About Weather Damage And Pecan Trees

Weather can be a devastating foe for pecan trees
Who doesn’t love pecans? Imagine having your own pecan tree. Growing pecan trees isn’t all that difficult but there are some factors which can cause damage to pecan trees. Being aware of the circumstances an signs of damage can help you care for your pecan tree. Healthy pecan trees mean delicious nuts for years to come.

Some of the more common types of damage faced by pecan trees come from insect, disease and weather conditions. Cultural factors such as the planting site and growing conditions can contribute.

Cultural Factors

Providing for the needs of your pecan tree is good step toward insuring its continued health. Planting in well-drained soil that is loose will allow proper root development. They need full sun and adequate watering. If these conditions are not provided, the pecan tree can become stressed. Stressed trees are more likely to suffer from disease or insect infestation. They will also have a more difficult time recovering from damage caused by weather. Read More

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Persimmon Trees Make a Wonderful Addition to the Landscape or Home Orchard

Native or Oriental, Astringent or nonastringent; there is a lot to learn about persimmon trees.

Several years ago, I discovered a pair of persimmon trees growing on my property. It was fall and their leaves had nearly all dropped but suspended on their branches were plum-sized orange fruits. Having never seen a persimmon tree before, I was intrigued and investigated. This is what I’ve learned about persimmon trees.

The fruits of the persimmon tree are classified as berries. The trees can reach up to 40 feet in height, depending on the variety, and turn varying shades of red in the fall. The fruits, orange orbs that range from plum-sized to peach-sized depending on variety, ripen in the late fall, after the leaves have dropped. Both the leaves and the fruit and bursts of color perfect for autumn scenery.

Persimmon trees can be broken into several categories. They can either be native-growing or Oriental. They can also be classified as astringent or non astringent. Let’s look at these categories more closely. Read More

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All About the Flowering Dogwood

From History to Myth to Uses, Everything You Could Want to Know About the Dogwood Tree


Native Americans and early American settlers have prized the flowering dogwood tree as far back as the 1700's. Today they are primarily valued for their delicate white or pink flowers and purplish fall leaves. They are popular in home landscaping as well as commercial and are still prevalent in forest stands as understory trees, peeking out from beneath taller trees. Dogwoods are among the first to bloom in the spring, giving their owners an added benefit of early flowers.


Description of the Dogwood Tree


An ornamental tree, the flowering dogwood produces small, 4-petaled flowers, called bracts, very early in the spring. Some varieties are pink in color but most and those found primarily in the wild are white. Each petal has red spot on the center of the outer edge, giving it a focal point. Flowering dogwoods average 15 feet in height but can soar to 30 feet in the right conditions. Read More

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Choosing the Right Crabapple Tree for Your Landscape

Crabapples Are Available in a Variety of Sizes and Styles

Crabapple trees can make a lovely addition to your landscape or home orchard. But how do you choose the right one? There are so many varieties and styles to choose from. Often those home improvement stores that sell trees in the spring offer such limited information on the tag that making a choice can be daunting. We can get so caught up in spring fever that we make an impulse purchase forma store or mail order catalog without having given the decision the necessary thought.

Pick Your Spot

First, you need to know where you intend to plant your crabapple tree. Is it going in the orchard because you want edible fruit? Perhaps it is the focal point of your front or backyard. If you have a small area, that will also play a part in your decision. Are there utility lines that pass over the site? A taller variety would not work well there. Read More
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Cooking with Crabapples

Caring for Your Own Apple Tree

Growing an apple tree requires a little care but provides bushels of rewards


Apple trees are a favorite addition to the home landscape or backyard orchard because of their beautiful spring blooms, late summer to early fall fruit and ease of care. Taking care of an apple tree is simpler than you think. I know because I have 3 of them. Just give them the proper location, enough water and sunshine, yearly fertilization, a little pruning and check on them periodically to make sure they don’t become sick or insect-infested. Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll be eating an apple a day in no time.

Tips on Planting Apple Trees


The key to healthy apple trees is good exposure to sunshine and good air circulation. They prefer soil that is well-drained. Prior to planting, give the roots a good soak for 30 to 60 minutes. When you dig the hole, make it as deep and as wide as the root ball. Set  Read More



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All About the Flowering Crab Apple

Crab Apples Provide Beauty, Shade and Edible Fruit for Birds, Animals and People Too

Is a crab apple tree right for your landscaping project or orchard? Read on to find out.

