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And live to regret it when it comes to planting a tree. Bring out that power auger and dig a hole and slam that tree in the ground and move on to the next planting hole. If it's rocky soil, with good drainage, the trees may look like this two years later. Alive, but some are much bigger than others. In a loamy, heavier soil with more normal drainage, they would most likely be DEAD.
The trees here were all planted with quality tree, all th same size at planting. Irrigated the same, Fertilized the same. They looked kind of the same for the first year, and a little different, but after the winter and spring rains, there was a big difference. The good rain water, helped some trees grow, but suffocated/asphyxiated some of the trees.
What happened? Auguring the holes was done haphazardly. Drilling some holes too deeply, and over time, the root balls sank, burying the trunks.
The tree wrap is buried in the ground. The crown roots are the most active physiological part of the root system. Bury that part and you reduce the air flow into the roots. And tree health suffers. This is a really good way to bring on crown rot - Phytophthora mangei.
And not only that, there is a 3-inch round stake driven right through that delicate root ball.
Over time, the root ball also sinks deeper in the soil, and a well is created around the crown roots, where a good rain is going to puddle and further cause problems. All that good rain that helped the well positioned trees, actually was drowning the deeper planted trees. Buried too deep and further sinking over time.
Watch what is happening at planting. Monitor how trees are placed in the ground. This orchard is going to suffer more over time. How to irrigate the increasingly bigger trees and those dinky, stunted trees? Best to start all over using a chain saw.
Planting depth is not only an issue for avocado, but for all plants from petunias to palms. And may be one of the most difficult issues in mass plantings when speed is of the essence. Well it's not. I've seen whole orchards of lemons that were planted "of the essence" that turned putrid over time from lack of attention at planting.
