Saturday Morning Fun

[JohnAndSancho]

So, I go out super early since I've been awake for like 2 or 3 days now and hit some spots in the dirt with the cultivator fork for @N8ALLRIGHT's adopted bastard Trachy hybrids to break up the grass and things are cool. Chop down some weeds, tear up some thick grass and so on, come inside and sit in front of the fan and drink my coffee. 

One of the palms didn't look as great as the other so I figure I'll keep that one inside for a while and I'm sad to report that the other 3 died. Anyway I get to my spot and grab my shovel, hit the dirt and like, nothing happens. I guess this happened either from the root mass or the metal chunks I dug up when I was planting the Fortunei? I hit and dug up the head of an old hoe and some other unidentified piece of broken farm equipment. Anyway see if you can tell me why this is problematic.

 

But I'm determined at this point. I'm gonna make a damn hole and put something in it. So I grab my trowel and start hitting roots, so I go grab the pruners and at this point I'm just bent over going caveman style in the dirt. 

 

But you know what? It's in the dirt. I had just fertilized it with Osmocote and I threw some 444 and mixed that in with the dirt, and threw some old grass clippings down in the bottom too. 

 

I think I'm gonna need another shovel. So y'all feel free to make offers on whatever I've got laying around. 

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

18 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

So, I go out super early since I've been awake for like 2 or 3 days now and hit some spots in the dirt with the cultivator fork for @N8ALLRIGHT's adopted bastard Trachy hybrids to break up the grass and things are cool. Chop down some weeds, tear up some thick grass and so on, come inside and sit in front of the fan and drink my coffee. 

One of the palms didn't look as great as the other so I figure I'll keep that one inside for a while and I'm sad to report that the other 3 died. Anyway I get to my spot and grab my shovel, hit the dirt and like, nothing happens. I guess this happened either from the root mass or the metal chunks I dug up when I was planting the Fortunei? I hit and dug up the head of an old hoe and some other unidentified piece of broken farm equipment. Anyway see if you can tell me why this is problematic.

 

But I'm determined at this point. I'm gonna make a damn hole and put something in it. So I grab my trowel and start hitting roots, so I go grab the pruners and at this point I'm just bent over going caveman style in the dirt. 

 

But you know what? It's in the dirt. I had just fertilized it with Osmocote and I threw some 444 and mixed that in with the dirt, and threw some old grass clippings down in the bottom too. 

 

I think I'm gonna need another shovel. So y'all feel free to make offers on whatever I've got laying around. 

I have literally cracked the metal spade part almost up and down the entire shovel head from dry ground due to extreme drought, trying to dig a hole once. Is this what happened above?

[JohnAndSancho]

8 minutes ago, Zone7Bpalmguy said:

I have literally cracked the metal spade part almost up and down the entire shovel head from dry ground due to extreme drought, trying to dig a hole once. Is this what happened above?

I don't think so, we actually got an ok amount of rain, but like - the top layer of soil drains great and then it's like brick clay underneath. I also hit some roots. I also hit some metal. I dug up the head of an old broken hoe and something else I have no idea what it is, I still haven't washed it off. I just ordered another spade off of eBay with teeth, so hopefully that makes things way easier for me. This shovel is older than I am. Uhhh I turn 47 in a couple weeks. 

[N8ALLRIGHT]

👍

Atta boy Johnny 

[Harry’s Palms]

I use the same type shovel for digging holes . I don’t like planting anything larger than a 5 gallon palm . We have rocks everywhere in our soil and when you hit one with the shovel , you know it! Shock waves up the handle , then it takes 3 times as long to remove said rock from the hole you’re trying to dig . Good job , perseverance. Harry

These are stones pulled from the ground when digging! I keep them for bordering the plants . They are like trophies! Harry

[JohnAndSancho]

Welp I ended up ordering both of these. I didn't expect him to take $5 for the scraper, but he did. I don't have too much of a problem with rocks here, but roots are everywhere. And gravel will be an issue once I start clearing out the area behind the carport out back, but a buried gravel driveway is nothing compared to those big rocks. I do occasionally find bricks I'm using as borders, but right now my plantings are a lot smaller than 5 gallons! 

 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

One of these killed my grandfather's shovel. I have no idea what the thing on the left is, but it's round and has a bolt in it. I think it'd be hilarious if somehow this was his way of telling me that palm trees don't belong here. I guess I could soak them to get the decades of old clay off and have some yard themed wall art. 

[Toddmin]

5 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

One of these killed my grandfather's shovel. I have no idea what the thing on the left is, but it's round and has a bolt in it. I think it'd be hilarious if somehow this was his way of telling me that palm trees don't belong here. I guess I could soak them to get the decades of old clay off and have some yard themed wall art. 

I thought it was a closeup shot of a cookie at first!  😂

[JohnAndSancho]

21 minutes ago, Toddmin said:

I thought it was a closeup shot of a cookie at first!  😂

It's as hard as a Famous Amos cookie. 

[Hu Palmeras]

El 9/7/2025 a las 10:45, Harry's Palms dijo:

Utilice el mismo tipo de pala para cavar hoyos. No me gusta plantar nada más grande que una palmera de 20 litros. Tenemos piedras por todas partes en la tierra, y cuando golpeas una con la pala, ¡lo sabes! El mango se sacude y tarda tres veces más en sacarla del hoyo que intentas cavar. ¡Buen trabajo, perseverancia! Acosar

¡Estas son piedras que saqué del suelo al cavar! Las guardas para bordear las plantas. ¡Son como trofeos! Acosar

Harry, my friend, you have some beautiful palm trees. I never thought I'd find a good friend like you, let alone someone named Harry, like an uncle in my family. You're all amazing people, and everything you do is beautiful. Such love and dedication to palm trees.