PEIThe dry conditions on Prince Edward Island over the summer has prevented hundreds of thousands of trees from being planted this fall. ‘We wouldn’t want them out in this dry weather — they would die’Ryan McKellop · CBC News · Posted: Sep 29, 2025 3:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoP.E.I.’s dry summer delays tree planting until next springAfter a hot, dry summer, the province is delaying some of its tree planting efforts until conditions improve. CBC’s Gwyneth Egan explains what happens to the 350,000 trees that aren’t being planted this fall. The dry conditions on Prince Edward Island over the summer has prevented hundreds of thousands of trees from being planted this fall. The provincial government runs serveral tree planting programs in an effort to combat climate change, to help prevent coastal erosion and to replace trees lost in post-tropical storm Fiona in 2022. Hailey Blacquiere, manager of production development at the provincially run J. Frank Gaudet Tree Nursery in Charlottetown, said around 350,000 trees will now be planted in the spring.”We haven’t done any of our fall planting at this point, but we are able to hold our trees over for the winter,” she said.”We’re not concerned for our plants’ health at this point. We wouldn’t want them out in this dry weather — they would die.”Blacquiere said the nursery’s team planted many trees last spring before the weather turned hot and dry, but some other planting programs might now lag behind.”It will impact our overall goal this year,” she said. “At this point, we’ll be able to make that up next year.”‘Keep our fingers crossed’Blacquiere said some of the trees planted in the spring may have struggled through the summer’s dry conditions.”Establishment of those trees is going to be harder, but we have seen some success so far on the sites we have looked at,” Blacquiere said.”We have seen some mortalities. We’ll reassess that… in the spring to see if we have to replant anything.”Holding the trees in the nursery will ensure their healthy growth, she said, rather than keeping them alive using things like watering bags that would have to be refilled.Robert Crawford with the P.E.I. Woodlot Owners Association says landowners shouldn’t worry about trees not being planted. (Taylor O’Brien/CBC)Robert Crawford with the P.E.I. Woodlot Owners Association said any landowners who were anticipating trees to be planted shouldn’t worry.”There’s always some room for concern, but I think in the big picture… the amount of trees that we’re holding off, given what we had planted this spring, we’ve got good balance,” he said.”Keep our fingers crossed for better days to come this spring.”ABOUT THE AUTHORRyan McKellop is a graduate of the Holland College Journalism program and a web writer at CBC P.E.I.With files from Gwyneth Egan and Taylor O’Brien
P.E.I. will delay planting 350,000 trees until spring due to hot, dry summer conditions
