use your shovel to create a miniature fault line and then repeat until it's like rays of sunshine coming out from around the hole you dug.
This is extremely important. Also, you typically want Roots closer to the surface because a light a rain event will not cause water to penetrate super deeply and actually water the deeper Roots directly under the tree. If you live in a desert area with moisture in the soil a few feet down, your Technique is good. However, it's still important to have roots that go out horizontally that can pick up water from a light rain event
Trying to tell people on here that don’t know will find out the hard way when the tree dies after 5 years. This video is not good advice for long lasting strong trees.
The roots will go out horizontally anyway; there's no way to stop it. His cone idea may or may not be the greatest, I don't know. Like you mentioned, there are different methods for different local conditions and the tree being planted. But it's all food for thought.
@@NurseryEnterprises I've done research on this. So have a ton of my permaculture Buddies. Nearly all soils are compacted unless you are just cutting down an old growth forest and then planting trees immediately in The Amazing soil an old-growth Forest that has lots of Duff. I have seen in experiment after experiment that adding radial soil slice lines increases root expansion time much faster horizontally and those trees after 5 years are sometimes twice the size of one's without radial lines cut into the soil. And the greater number Radial lines makes a difference at the speed of horizontal Root spread when you factor in both the total horizontal area group coverage, as well as the total distance from the stem of the tree. These these radial lines are especially effective for situations where the trees will not be mulched annually over the roots. And we've even learned that you can water in a way that encourages this horizontal root growth by watering just a few of the radial lines when it's dry so you can get those roots to travel through the slice cracks made in the soil of radial soil slicing. I tend to follow the people I know that do hard science instead of just speaking perspective not based on hard data. Especially when we see the same results when the experiments are repeated over and over.
@@brianwnc8168 But how long these cracks remain effective/penetraable - the first year ?
@@brianwnc8168I'm interested in learning more about this. Have some links or resources ?
Obviously the real reason the tree's roots grew so fast was because of all that Spanish guitar music it was listening to.
🤣🤣🤣
Actually a proven fact plants respond to music and this is the best. Ya wouldn't want your trees to listen to rap or they'd become punks 😂
@@bonnieblenders4606 I put on classical music for my plants.
@@sburgos9621 yes! I notice a difference in my garden when I put my music on. Now if I can only figure out what music the gophers don't like🎶
@@bonnieblenders4606 I have the same problem. I spoke with someone who removes animals humanely and they told me that gophers hate the smell of rags soaked with bleach or human urine. Also told me that they hate mothballs but mothballs are probably toxic for the soil and people/pets. You can buy some cheap cameras to see where they go and some solar powered motion sensor lights for nighttime. The gopher I have is very active around 3am but I wouldn't have known that if not for the lights and cameras.
This is common for tree planting for commercial landscaping. It’s called a deep root watering system (DWS) where a bubbler is installed at the bottom of the perforated tube/pipe and connected to an automated irrigation controller. Most landscape companies make their own because there is nothing unique or special about the pre fabricated one that you can buy off the shelf. Landscape supply companies sell this system. Usually the top of the pipe is just above the soil level so it doesn’t look unsightly. The size of the hole is typically 3X and the soil below 18” usually doesn’t have a high organic component. It’s also a good idea to put another tube to use as an inspection chamber. It will allow you to see if it is draining properly. Deep root watering does make a huge difference.
Holy cow Bat man! Good stuff.
Please explain the inspection chamber you have mentioned. How can one inspect through the tube?
@@vijayak2470 It’s typically a 4” perforated pipe, wrapped in filter fabric, that’s installed at the edge of the root ball when a new tree is planted. It’s as long as the tree pit that was dug and it allows someone to look down into it to see if there is water. Sometimes the topsoil looks dry but there is water pooling below. You can typically see down into it during the day but if not, use a flashlight. It should stick up an inch or two and have a removable cap or grate so it doesn’t fill up with debris. It helps determine how much water a tree is receiving. Sometimes overwatered tree’s seems as if they are under-watered. It shouldn’t be watered so much that the root ball is always saturated with water.
Before planting a tree, it’s best to fill the whole with water to see if it holds water or drains. If the whole doesn’t drain fairly well, you should put some sort of drainage system. I usually dig the hole deeper and put perforated pipe that is either connected to a storm water drain line or to a French drain. The perforated pipe is set in a layer of drain rock (8”-16” deep) and wrapped in filter fabric (so it doesn’t get clogged).
