Planting 600+ Trees on our property

After our cruising season aboard SV Kokopelli this winter, we returned to the US earlier this year (in May) and headed up to our property in Idaho to plant trees that our forester had gotten for us. We didn't want to miss the "window" for tree planting.
Ed (the forester) has had special tools made to help make the job of planting easier and faster.
The first step is to clear away the surrounding ground of weeds and grass. We did this by kicking at it with our hiking boots as the area doesn't have to be that large.
Then, the first tool has a solid cone-shaped bit that you push into the ground while holding the long handle to form the hole for the little sapling.

After dropping the sapling into the hole, the spade like tool is pushed in adjacent to the hole--about 2-4" away--and then rocked back and forth to loosen the soil.

The final step is to remove the spade tool and stomp with your heel into the slot made by the spade to secure the tree and form a natural depression for rain water to collect and water the tree.

After moving over about 12 feet, the process starts all over again until all of the trees are planted. It took us 2 days to get about 650 trees in. Ed said that each of us should be able to plant about 1000 per day. HA!