This year I planted fruit and flower trees, berries, vines and ornamental bushes. My trees are passing their first summer at my yard. I am not sure about what will be the success rate for those trees after the first winter.
I planted fruit trees at three phases. Phase-1 was 10 trees planted about eight weeks before the wet season. This year we had a very wet spring/early summer. Anyway out of 10 trees, 1 died. The success rate is 90%.
Fruit free planting phase-2, 5 fruit trees planted about six weeks before wet spring/early summer. Out of five trees, I have 4 alive and one dead. Success rate is 80%.
Fruit free planting phase-3, 7 fruit trees planted about two weeks before rainy spring start. Only 4 trees have green leaves. Success rate is 57%.
The ovarall success of fruit tree planting (still now) is 77%
I have greater success for trees that had more time to establish to the ground before rain. LESSON LEARNED!!!
Out of four type of berries (Gooseberry, Josta Berry, Blackberry & Raspberry), I have 100% success for all plants at ground.
I have 100% success for two vines (Flame & Lakemont grapes).
What is your planting success at the end of summer? And after the first winter?
It depends if you count the ones I killed, or Mother nature did! Although the more plants you kill, the better gardener or orchardist you become! As you discovered already!
I never kept track of percentages, I have killed just about everything you could imagine in the last 40 years. I didn’t start with edibles though. So the first deaths were houseplants. Although i do have plants from the very first year, yes they are 40 years old.
This year I lost a couple currants, a plum tree, 2 blueberry plants (i was hoping one would make it). Also an exotic Sherbet plant (I have another that is bigger, the first was so small).
Are you planting bare root or potted trees? I have had better luck with bare root trees. The first couple of winters seems to be the challenge here, if they survive a couple of winters they’re pretty much in the clear. Not too many pest and fungal problems in our arid climate.
@ Drew51,
Like you, I do not track record about planting trees. I enjoy planting, and many factors are involving about the mortality of a plant, it is not worth of keeping record. But this was the first time I planted deciduous trees and I am interested to know about the factors involving for a tree survive at it’s different state.
In soil that drains well tree losses should be near zero. The losses were probably from overly wet soil. Planting on a berm can help in soil with less than ideal drainage.