If you can’t connect the pipe to drain somewhere, you can put an inspection chamber all the way down to the drain rock so you can pump the water out as needed.
Hi Bat man. Would deep root watering benefit potted plants?
Water from below?
We've been doing this for a couple years now after watching your video. I really do think that it has helped tremendously.
And all of the sudden this turns into a musical.
He is showing the tree some love
Love it! :)
i didn't believe you until it happened
Lol...sing it!
😝😝😝
If your soil is heavy clay, backfill the hole with the soil you removed. You can add some compost to it, but be careful too not add so much that you dramatically change the texture. You can end up creating a ponding effect that can result in drowning your tree and/or causing other problems. This method would be great for folks living in areas that are prone to drought or have low rainfall. Dig your music.
Thank you for your input.
I don’t agree with the idea of digging a deep narrow hole. It should be just the opposite. Dig hole just deep enough for root ball and 3 times as wide as root ball. Don’t backfill hole with anything but native soil and make sure root flare is not under the soil level.
@@jameslippert3523 I concur, the majority of tree roots are found in the top 12 - 18". The feeder roots are typically found within a few inches of the surface. It makes the most sense to make the hole wider than deeper and encourage lateral growth. I've seen too many trees needlessly die in clay soil because of digging a hole too deep and/or backfilled with soil conditioner (pine bark) and non-native mixes that trap too much moisture within the clay pond they created.
@@GrowingTogether we have solid clay, they used to make clay roof tiles out of it in the next property, so its difficult to get trees started. Like the idea of the clever watering.
Right on James! You listed most important planting facts of all today. Especially with 100% of nursery trees arriving already to deep in root ball.
Damn it's been years since i've seen this method. I used to use it and it's always worked great for me i forgot why i stopped. It may have something to do with i think planting is a life long experiment and you never stop learning so im always trying new things!
This is actually wrong! Read a book from ISA
I haven’t tried the pipe yet, but I have some incredibly happy trees that I composted the entire area before planting - and then have only ever deep watered them! I built a berm around them and then leave the water on low for like 45 min ... and then don’t water again for 2-4 weeks depending on the season. They look sooo much healthier than my neighbors!! They all ask me how I get these trees to grow so well ... and I tell them ... and they don’t do what I do ... and their trees are scraggly and don’t yield much fruit ... but they keep admiring my trees! I’m all about deep watering, with or without a pipe !;-)
Deep watering better mimics nature and that's what most tree are adapted to in many climates. Tropical climates can have both frequent light showers and heavy downpours but often have shallow soils where heavy rains just runoff instead of penetrating below the surface. The important thing to understand and remember is that surface soils often dry out rather quickly through evaporation but subsurface soils can last longer and any tree that has Deep roots is going to be healthier, stronger, more beautiful and fruitful as well as more resilient to weather extremes. I appreciate your reminder on Deep watering, just don't forget to set a timer or you may forget to turn the water off. After all, we don't want to waste precious water in today's world of weather extremes like droughts for example.
Very creative approach and it makes perfect sense, should be very effective. One minor point I would add is when you back fill the hole with soil, it is important to compress the new fluffy soil to get the extra excess air out of it... otherwise it could settle later and have the tree sink several inches below grade, which wouldn't be good for it.
On the face if it, your statement seems to make good sense, however, it depends on the environment as well as the species of tree your talking about. A small basin in a dry or Mediterranean environment like Southern California would be beneficial for almost all trees as our climate is predominantly dry and short periods of rain would not harm the tree but benefit it greatly as the basin would serve as a catchment thus capturing water and allowing it to slowly sink in. A welcome thirst quencher to any tree in a dry climate and especially a drought. Having said that, if your watering your tree on a daily basis this could present a problem. The beauty of this method is that your are essentially training the tree to seek water stored below the surface, especially during dry periods. That way the tree becomes strong and capable of surviving without being watered by you. That's kind of the whole purpose for his method in my opinion. He did after all mention that once the tree was established, after a couple of years, the watering tube should be removed.
Yes settling can cause many issues.
@@Halopa60 Too bad your logic is missing a few key factors.
@@popeyedog You are right!!!, actually, it will cause a LOT of issues.
