...and soon to be one more plant.

Tonight at 10pm, I found myself out back digging a hole. I haven't even read a Stephen King story in years, what's going on here?

Anyway, I have chosen a spot for the apricot tree. The nebulous 'they' say that the biggest problem with an apricot is that if you have a warm spell during the winter, the buds open up, and then when it freezes again, you have trouble because your crop for the year is ruined. If you live in a place like this (and we do...) it's better to plant on the North side of a building, so that in the warm spells, the plant is shaded and possibly you can keep it dormant until the real Spring arrives. Late frosts (which we usually also have) also ruin that year's crop of apricots. 'They' say that when it's warm for good, the sun is higher in the sky, and the tree gets what it needs, so the North side of the house it is.

I dug a hole tonight, and filled it with water. The water (in my years of tree planting experience) is to make sure that you have proper drainage. If the water is not gone by morning, you do not have proper drainage. Well, 15 minutes later, and the water is 1/3 gone. It should be fine. Besides, the water in the hole actually makes it easier to takes pictures of it at night.

The tree will be smack dab out the back window for all to see. Planting happens tomorrow. (I figured that the North side shade also lets me plant now, even before it cools off a little, which will hopefully let the tree get set before Winter rolls in.)