However, many times fruit growers have a tendency to want to rush the planting process with the tree planter and plant early before the soil is truly ready. Also it is much more difficult to regulate the height of the graft union when planting with a tree planter. Inconsistent graft union height will cause inconsistent growth for the entire life of a block of fruit trees. Another drawback of using a tree planter is that there have been times when the soil does not close fully around the root systems, leaving an open slice in the soil. At times you will find an area along the row where the root systems have been exposed to air entering the soil down through the slice left by the planter.
Roots then dry out because they are exposed to air and are killed.
Many people continue to plant trees with an auger. Augers work well particularly for replanting trees. The downfall in using an auger comes when the soil is wet. The edge of the hole can become greasy when it is dug. This greasy soil condition will cause an impermeable layer to develop around the hole in which the roots can not grow through.