@@Halopa60
When you dig a hole like that, it can create sides that are "smeared" smooth like clay (by the shovel) to create a relatively impenetrable barrier to root growth; perforate the sides of the hole with a garden fork to avoid this, before putting the tree in the hole.
Also, putting compost in just the hole encourages the tree's roots to remain in the space of the hole, instead of spreading out through the soil around. For what it's worth, I have heard that what you do is spread compost on all the ground around the tree, on top, so that the nutrients seep into the soil all around and roots will spread out evenly.
Dig a hole 2-3x the size of the root ball, and dig it square, not round, so that the roots will find their way to the corners of the hole, and out of it, rather than wrapping around a circular space.
Excellent idea and wonderful video by Growing Together.
Tree roots penetrate concrete. That smooth sides is nothing
Good info, but have to give him credit for digging a good looking hole
Square or round don't mean shit! Roots will go where they need to go, A square hole makes no difference.
@@hartzland7658 he owns a pool and grow grass so how the hell Who would listen to this fool.
This method can be used on a smaller scale on any plant. This was the first time I've watched one of your videos. The singing was great too. Subscribed.
Beautiful. I'm researching riparian stream management innovations, and this method to me solves the riverbank erosion problem. Utilizing root biomass as a natural reinforcement retaining wall without the use of conventional mined materials. Which over time won't last forever and the oxidizing reinforcement steel molecules, proves challenging contamination for future generations.
For now, I'm looking at using this method along our bank at certain points. Planting native trees integrating native guild riparian plants. Permaculture specialists are phenomenal in this field, the boundary im managing is within a cluster of river stream systems. Located in the Far North regions of New Zealand.
Kiora. Bamboo is great for erosion grows fast and those root balls or almost impenetrable one well established but make sure you get the clumping varieties they make great walls
Do you have any trees previously planted perhaps 5yrs ago and show its growth . proof is the ultimate sales pitch .
I thought, how’re there two more minutes left. Then, the best part. The real value is at the end of this video
Spoiler alert!
I'm just amazed at that perfectly round, deep, coned hole you dug.
I live in west central ga and we have red, hard dirt. It's a huge workout to dig deep. I'm gonna give this a try though. Thanks.
And for all the comments that want to dispute everything he says, just keep scrolling and go make your own video with your vast "knowledge" 🙄
☺️Thank you.
Glazing digging hole smooth when using shovel actually causes roots to hit surrounding soil and bounce back toward tree. And why is best to score and rough up sides of hole.
Also today's best practice planting method involves digging hole only as deep as needed and double wide in order to help Roots strike out.
this was the most epic gardening video on youtube. Blessings from Canada
Great video. I plant rosemary around the base of my trees to keep deer away. It's working so far
I do not remember when was the last time I smiled watching a tree care video🙂
Just a tip. U shouldn't digbur holes in a circle. U want corners. It helps the roots escape and stops them from getting root bound.
I hope you can show follow up videos of those newly planted trees to see if they've grown three times faster.
Same Request!🌳😊👍
not likley
Amazing to see soil without a million rocks in it. Took wife and I four hours to dig a 36” hole for our mailbox post!
Admit your wife did most of the work lol
@@strictlyyoutube6881 She did!
I never thought about that we have something similar for our indoor plants but never thought about it outside thank you for the schooling !!! Amarillo tx
This guy is some kind of hole digging wizard. I am amazed! It's a flipping work of art!
Would be nice to do a controlled experiment with a few trees with the watering pipe, and some without in the same approximate area, then compare the results after 5 years.
i think they will have the same result. he is giving water to the anchor roots while ignoring the feeder roots (that clay soil looks quite hard also). this method is dumb and useless
@@regnbuetorsk,
I think a watering spike would be a better option. Then you could move it from tree to tree, and not have a bunch of ugly PVC mowing obstacles sticking out of your yard.
absolutely yes. and i would till the top soil all around the tree and add good compost.
also, i don't like to see the little trees in a "bowl". the root flare should stay on top of the soil, and that bowl is a guarantee that the root flare will be covered by soil sooner or later, leading to rot
@@regnbuetorsk you wrote the comment I was too nice to write, but it had to be said. Dont do this folks.
