bushman

Not sure if this is of any help but I made a hole digger out of a 20 pound propane tank (formed cutting lips on the bottom, ring base removed, soil escape ports) that dup 24 hole 5 to 6 feet deep by hand. Went through layers of medium sized gravel and some roots, pretty good ground not clay. Lots of hand turning and many up/down cycles to empty and add/remove sections of pipe extensions. My guess is your roots may be an issue but distance is short so maybe a sharp tool could cut them cleanly enough to not interfere as you go down. Had to rescue the toads from the bottom before pouring concrete. Hope yours works out for you. Norm