[Image description: an image from the movie Dazed and Confused with text that reads “‘This summer is too hot’. Me: ‘Have you ever planted trees?’ ‘No.’ Me: ‘Be a lot cooler if you did’”
Tried to plant a hickory. Nursery unfortunately shipped it right at the beginning of the heatwave. Needless to say it did not survive. Gonna try to plant from seed this time, so fingers crossed! Did get a couple of japanese maples in the ground, but they won’t get very big, unfortunatley.
Yeah early-mid summer is about the worst time to plant. I’ve put plants in the ground during the summer but I’m out there watering them nearly every day when it’s this hot, at least for the first few weeks.
I agree that it’s a really difficult time for larger plants to establish and begin supporting themselves. One thing I’ve found helpful, and that I tell everyone receiving one of our plants during the season, is to water more deeply and less frequently to promote the kind of root growth that will provide better resilience during dry and/or hot periods
That’s unfortunate timing =/
Locally collected seed should give you a leg up getting them growing, especially if you’re overwintering and starting them with rodent protection. I don’t have a positive ID on the hickories I’ll be transplanting this fall but would be happy to send some if you’re stateside and interested
Thanks for the offer! I was actually able to collect quite a few nuts locally last year. Was eating them but still have a number left over to try and plant.
Keep 'em moist and cool - the back of the refrigerator is better than the freezer. The books I have don’t have figures for cold stratification beyond 3 months but doing that can increase germination by up to 80 percent.
Don’t want to gush technical stuff at you if you don’t want or need it, especially in a meme thread, but I will gladly geek out and answer whatever I can for you