Also, dont mix 50/50 clay soil and compost or “garden soil” your tree will sink especially in hard soil after a couple of years. Add lots of mulch, 2-8” the more the better, 6” away from the trunk and water less often but deeply.
Read a book on gardening, don’t do this folks.
I've had that "experiment" on my citrus trees and it's actually 3 3ft PVC pipes all the way in. It keeps the soil very soft and the trunk looks the biggest. Also fruits great. Going to do the whole lot.
I just bought a 10ft Magnolia yesterday. I will be following your method, Thank you sir.
being in PA, I had to chuckle when he had to go find rocks to put in the hole. Where the F do you find topsoil like this?
New Jersey. Garden state ftw.
Sacramento CA. There’s nothing like 10,000 years of river silt to build up a finegrained mineral-rich soil.
If in the Midwest, it's pretty much Nebraska and south.
We have it all here in the south.
Ikr where I am I can't stick a shovel in the ground without a clang
Nice video and technique. Overall in my experiences most people and so called landscapers plant to low. I always 'plant a little high to thrive' so you can see the crown of the root flare and then mulch outward to create a small basin. Too many people bury the trunk in mulch like a Volcano or worse build brick or stone tree rings then fill with dirt to make a perennial bed around the tree. Trees exchange gases at the base and they need to breath for health and success. Also nothing beats hand watering the first two growing seasons to insure success... 40 yrs of gardening from TX
Northeast Texas here.. you live near by? You have a RUclips channel? I'm on the search for experienced advice specific to my area!
@@RootsAndWings yes in the southern DFW area but no YT channel. I would be happy to help though lots of practical experience
Thank you! I watched your video and applied it. I used giant bamboo pole instead of the PVC. I also drilled holes around the bamboo pole and used it as the worm tower. I planted a peach tree today. The bamboo pole is both worm tower and watering for root training.
Always tickle or even hack the roots when planting from pots. That tree was slightly pot bound and likely has girdling roots that will just grow in circles. Also always plant your tree 2-4” higher than existing grade and make sure the crown isnt buried by soil or this could kill certain trees (not apple tho).
Also I only add a shovel full of compost and balanced fertilizer to the hole. If you add 50% compost you just make a bigger pot for the tree. If you have poor soil the roots will just stay in the nice soft soil in the hole and never venture out.
You also dont need a pipe just water longer and less frequent and the roots will follow the water.
yup
I totally agree with you, i did it this way and my apple trees grew massively in the last two years
I should have noted that mulch is the best fertilizer. Just dont bury the crown, keep it 6-12” away from the trunk, pile it deep and keep it moist!
@@lorenluyendyk5800”…don’t bury the crown…” but also “…bury it deep…”
Jesus man, what do you want from us?!
only shredded hardwood mulch... other mulch that are dyed are typically shredded pallets and will actually pull nutrients from the soil; @@lorenluyendyk5800
Good method for water, really bad method for planting a tree. When planting a tree from a container you need to cut the sides and bottom to allow for new roots and remove circling roots as well as anything that is not straight. Also trees breath through roots, your tree has to much dirt around the truck. Good luck.
He pointedly wasn’t doing that... that which we’d normally do. Maybe to help encourage downward growth?
Also, did he remove the rope tie at the base of the trunk? He didn't show himself remove it. But it was on there when he took it out of the pot.
Otherwise that will strangle the tree when it grows.
Also you shouldn't put so much high quality compost/fertilizer around it. You want to backfill mainly with native soil so the tree roots grow outwards looking for nutrients.
The singing sums it up, you plant trees with passion ❤️.
I enjoyed watching the whole process. Thanks
Man, that was unexpected 😲. One minute we talking trees and than .... ZaaaaSSSS a musical.
Good job. 👍 mission accomplished
This method sounds great. The only thing I question is the fact that the roots that grow that deep are meant to thrive in an anaerobic environment. The pipe doesn't allow that. This would make think the tree will grow well until you remove the pipe. Then the deep roots will probably die out in favor of roots which thrive in anaerobic conditions, and may have slow growth until this is established. In oak trees I've noticed some roots stay on the surface, some roots run deep, serving different purposes no doubt. All this being said I'd love to see the long term results of this method.
Agreed
Why remove the pipe? I have used the same method and left the pipe for 20 years. Also, why have the pipe sticking so far out of the ground? I cut mine off just a few inches above the ground. It works great to prevent erosion control in sloped areas.
