CONSULTING & PLANNING • ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE • NATIVE PLANT PROVISION • SEED, CUTTING & PLANT COLLECTION • SITE PREPARATION • IRRIGATION • PLANT INSTALLATION • MECHANICAL PLANTING • HYDRO APPLICATIONS • EXOTICS/WEED CONTROL • FOLLOW-UP CARE & MONITORING
Mechanical Planting
We are distinguished by our innovative mechanical planting systems, some of which have revolutionized riparian restoration and hillside revegetation and stabilization. For installing plants in rugged terrain or rocky ground, we use our powerful Komatsu excavator equipped with a customized stinger or a ripper. This mechanical planting system is ideal for sites where the water table is especially deep or the soil is very compact, making planting too labor-intensive for manual planting crews.
The Stinger
We use a patented expandable stinger attachment for planting at severely compacted sites, gravel bars along streams, and steep road cut and fill slopes. The stinger can plant 5 to 6 feet deep and accommodate various plant sizes, including one-gallon trees. It can pierce the ground and insert plants at a rate of five seedlings or cuttings per minute, providing rapid and efficient planting. We have used the stinger with great success in numerous projects for the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), state Department of Natural Resources, and private landowners (especially CREP projects).
The Ripper
We use our ripper attachment for rapid installation of cuttings in extremely compacted gravel bars. With the hydraulically operated ripper, we can make strategic cuts along the stream and install plants in a manner that promotes vigorous plant growth and helps prevent erosion.
The excavator uses fish-friendly hydraulic fluid and biofuel, making it ideal for use in environmentally sensitive areas or in-water sites.