Hi! I need your help. We are putting in gardens in our street terrace. The end of the terrace closest to Our Old House has trees and harder-than-brick soil which has a few blade of grass. The trees have too many roots to easily rototile the soil - and digging it by hand is UNBELIEVABLE!
so - is there such thing as a power post-hole digger? I just want to dig large holes, fill them with potting soil and then plant hosta and columbine.
I have done one small bit of the garden and it took me six hours this morning 'cause the soil is soooo hard.
It would be easier if there was a power tool that could help without being damaged by the roots.
I have also heard of using an auger attached to a power drill to loosen the dirt.
Have any of you tried this?
Digging hard dirt
Yes - you can rent a power auger or get an attachment for a drill. With the sound of your situation, I would go with renting the big momma. The attachment is good for planting bulbs - that's about it.
Excellent! Thanks Victor! I have to wait for the cableguy to leave, then its into the shower and off to Lowes to see if I can rent a power auger.
And buy lots of potting soil :-)
d_mn, I am sorry you can't make the R.U. Definitely, you have to come to the fall one :-)
Offer the Cable Guy $20 to dig the holes before he leaves!
Man, at the rate he is moving, we could get our new connection sometime in 2008 - he'll never get around to doing the *&^# holes!
Seandor, Potting soil may be too light for in the ground. I would suggest you mix topsoil & compost.
I have had to wet hard a dry soil down a few days before digging. Seems sillly, but it helps. I do have to caution you about hitting roots with the power post hole digger.
DH refuses to rent the power auger - thinks it will cost way to much - so I will try to use the neighbours post-hole digger. Of course, I will be totally useless at this , , , but some dear man will want an opportunity to "rescue a woman in distress" lol
Anyway - this morning is the first big day on the terrace. DH has rototilled a narrow strip around the fountain. This strip extents the narrow garden which is primarily various types of hosta.
A lot of my winter sown seeds will be going on the terrace. They will look ridiculouly small!
I will take pictures. (don't laugh - everything will look very amaturish)
I am such a slacker - I plant all the plants I really want by digging large "containers" in the dirt and filling with potting soil. Works like a charm! The dirt in my yard is very sandy, so there doesn't seem to be much problem with drainage.
If the potting soil is too light, then I top dress it with some dirt.