It's got a cap bro...still anaerobic
I think the aerobic roots will rush down to the pipe level and then it will continue further down into anaerobic zone so the long term effect is that water is delivered to the center of the total root mass and not the bottom of all the roots. That said, I have not tried this but it's really interesting. I wish he had planted another same sized plant without the pipe as a control for long term comparison.
0⁰
LOL. I loved the song and the outtakes. The information really gave me something to think about. I have my trees in large containers right now, which have a 3 inch reservoir in the bottom - and the reservoirs are filled with a 1.5 inch plastic pipe.. They appear to be doing well now, but I would love to be able to get them into the ground. The issue is that I live in the city, and have a very small yard. I've also got blackberries in containers, which take up most of the available space in my yard. My goal is to get about 20 acres so that i can have an orchard along with a great garden. I love your idea about feeding the roots with the pipe for the first several years. When I do finally get the room to plant trees properly, I'll give this method a try.
He did not plant that tree near high enough in relation to the ground level. That tree is going to sink when the backfill compresses. Then he is going to have problems. Plant it high and it won’t die. Plant it low and it won’t grow.
Yes , there whole time I’m thinking that this tree will be sunken in 2 feet within the rest of the year as well as it already sitting low.
I made my comment about playing it too deep before I read your comment. You’re right on
@Yggdrasil Yes it is
No it didn't sink ....in fact he built a chandelier on this tree and his children are playing around ...all in about 8months just coz the technique made the tree grow 3x faster.!!!
why it that? bc of the rain water force?
Liked & subbed for going above and beyond with the killer song at the end. Never seen someone so passionate about growing trees.
Thank you Sergio! I just uploaded a follow video for the trees and an improved update of the method with new lyrics for the song. :P
Ok at first i was focused on the tube trick, but the ending totally got me with the Jack Black tribute to the trees.
Awesome video. Thanks for the effort
It's been three months--I wanna see it. This is a great vid, dude. I love it
I just uploaded a follow up video and and update to the method. It premiers tomorrow but it’s already visible on the channel. ☺️
Wonderful! Your Love and passion for trees is obvious. This method is amazing! Such a great way to conserve water while ensuring the survival of fruits in arid climates. Can’t wait to do this!
"Today..." i watched your video :D
I have done this unconsciously with my research topic plant. And i put holes in the pipe too. The plant has grown to 5 feet in just 3 months. So we are guided by our family (Trees) how to perform our trusteeship :)
Just amazing. Thanks for your video. Only confirms we are guided :)
You don't need a pipe to do that, you can achieve the same effect by watering the tree in huge quantity less and less often, the water will naturally drain down the soil and accumulate deeper. The important thing is to let the surface dry to force the tree to send its root deep.
No, subsoil watering experiments show that trees grow nearly as well or even better with 1/10th of the water used in flooded irrigation.
So, huge water savings and not getting dead in case of a drought.
@@RightOne1 @R R I didnt say it worked better whitout the pipe, i was just saying that you can apply the same logic by reducing the watering frequency whitout needing the pipe, i just like simpler solution. None the less if the pipe is so much more effective it's better than i thought, can you share the articles about those experiments ?
@@RightOne1 also i learned that this does not work in sandy soils because it drains too fast and the roots can't really catch up.
@@guysquarred no problem if u have tons of water. But not for everyone. And evaporation eats up more than half of all that water.
Sandy soils are basically useless. U have to make it healthy by adding compost.
I did something similar but without the tube, an excellent addition. I dug a 4 foot diameter shallow circle to the depth of the topsoil, then to a separate pile, dug out a cylinder 3 feet in diameter and about 20 inches deep. I filled in the hole as you do with the top soil, disrupted the root structure some to encourage outward root growth, and filled in with the subsoil mixed with compost around the root ball. Left over subsoil was used to make a ring around the 4 foot diameter to hold water. I think I can use a post hole digger at the drip line to retrofit the watering tube.
Great method. I’ve planted a lot of trees that leaned because the roots were weak. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada 🇨🇦
Dude! My buds are gonna be YUGE! Thank you so much!
Nice song. You ROCK
I don’t like the fact that when you dug that hole you didn’t hit any rocks because every hole I dig in my damn yard to put a tree in I end up taking out a ton of rocks even if it’s away from the house we should only be dirt
😆
Same, except I start hitting rocks about 2"-3" in...but I live in Vegas.
