You should fertilize after you have mowed real grass (not weeds) for the second time. Then you can be sure your roots are awake and taking up nutrients. Before that you would be wasting the fertilizer on the weeds.

The thing is though that my trees don't look stressed, well, other than the color change. lol They are COVERED in buds for next year. Almost to the point of looking like they're suffering a bud disease, like a child would covered in chicken pox. Plus, depending on their size when planted, they've grown anywhere from 1 foot to 3 1/2 feet their first 5 months in the ground this year so I believe they all have decent root growth growing on. Unless that isn't a reliable indicator of root growth. However, I concede to you Whaas, because one, you know a lot more than I do, and two,because trees were not made to be supplemental watered by people, but by Mother Nature herself, and just as breastfeeding is best for a baby, so is rain for trees. I totally get that. Oh and all the trees I received are from zone 7 if I remember correctly. (Forest Farm) Which is 1 zone warmer than I am. I guess I was just hoping this wasn't drought related, but evidently it is. :( Uuugh.

Ken, no fluffing for me. I scuffed up the turf about an inch, just enough to break up the dead turf. Soil was dry as a bone and crumbly all on it's own with no mechanical intervention, unless you are counting the actual digging. The only place we get run-off here is on the driveway, 500' of packed road rock. I still appreciate the tips, for those times when I do run across such situations. Will, it is deceiving...We have a few trees, but really very little considering we are on five acres and two of the trees are not plantable under, being in the dog yard (and one being an apple tree.) We are actually very exposed here. It makes for most excellent views but does not leave a lot of room for mystery. I am making it two of my goals to 1) create some spaces that will stop the eye but not block our best views and 2) find ways to create some mystery here in the wide open. Here is another reason to be grateful for your location, none of this: two winters ago it was drifted this deep over our entire driveway for two days following a huge blizzard! This was the path I had to shovel to the barn:

Finally some sun today, so a couple more photos to share :) Astible "Bridal Veil" with lily: -and the closeup- The clematis are blooming now: "Minuet" on the fence: "Niobe": "Josephine" (new to me, a beautiful double frilly pink one): Delphinium "Green Twist": (if you look closely, you can see the green coloring) Dianthus "Strawberries and Cream": Echinacea "Merlot": Hosta "Stained Glass": Asiatic Lily "Loretto": (this one makes an impact!) Shasta Daisy and Coreopsis "Moonbeam": Lily "Centerfold" and Delphinium "Guinevere": Rose: "Celine Forrestier": Squash Flowers: