What are the odds...

[bfitz3]

Several years ago, I planted 500 pine seedlings by hand. Drought hit that summer and I now have maybe 50 left.

This spring, I planted an orchard with 50 fruit trees. Not wanting the same result, I invest in an irrigation system. All summer long, like clockwork, we had a one inch storm every week with sun the rest of the time. Didn't need the irrigation system at all.

This fall... I order 200 pines. Haven't seen rain in perhaps a month and tomorrow, the day they arrive, it's projected to be 88 degrees. This will be one of the hottest days of the year in mid September. No rain in the long range forecast either. Of course, the only time I have to plant is this weekend. Ugh.

The only saving grace is that I had a tree service dumping chips this summer. I'm hoping the chips have retained some moisture in the soil. Otherwise, I just bought some expensive twigs.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

There might be a pine curse on your land. It is getting kinda close to Halloween, lol.

 

[BoiledOver]

@bfitz3 We are one. I too planted by hand. LMAO. Same thing happened with my first planting of twelve hundred blue and norway spruce seven years ago. Half survived. Of course I planted again in the same fall and then again in the next spring. Today there are a dozen six footers and the blue spruce has done the best. Deer took all of the balsam fir that went in with the 3rd planting. Don't give up, you can do it.

 

[bfitz3]

Trees arrived. Nice and small, thank goodness, for easy planting. Easier?

I decided not to plant them right now. They're heeled into the garden where they can be watered regularly until actual fall weather hit.

Meanwhile, I decided to pick wild pear today for some fermentation fun. Got up in the middle of the tree on a ladder and was hit with heavy winds. A storm is racing by north of here, of course, taunting me with the rain that could have been. I'll bury those tears in a jug of perry six months from now.

 

[St. Coemgen]

The odds are 100%. You can not underestimate Murphy.

http://www.murphys-laws.com/

 

[armanidog]

I planted 5 cherry, 5 crab apple, 10 red bud, and 10 catalpa seedlings last December. I've been watering them every week we do not get rain.
Deer ate all the leaves off two of the cherries and one of the crab apple (I thought cherry leaves and twigs were poisonous?) . Catalpa worms ate up one of the catalpa trees. Virus or mold killed two of the red buds.
And here I was worried I had planted too many trees.