Same I thought man thats a nice round hole and really deep haha. At my garden u can dig like 30cm deep than u hit rocks
Like he was digging a hole for a putting green. It was so perfect and crisp. A 3 foot wide golf cup.
Same here but I live on the soadw of a hill lmfao
It does make sense, just check that the PH is the correct one for the tree You are planting.
Dang it. You just gave me a ton of extra work for my tree planting plans. LOL. Love it!
Save your time by not doing this, he didn't even plant the tree right, you can't see the root flare/crown. Also, creating a perched water table isn't a great idea in the long run, and amending the soil isn't necessary. Find a tree species that will grow well in your soil, dig a hole, wash the medium off the tree and prune the roots if you need to, put it in the hole and mud it in. Give it some support for the first year if it needs it.
It really doesn't need to be more difficult than that. Entire forests have grown without PVC pipes running down to their roots.
Me digging a small hole in clay and rock with a mattock: Trees got to be tough to survive around here.
Yeah, I’ve only had one Apple tree die out of 7 Apple trees and 2 pear trees planted in my yellow clay in the UK.
@@Infiniti25 I lost a few last year, but they were cheap, bare root trees. So far, all the ones I planted this year have lived. I still have more to go, though. But this late in the spring, they're probably going to have a harder time of it. But every year, I get further ahead.
Now, if I could just learn how to root tree cuttings. I haven't had one success with that in 2 years.
@@kerim.peardon5551 look up the channel JSacadura on RUclips, he has lots of grafting videos and I believe he does a large variety of methods and large variety of fruit tree types in different forms. I know he talks about grafting onto rootstocks, he may also show how to create new rootstock.
I bought all my trees in pots with soil/compost already with flower buds developed, so never had the bare root bedding in problem.
Sounds like my garden. The soil looks like glacial till. It would truly make for wonderful structural concrete. 😭
@@geoengr3 Mine near the house isn't too awful; good enough to plant in, but not 4 feet of impossibly perfect, Garden of Eden soil like in this dude's garden. But down near the creek, you can dig that stuff out and make fine pottery from it. Looks just like the clay we had in our clay class at school.
This is one cool way of thinking. I know for sure this method has to work. Logically speaking as a tree planter I am sure this will work fella.
problem with "leaving the root ball intact" if there are girdling roots they will eventually cause problems:
the sapling used in the video has not been in the pot long or there would be a mass of roots showing
if you dig outside the drip line once the tree is established you will find it has sent roots out at the surface also
these are two-fold:
1) the stability of the tree, when wind pushes the tree those roots which are stressed will thicken in opposition to the pull
2) tree roots need air, they are incapable of extracting minerals and so there is cooperation with microbes and fungi
essentially this unnecessarily deep hole IS a pot dug into the ground: the extra water will certainly help and will persist longer because it minimizes evaporation; however, I am skeptical it's that big an improvement on drip irrigation
for instance a large tree on a warm day loses a hundred liters of water through evapotranspiration (through the leaves) depending on size, temp, humidity and species
Yup!
Yup, And water under the rootball can become anaerobic (rotten). And root tips (fine feeder roots) can only go where the moisture takes them.
Your are right, all the opposite, instead of leaving the root ball intact, the best is to open it and spread the roots, cut the ones that are going inside, cut the ones that seem damage and that will allowed the roots to spread and do all that
MR. BRETT B. mentioned above, also what POPEYE DOG mentioned above and below.
@@rocky2416 Thats what I was thinking too. Glad to know it's not just me.
You cracked me up at the end of video, I heard of talking to your plants, but doing a song and dance, I will have to try that.
the finishing touch song is so amazing, more motivate and what we give to our trees and get them back as a healthy fruit
Adding perforation to the tube might give the roots additional air on hard compacted soils. Musical effects will also be more accessible for the root system.
Square hole to help circling roots from nursery pots break out, break circling roots out of root ball when removed from pot, without breaking roots as much as possible, backfill hole with same soil, only slightly amended to encourage roots to leave hole. It's not about initial speed or deep roots. It's about proper formation and entrance of roots into native soil for long life. Surface roots branch to anchor roots and feeder roots. They do 90% of uptake of water and nutrients. Tap roots are developmental from seedling stage.
