With the drought times we’ve had here in recent years, the orchard trees have taken a pretty big hit. And I believe it’s not really feasible to keep them in water, which I have to do by hauling water container by wheelbarrow, especially larger trees, trying to get water down to their roots.

I lament a little in the blog post on the recent song I wrote, which included some special verses my wonderful wife sent me to encourage and exhort me with, which again were:

Habakkuk 3:17-19:

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Not only did she encourage me spiritually though, she also has tried physically, in sending me something she found online about an underground gravel watering system for each tree, with pipe down to it to get the water down there, where water is always available directly to the roots:

Nice! So, I thought I’d try it with the planting of some new fruit trees…

Here’s where a tree was previously planted, which I was going to replace, since the rebar pieces that allow me to tie the tree in place were already there, along with the chicken wire to keep chickens out:

First, the “fun” part…getting the dirt out of the hole 🙂 . The image said 3+ feet, but I just wasn’t going to do that for these fruit trees, so I went probably 2 1/4-ish feet down:

Then, 2 bags of 0.5 cubit feet drainage gravel:

Then 3-inch PVC pipe, filled with gravel:

And then another bag of gravel in the hole to cover the bottom of the pipe so it hopefully doesn’t get clogged with dirt a its bottom:

Then, some dirt in the hole to the proper tree placement (always easier dirt going that direction vs. coming out of the hole 🙂 ), the tree in place, more dirt back into the hole around the tree:

Then, off to the compost pile in our garden….

…for a 5-gallon bucket of compost:

And then into the hole around the tree:

And then some hay from the hay field for a mulch-type covering to try to help keep moisture in:

Then the chicken wire around:

And finally, tying the tree to the 3 rebar posts to try to keep it from moving around in winds:

And here it is:

I’m still planning on watering on top while the roots get established, but I’m hoping long term the underground gravel watering system keeps them going.

We thank the Lord for the idea and provisions to put this together and for the trees, and we hope they’ll be fruitful, as we always pray God brings forth fruit from our lives:

John 15:4-8:

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

— David