Growing Poplar and Willow Trees on Farms, National - FAO

When poles or stakes are delivered to a property, make sure that their labels
remain on the material until after planting – <strong>and</strong> keep a plan of what clone
has been planted at each particular site, for future reference.
2.4 Establishment tools
There are several tools to make pole planting easier. Ingenious farmers/tree
growers developed their own pole-planters but an alternative option is to use
a posthole borer with an auger just big enough to create the right-sized hole
for a pole. Although it involves carrying another tool around, most
contractors use a separate crowbar, or a motorised auger. In almost all cases
a small pilot hole less than the pole diameter is formed into which the pole is
driven to the required depth. This gives excellent contact between pole <strong>and</strong>
soil.
Making a large hole in clay soils <strong>and</strong> trying to re-ram the soil results in
shrinkage as the soil dries. L<strong>and</strong> management personnel say they have not
been troubled with holes glazing due to boring. This may occur, however,
but when farmers are achieving at least 95 percent survival in most seasons,
such a problem is hard to detect.
Borers are most effective for larger diameter poles <strong>and</strong> drier soil conditions.
They can be a one-person or two-person type, with h<strong>and</strong>les to hold them
while the auger rotates <strong>and</strong> drills into the soil, bringing up loosened soil to
the surface. Augers of 60-100 mm diameter are recommended.
When using them to plant poles, be sure to restrict the auger diameter to a
size broad enough to enable the poles to be inserted. Poles should still be
driven in with a thumper, the slice point being firmly anchored. Take care to
ram the soil tightly around the pole.
2.5 Pole protection during establishment
Sleeves are recommended to prevent grazing stock <strong>and</strong> wild animals eating
the bark <strong>and</strong> killing the tree, <strong>and</strong> rubbing against the bark <strong>and</strong> loosening the
pole.
Two commonly used protective sleeves are commercially available for use
on poles – Dynex <strong>and</strong> Netlon sleeves. These are designed to prevent grazing
stock eating the bark off the pole. In practice cattle should not be grazed in
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