Love, an arborist.
False
@@timothymarino69 do tell
@@timothymarino69 Tim Actually Owe my life is %100 correct. He just said it a little bit wierd. Square hole Yes!!! native soil at bottom yes.
Thank you for posting scientifically backed information
@@DeannaHerald most important I didn't mention... Follow trunk down to root flare. Root flare needs to be above ground, roots below. If you burry the root flare you are likely to get decay into the cambial tissue and eventual root rot.
I was howling and giggling at the end....after I had taken all the notes I could manage........!!!! New subscriber!
I don't think you planted it high enough in relation to the hole you dug and it might sink when all that compost/dirt compresses. It's always been recommended to me to first tickle the roots, backfill with the native dirt you dug up, then well rotted compost/leaf mold, and then a thick layer of mulch. To each is own I guess.
You’re right. In this area, everyone around me plants trees like this. We are mistaken by doing so. I’m spreading the word and I also updated this video with a follow up as well. That tree in my new video is planted with the correct elevation.
I love the fact that you tell us the measurements in both systems!
I like the echo. Otherworldly gardening...
My experience is the bigger and deeper the hole, and refilling with compost mixed in the soil so that the clay content and density of the soil is reduced, the faster and larger the tree grows. 2 meters deep and wide is a great way to help trees survive gail winds. If you have compacted soil, you'll be glad you made the investment.
This is actually wrong! Read a book from ISA
@@popeyedog what is ISA?
Two metres deep? Even house foundations aren't that deep.
2 meters deep? Where did you do this? How many times has this worked long term?
@@Halopa60 International Society of Arboriculture - look up Certified arborist
Great way to plant a tree I always dug a hole twice as deep as the root ball and filled with compost and soil but never thought about adding a pipe to add water down below the roots! I'll be doing this next time!
I love him...he is thr best RUclips entertainer seen this week!
Interesting idea, and I like the thought process for making the roots reach down deeper. So much conflicting info out there on what's the "best" method to plant a tree though. My concern is, if you put the water under the tree, and plant it in a hole full of compost, the roots aren't going to spread in search of water and nutrients. And fair enough, maybe that's not an issue where you live. I'm in Florida, where the soil is just gray sand, and we have hurricanes. I'm told (but haven't yet experienced for myself) that planting like this the roots will just circle the hole full of compost, and then when a hurricane comes through the tree will blow over. I started out planting in holes full of organic matter last year, haven't had a hurricane since then (knock on wood) but I have noticed the trees I planted that way are sinking as the organic matter breaks down. What I have started doing now is planting trees straight into the crappy sand, then top dressing in a wide circle with compost and amendments, and covering with mulch. The theory being that the roots will have to go out further searching for nutrients and water in the poor soil. Time will tell which method works better, I suppose. My theory is the ones planted in compost will probably grow faster and fruit sooner, but the ones planted in the native soil may be stronger and live longer once established.
What are your thoughts? Any specific info about your climate or soil that may shed some light on the different methods? Also, how much do I need to pay you to come sing to my trees?
This is actually wrong! Read a book from ISA
I read the same things. Put amendments in soil and roots will try to stay within that area. In addition to that, plant will go through two slow phases because it will have to adapt to amended soil first, and then later to the regular soil.
I don't know about any of that from first hand experience, but I can't definitely say one should not focus on keeping the soil and roots in pot intact. Most of the time roots are tangled and they should sure as hell be untangled and even cut from all the sides if they're too tangled. Sure the plant will go through some extra stress but it shows a lot better results. Not to mention a lot of times you can find strings that held burlap strangling the roots. or that's just where I'm from coz our nurseries are terrible
I've been around the nursery trade for a while in the US and the original post summarizes "modern" agricultural extension recommendations for planting trees: don't make a huge hole and don't fill it with compost. backfill with native soil. this superseded the "old" school of thought which was to make a big hole and use lots of amendments. it is not that the advice is conflicting, it is just that more knowledge and experience has been gained, and like op said, it has been shown that the tree roots are reluctant to grow out into the native soil if you use a lot of compost.
Florida's sandy soil is not the kind where water penetrates. The water runs right off! I hate it! I invested lots of money and time to ammend my soil. I've never dug a hole that deep to plant trees but I will from here on.
