I for one don't understand some of these guys when they dig in park grounds they have to use predator style shovels and dig 1ft diameter holes. ( It burns my ass). I saw a few youtube videos the other day from a reputable guys digging these monster holes in park grounds. Ive been doing this hobby for many years, when I'm in parks I just use my Lesche digging tool do a 4" to maybe 5" plug set in on a 2x2 rag plus soil. I can dig 12 in down on a 4" plug. Pinpoint accuracy is important and 9 times out of 10 I'm right on. So keep those Predator shovels for the woods. Besides that's less for you to carry.....I'm sure I'll get some criticism for this for some of you who don't agree....Oh if it doesn't rain for a month I stay away from parks your ground is hard and the grass won't survive most times after the dig.
Fishnmaine,
I understand your point. And I know some folks are "disturbed" when they see full-length shovels, and 8" to 12"-diameter holes being dug.
BUT -- it's not the shovel, or the size of the hole that is the issue, in my opinion. It is instead the skill, and the conscientiousness of the person doing the digging, that really matters.
I am one that uses a specific, large shovel (Lesche 38D) as often as I can (though I don't, in some spots, where a hand trowel "draws less attention"), and who digs rather "large" holes. But, in my case, there is INTENT and PURPOSE in the what, and the why. Consider a golf course. The green is the most "sacred" patch of grass in the world, in my opinion...the grass finely manicured to just 32nds of an inch high, perfecly flat, it's PRISTINE. And WHAT do they cut the holes in the green with? A hole cutter, that is essentially very much like the shovel that I use. Theirs is a 360-degree cyclindrical cutter, mine is only about 120 degrees, but with a very similar long, round radiused-blade. So, while the greenskeeper has to only plunge in only ONE time, to cut the hole, I have to plunge in 3 times (as again, my shovel is only 1/3 or so of a circle). BUT, the point is -- I attempt to make the end result (a nice, intact, round plug) in the same manner as a greenskeeper cutting a hole on a putting green. I remove an intact plug, as much as is possible (clayish soil is easier, obviously, than sandy soil). I then retrieve my target, and replace the plug as one piece, tamping it back down in place just like the greenskeeper does when he cuts a new hole, and then uses the plug to fill the old hole.
My point is, I feel that I can cut a better, cleaner hole, and leave more of the roots of the grass intact, with the specific shovel and the specific method that I use. Are all of my holes perfect? No. Sometimes, the dirt is too sandy, or too dry to hold together as much as I prefer; occasionally I miss the target with my plug and have to "alter" the hole, etc. BUT -- using a hand tool, in our heavy clay soil, is often very difficult; you can't cut a nice hole very easily, and to me, more root damage is done.
One other thing I'll say, is that the TYPE of grass matters. Here in Oklahoma, we have primarily bermudagrass. It is a "spreading" or "creeping" type of grass, via stolons and rhizomes. And so, unless the weather is dry, and the grass dormant, a properly dug and replaced plug (i.e. one that essentially invisible immediately, if replaced properly) may "yellow" a bit, over the course of a few days. BUT -- due to the stolon/rhizome spreading nature of the grass, it recovers VERY quickly. This is unlike some more northern grasses, which -- when the roots are cut -- do not "repair" as quickly. Meanwhile, in the cool season, when the bermudagrass is entirely dormant, it's even easier...
The bottom line, is that there are many things that matter -- soil type, grass type, etc. Focusing on the type of shovel is a bit of a red herring, in my opinion. I will dig side by side with ANYONE, using ANY digger, and am willing to bet that I accomplish the "leave no trace" objective as well as just about anyone.
Steve
It's simply amazing the performance that comes with promotion. As far as hole size goes , a larger hole if done properly is going to be less damaging than a small one where the larger percentage of roots are cut. I often cut relatively large size plugs when the site and the digging conditions permit and if I return the next day or two see no evidence of a hole being dug. Out here where it's dry and cold in the Winter and the grass goes dormant , it's almost impossible to dig a small hole hole without leaving a noticeable mark.
