Step 1: OK So I Had a Few Plants to Put In

I live on a lifestyle block and decided to put in a couple of hedging plants (500) so thought I would make a planting aid

This thing is pretty heavy as i made it from solid steel bar, as there was what is colloquilly known as a s###load of it loafing in a skip at work, you could make a lighter version from tube, but this one will last at least 16 lifetimes!!

Materials and Tools ( all of these can be substituted to sizes that fit around your pot size and what you can find) remember free is best!!

5 foot of 3/4 to 1 inch round bar (shaft and handle)

1 foot of 2 inch x 1/2 inch flat bar (foot pads)

6 inches of thick tube ( I used boiler tube of 3 inch diameter and 1/4 inch wall thickness for the cutter)

a piece of 3 inch x 3 inch x 1/4 inch plate (slide hammer)

a big nut (backstop)

Hacksaw (to cut all the metal)

Arc welder (or use a local welding shop)

Grinder or file (to make a sharp cutting edge)

Step 2: Cut Your Bar and Do a Bit of Welding

So first cut a shaft length, this length will vary depending how tall you are ( and how much bar you managed to scam!) mine was about 4 feet long which left me about a foot for the top handle.

Weld them together ( if you haven't got a welder then cut everything and take to a local welding shop and get them to weld it all together, it should take them no more than an hour for everything)

Find a nut big enough to fit over the shaft and put that on loose on the shaft ( it will be welded later)

Step 3: The Cutter

Cut a piece of tube 6 inches long and use a grinder to sharpen the bottom edge

Drill a hole in the centre of the 1 foot by 2 inch bar large enough to allow the shaft to pass through, these are the foot pads

Weld the 2 together and then put on the shaft

Step 4: Weld the Square 3x3 0n the End of the Shaft

This is the "slide hammer"

Once welded, position this so that it sits level with the end of the tube

Then weld the big nut to the shaft to act as a backstop (this will be appox 6 inches from the shaft end)

To use, you place the sharp end of the tube on the ground, jump on the 2 foot pads, give the whole thing a "wiggle" and a plug of soil will come out

Turn over and use the "slide hammer" to push the soil plug out, you should have a nice, neat planting hole and a bit of soil as filler

Step 5: Get on and Plant Your Garden

And thats about it

It cost me nothing as I found all the materials in scrap bins, but even if you had to buy them then you would spend less than $50

Use tube that is a convenient size for your pots, we have looked at having the "slide hammer" threaded and removable to accomodate various size cutters, just haven't got around to it yet

I have now used it for a lot of plants plus it has been loaned out to mates, one of whom planted over 10000 small bushes with it in approx 6 days

Hope you find this useful ----------- I certainly have!! Happy Planting