RIP Dave Nash.

 We phantom planted an Elstar apple tree yesterday in memory of Dave Nash. RIP

This apple tree was paid for by Gary Emerton who was a good friend of Dave Nash. Thank you Gary for your contribution to our community and nature. Hopefully you'll come and visit your tree one day and maybe eat some fruit from it.

Elstar is an amazing growing apple variety that never fails in producing large crops of good tasting eating apples.

I did a post yesterday about so called nature experts and how some of their advice can be very misleading and just pure lies.

I remember some of the first trees I ever phantom planted, it was on a nature reserve and a well known group maintains it. (I'm not mentioning no names)

But we phantom planted this apple tree where I thought was a good spot and looking back now it is a good spot as I still walk it all the time. But a few days later our trees disappeared.

I wasn't happy about this and went on the rampage looking to see what happened to our trees.

I managed to track down the group that maintains the area and they dug them out saying they would have died anyway as its the wrong time of year to be planting. 

You cant plant trees in mid summer this was and the trees was going to die they said. So they killed them anyway!

I was fuming to be honest but the head guy kept insisting that you cant plant trees in midsummer!

Theres me standing there looking at this constipated halfwit thinking I know your telling me lies as I have planted a few already and they are going just fine!

Many experts still do today say that you cant plant trees when the tree has started its growing phase and that all trees must be planted in the dormancy period which is late autumn, winter and early spring.

Well guys I've got news for you! 

For the past 10 years I've been phantom planting potted fruit trees all summer long, hundreds and hundreds I've phantom planted with about 2 or 3 trees that didn't make it and these were ones I forgot to go back and water.

When planting potted trees this time of year all you have to do is make sure you go back and water them every 10 days or so with about 5-10 litres of water depending on how much rain we get. Use your head and intuition on this one.

And also when planting this time of year look for good well rooted trees in the pot and try to minimise disturbing the roots as much as possible when planting.

I've been told by quite a few so called experts way back at the start that you cant plant trees in late spring and summer. 

One of the dudes that told me off before he gave me the whole Latin speil telling me how many letters he had after his name in ecology and tree planting!

Why would these people say something thats not true? Are they just following a text book or something?

My experience with this will always make me question all so called expert advice.

It does take a bit more time and effort planting potted fruit trees this time of year, but sure what else would you be doing on a Saturday afternoon? Drinking and taking drugs!! That was the old me! Pleasures pass and highs come with lows. 

Phantom planting fruit trees for the community and nature is joy and a buzz I never got in the bottom of any bag of cocaine! 

F**k that old life, I get shivers every time I think what I've escaped from!

We phantom planted this apple tree right out the front of a lady who is 102 years old. She came out to help us with the planting!

#phantomplanter #communityspirit