The planting hole is the location where the oil palm seedlings will be placed or planted in the field. It is best to make oil palm planting holes at least 2-4 weeks before planting begins so that it is easy to check the number and size.
Controlling this size needs to be done because the size of the planting hole is an important aspect of oil palm plantations. In addition, this time interval makes the plants ready and not rushed when planting is also aimed at reducing soil acidity.
The recommended planting hole for oil palm tree is 90 cm x 90 cm x 60 cm. Before making the planting hole, all trash-roots, or stumps that are on the surface of the soil-where the planting holefor oil palm will be made, must be cleaned first. The haste of making a hole immediately followed by planting is not recommended. In addition to immature soil conditions and making it difficult to control the size of the planting hole, this is also because the quality of planting cannot be properly monitored.
The recommended planting hole for oil palm tree is 90 cm x 90 cm x 60 cm. Before making the planting hole, all trash-roots, or stumps that are on the surface of the soil-where the planting holefor oil palm will be made, must be cleaned first. The haste of making a hole immediately followed by planting is not recommended. In addition to immature soil conditions and making it difficult to control the size of the planting hole, this is also because the quality of planting cannot be properly monitored.
Making holes for oil palm trees
- There are two ways of making planting holes for oil palm, namely mechanical and manual.
- Hole size depends on field requirements
Mechanical way:
The mechanical method is used to make a big hole, this is to suppress ganoderma attacks- Size above 2 m x 2 m x 0.6 m = 2.40 m3 while the size below 1 m x 1 m x 0.5 m = 0.5m3. This planting hole is filled with 125 kg of empty bunches / hole, given one application and carried out after planting the oil palm seeds in the planting hole.
- Planting hole palm oil size 90 cm x 90 cm x 60 cm in the planting area with selective chemically tillage or 60 cm x 60 cm x 40 cm in areas with mechanical tillage;
- For large holes made with large excavator tools, small holes are also recommended by means of mechanical means so that they are made faster and are more standard in size (hole digger) except for the slope area that cannot be entered by heavy equipment.
Figure: Oil palm planting hole
Manual way:
- The planting hole is prepared 2-4 weeks before planting oil palm.
- Stakes should not be lifted until they are marked to make a hole above the soil surface so that the stake is right in the middle of the pattern.
- Size 60 cm x 60 cm x 40 cm (regular hole)
- The excavated soil is separated between top soil and sub soil. Top soil is placed in the south and sub soil in the north side regularly and uniformly.
- After the hole is finished, the stake is returned to its original position
- The walls of the plant holes must be upright and must not be of any other shape.
- After finishing making the planting hole, the planting point stakes are returned to their original places.
- Planting on the terrace should be 1 m from the terrace wall