In the CIS countries, most forestry enterprises for planting seedlings of various trees manually on an industrial scale in areas where it is not possible to use equipment use LPL-5, 5. The abbreviation stands for forest planting shovel weighing 5.5 kg. But this name is rare, the “sword of Kolesov” is much more common. At present, using a tree planting shovel is the most convenient and fastest way of manually planting a forest.
About the process of invention
The tree planting shovel was invented in 1883 by Alexander Andreyevich Kolesov. He was the director of the Kharkov Agricultural School. A forest nursery was founded at the school, and for the convenience of planting it with young trees, Kolesov invented LPL-5, 5. His attempts to find a simple and convenient tool for planting pine seedlings more than once ended in failure. The first shovel (Kolesov's sword) weighed only about 2 kg, was half the size of the LPL-5, 5, and its service life lasted only a year.
And the service life of today's version of Kolesov's sword is about ten years. So the agronomist, by trial and error, having tried and remade dozens of shovels for planting, nevertheless found the only option for the shape, weight andsize, which could facilitate and speed up the process of planting pine seedlings.
Description of forest planting shovel
As mentioned above, Kolesov's sword was created for the convenience of planting a forest. Therefore, looking at the shape of the shovel, we can definitely say that a bayonet narrow at the bottom (from 3 to 7 cm) and widened at the top (up to 38 cm) is necessary for better dissection of the soil. A rod with a height of about 60 cm is attached to such a plate with an increasing diameter from 2.5 to 13 cm. Also, the thickness of the bayonet itself increases from the bottom up, and the thickness of the cross section of the blade is 2.5 cm. The lower edge of the blade of the bayonet is shifted forward relative to the part where a metal rod is attached. The main distinguishing feature is the bayonet, which is a plate in the form of a wedge about 40 cm long. At the top, a hollow sleeve sits on the rod, into which a transverse handle 35-40 cm long is placed.
Landing under Kolesov's sword
Let's consider the technology of the process. Planting seedlings under Kolesov's sword must be carried out with the participation of two people.
The one who handles the shovel is called the swordsman (derived from the name of the shovel), and the one who directly lowers the tree seedlings into the hole is called the planter. Most often, a man is a swordsman, since a forest shovel is quite heavy, and the process of making a hole is not easy, but a woman becomes a planter, respectively.
So, the work begins with the fact that the swordsman drives the shovel into the ground to the full height of the bayonet. Then swings the sword forward andback, thus forming a hole for the seedling, and very carefully removes the shovel from the ground, so as not to damage the prepared hole. The next stage of planting is immersion by the planter of the root of the finished seedling into the hole. The planter needs to ensure that the root does not twist, tangle or bend in the hole in any case. The seedling should be positioned so that the neck of the root is at the level of the top of the hole. The planter, having placed the tree, throws a few handfuls of soil into the hole and then holds the seedling. Meanwhile, the swordsman, at a distance of up to 10 cm from the hole, again immerses Kolesov's sword into the ground and, slightly pulling the handle of the shovel towards himself, compacts the bottom of the hole, thus securing the lower part of the root. And to secure the upper part, he pushes the handle away from himself.
Then the sword is drawn and the hole is trampled underfoot. Thus, the root is tightly clamped with soil and quickly taken to growth.
Occupational safety when working with a forest planting shovel
The first thing workers should know is that seedlings are planted only in pairs. Before starting work, each of the participants must familiarize themselves with the technological map. The distance between the links (pairs of workers) should be at least 2.5 m. The legs of the worker who holds the Kolesov sword should not be in the path of the shovel. If there is an obstacle in the form of a stone or a root in the path of the planting shovel, the landing site must be moved. The main rule of labor protection is a careful study of the process.
Do It Yourself
Today, the forest planting shovel LPL-5, 5 can be purchased at any store of household equipment or in an online store with this specialization. But the prices, of course, may not be affordable for everyone. For needleworkers, making Kolesov's sword with their own hands will not be a big problem. The dimensions of the shovel are in many books, and here we present its device in the drawing.
The main thing is to find a suitable plate for the shovel itself and a pipe of a suitable diameter and length. Then it is necessary to form a bayonet from the plate and tightly weld the handle from the pipe. With all the materials and the ability to use welding, the manufacture of LPL-5, 5 will be very simple and fast. And it will provide a great opportunity to save money.
