As long as it takes you to dig a hole, place the tree in, and fill the hole back up. When I worked for an orchard, It would take two people about five minutes to plant 25 trees. Of course this was with a tree planter and in a straight row. Digging by hand, it is going to depend on the type of soil. Soft topsoil, might take you a half day. Shale or rock, you might be there a few days. Are you and your friend hard workers? or do you take coffeeor smoke breaks more than you work? Need more info to say for sure.

GG, wd don't have enough information! Can we assume that the holes will all be hand dug? What kind of soil? Are the trees bare root, container grown, or field grown? Does anyone know how to hand dig a properly shaped and measured hole?

The whole will be dug by hand. I spent the last two years working at a show garden and installed many, many plants and shrubs, I have read and talked extensivly about the proper size hole and I surpervised a crew last year installing evergreens. I do know how to dig the proper size hole just have no idea how long it is going to take. They are small about 8ft, 3-4yr old apple trees, container grown, holes will be dug by hand. The soil is pretty soft, we are hard workers.

We will first be removing the grass from the whole area, digging out the holes, planting the trees, topping the filled holes with compost, mulching the entire area, seeding and planting some annuals and perennials (mostly herbs and lavender) then using hardware cloth to create tree guards, spraying with organic orchard spray and installing soaker hoses. I think that is it.

cool