Its been awhile since I have been on the boards but while running a contract this year I have been looking closely at different styles of planting and thinking about what happens underground.
Right now we are on a contract where the licensee wants a vapor seal and is not worried about air pockets underneath, the focus is on a nice shovel or hand close. Basically what most people do is turn over some dirt with there shovel/hands and push it over and into the hole. The thickness of the vapor seal varies but its going to hold moisture in, at least for now.. What I'm wondering is over time what is stopping this seal from slowly breaking down and falling into the small air pocket in the hole ? This would leave the top of the plug exposed or let moisture escape.
Personally I like the shovel/hand close but some times I wonder. A good boot close seems to generally eliminate any air pockets.
To clarify I'm not speaking out against having a vapor seal, Im just curious how this seal holds up over time.
Air Pockets
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salbrecher
- Replant Forums Highballer
- Posts: 181
- Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:15 pm
Re: Air Pockets
Things have a tendency to just "settle" over time and my thought/experience is the seal wont break down and fall into the hole and if anything will feel more "firm" after a few months. I pull a lot of trees anywhere from a few days to a few months after the planting was done and even duff shots tend to settle down and become less aerated. That said a few days in dry duff can kill the seedling before it settles. It's the first few months after planting I am most concerned about the roots drying out. Once the roots start coming out of the plug into surrounding soil (a week or so) and are a few inches long (a month or two depending on weather) the risk of drying out is substantially reduced provided there is no major drought.
I personally dislike boot closing as fine textured soils (clay and silts), particularly if they are moist, can be easily compacted by a boot close and can limit root growth into the surrounding soil. It's not uncommon in aggressively boot closed ground on fine textured soils to see roots coming out only the sides of the plug where less compaction occurred. Different soils, slash and brush levels etc. will all have an impact on how easy it is to compress the soil though.
I personally dislike boot closing as fine textured soils (clay and silts), particularly if they are moist, can be easily compacted by a boot close and can limit root growth into the surrounding soil. It's not uncommon in aggressively boot closed ground on fine textured soils to see roots coming out only the sides of the plug where less compaction occurred. Different soils, slash and brush levels etc. will all have an impact on how easy it is to compress the soil though.