July 27, 2026

It ain’t gonna rain no more no more
It ain’t gonna rain no more
How in the heck can I wash my neck
If it ain’t gonna rain no more

It's dry in central Maine. We need rain. They say it’s coming later in the week. The plants will be happy. Us too. Our newly planted trees are starting to look droopy. Some worse than others, but all are suffering. After a full year in the orchard, they’ll typically do quite well on their own, but the first summer can be rough. They need a lot of rain or else regular gifts from a bucket or a hose.

One of the first plants to show the signs of drought are the blackberries. This could be because the vigorous first year “primocanes” put on so much growth they require a lot of water. The plants are so incredibly rugged, you’d think they could handle anything, but that’s not the case. They need water. Ours are now showing signs of thirst. They’re drooping.

So today I filled buckets and watered our new trees and companion plants out in the BRC. Tomorrow I’ll water the new row of trees up at Finley. If you planted apple trees this spring, go water them today. That’s an order. Your trees will thank you.