I also thought about that when he started destroying the pot. I've mostly read about releasing the roots first
Great content. I have done that for years but the composting tube never occurred to me. I imagine the results will be amazing. Thanks for sharing 💚🌍
Just pour compost or worm tea down there (diluted)
Alright great video. It's been two years where's the video for that tree now?
The only major advantage of this system is that the tap root will grow deeper and root firmly more due to the fact that the water from the tube will make way for it. As for feeding and receiving nutrients,it the other roots that don't grow too deep that actually feed the plant. This is why you don't dig a mile to apply fertilizer.
@@BaDiLi2L If you don't understand what I said, pls ignore it and move on.
There’s one anchor roots, most roots are closer to the surface and spread horizontally bc there’s more nutrients and such. Not much when you go too deep.
The perfectly dug hole, and an epic outro song followed by bloopers. Great job man, love the video and information!
Yeah. Now when people tell me I’m a Latino crazy about my fruit trees, I’ll show them this video and say nope, you seen nothing yet 😂😜
Sí...tendrán la típica reacción de latinos: "es que los gringos están tan avanzados" .... (yo era igual...hasta que me dí cuenta y hace un año y medio fui a gringolandia...)
Im a crazy black lady with 15 fruit tree babies. I love them.😍 Let them talk😏
@@gusper314 no entendí ¿Los gringos son muy avanzados o no? ¿Y qué significa "latino crazy"?
Im a polish man crazy about his garden, both trees and herbs alike. Doesn't matter your race brotha. We're all the same.
What about urine for lemon trees?
I am glad I watched til the end. Great song, bro!
Thanks... it’s a surprise for the loyal few. 😜
Huh. I’ve heard the watering tube thing before. My mother told me that’s how her grandfather set up his apple trees when he planted them. Nice to see the whole process.
Other videos I've seen open up the roots before planting and plant in a square hole to stop roots circling and choking the tree (critical for larger trees)
I’m the perfect amount of high for this video. My mood instantly improved 😂
same
The music, singing, stripping and bloopers nearly outdid the useful information. Thank you for such a fun, interesting, and entertaining video.
😂
I Love this video especially because of the humor and music
Thank you
Subscribed. Dude, finally someone uses the deep digging method.
Thank you Axel! I just uploaded a follow video for the trees and an improved update of the method with new lyrics for the song. :P
Hilarious ending. But that song will make the tree grow. Fabulous
The time and detail you put into your content is amazing! I appreciate the help and ill be tuning in for future content :)
I was thinking to do this months ago and thought I was going nuts. Someone else is doing the exact thing.
What, singing to your trees?
@@Infiniti25 to your sister!
@@saeed6811 oh boy, good day.
@@Infiniti25 you too.
Hey Saeed. You must be one of the chosen for we are all connected in ways that we cannot even imagine. Helen G. White, who originated this method a hundred years ago, claimed to receive her revelations from God with her methods. Make sure you check out the follow up and update I recently uploaded for the most recent information.
The song on the end earned you my first like/subscription to a tree growing channel. haha
Cool technique. Any thoughts on trying to add one of these pipes to an already planted tree?
With a posthole digger
Great video. Only thing I think you skipped over is firming in the soil after planting. You don't want it soft with pockets of air. Also if it gets windy the tree could blow over.
Just what roots love. Compacted soil….. 😬
@@katsmith-riply9862 Go google "heeling in" or "firming in" and learn something. You don't make it compacted, just firm enough to prevent root damage if it can move around too easily in the wind.
Never thought watching a garden video could be so entertaining!! New sub.
I've heard other experts say to "break up the root ball" when planting rather than keeping the compacted container soil "intact". ?
You are right. And cutting the tips of the roots Stimulate the growth of roots. It is for sure that this Person dont know anything about gardening.
Never ever break up the root ball especially if it’s burlap wrap. I’m another person who knows absolutely nothing about planting trees. I’ve only planted couple hundred
@@popscyclep8084 do you plant the burlap in the ground too?
I've heard break the roots up to stimulate growth and after years of wont suffocate itself because it's been growing in circles
@@kimberlyregister9298 that's what I do. I try not to remove all the soil that's there, but I basically smack it and rub it with the palm of my hand to loosen it up and try to get the outer roots to hang instead of it all being bound, circularly.