A close relative of the apple tree, crabapples come in 35 species and more than 700 varieties. Though edible, most crabapples are not all that tasty. Their popularity comes from their small size and the beauty of their spring blooms which make them a wonderful addition to many landscaping projects.
Flowers of the Crabapple
Buds emerge in a deep pink which gradually fades as they open and throughout their short life cycle. Like the flowers of its relative the apple, the crabapple has 5 petals per flower with a yellow center made up of 15 to 20 stamens. Before any leaves begin to emerge, the crabapple tree is covered in these dark pink buds creating a pink cloud effect sometime between April and May, depending upon the area of the country.


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Everything You Need to Know About Fertilizing Cherry Trees

Growing your own cherry trees is pretty simple to do and even easier when you understand fertilizer as it applies to cherry trees. Understanding what it is, what it does and the types available can help you make an educated choice about the fertilizer you choose for your cherry trees.




Understanding Fertilizer



Fertilizer can be anything you can add to the soil, either of an organic or chemical nature, that improves the soils ability to be support life. Lots of things can be used to improve soil fertility. Organic sources are those that either are or come from once living things like compost, animal manures or cover crops that are later turned under. Inorganic or chemical fertilizers are man-made and blended to meet specific needs.

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Pruning Flowering Cherry Trees

Pruning Considerations for Flowering Cherry Trees

So you've added a beautiful flowering cherry tree to your landscape and now you need to know how to prune it. There are some basic things you'll need to consider and a few tools you'll need in order to prune your flowering cherry tree.


It is important to understand why you need to prune your flowering cherry tree before you begin lopping off branches. One reason is to remove dead, damaged or diseased limbs. You'll also want to remove any branches that rub on one another or that cross over each other. Sucker growth from the bottom of the tree should also be removed. Branches that grow toward the center of the tree should also be removed. Lastly, you want to prune to give the cherry tree an overall shape.

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Growing Cherry Trees from Seed

Can You Grow Cherry Trees from the Seeds of Store-Bought Cherries?


Ever eaten a wonderfully tasting cherry and considered whether or not you should try to grow a tree of your own from that little pit? It is a tempting idea and it can be done...sort of. There are some things to consider before you drag out the potting soil and trowel. Not all cherry seeds are created equal.

Saving Cherry Seeds

If you are going to attempt to grow a cherry tree or two of your own, collect the pits or seeds from many cherries. Cherries should be fully ripened and free of any defects or blemishes. If you have actually picked your own cherries, make sure the tree was healthy as well. Your seed stock should come from the best possible source you can find to help ensure optimum results.

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Apricot Tree Problems

Apricot trees are one of the few fruit trees that have relatively few problems. The few they are susceptible to generally stem from poor care or environmental circumstances. In spite of their fast-growing nature, apricot trees only live to be 20 or 30 years old so good care is important. Just by using simple care methods and inspecting for insects can keep your apricot tree producing for many years.

Pruning Apricot Trees

If good maintenance practices are being followed, apricot trees only need pruning every 3 years or so to maintain a scaffold structure. This allows good air flow and sunlight penetration, both crucial to good fruit production and overall health. Neglecting a pruning regimen can lead to overcrowding within the canopy.

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Here are some intersting books on growing apricots and recipes for using them.

Growing Mulberry Trees

Who doesn’t remember summers spent eating the delectable mulberry morsels from neighborhood trees?

Mulberries are beneficial to our health in much the same way blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are. They are high in antioxidants and have been used medically to treat kidneys, fatigue, anemia and weakness. And we haven’t even begun to talk about the best feature – the taste!

Mulberries are aggregate fruit made up of tiny fruits called drupes. They are sweet with a mild but very recognizable flavor. As children, my friends and I knew where every mulberry bush or tree in the neighborhood was and we feasted on our way home from school daily. I still enjoy the taste of fresh picked mulberries.

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Fertilizing Apricot Trees

Know when and How Much Fertilizer to Use for Apricot Trees

Apricot trees are grown for their delicious fruit and beautiful spring blooms. The delicate nature of the blooms with relation to their low cold tolerance often means tree growers do not see crops annually. Some trees only produce fruit every third to fifth year because of the climate they are in. Fertilizer will not help with this problem but can help once you know your tree has set fruit.

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Guide to Growing Paw Paws

A Historic American Fruit Making a Comeback

Paw paws have grown wild throughout North America for hundreds of years. They are the largest native fruit on the continent. Eventually, paw paws fell out of favor with growers as the fruit didn't last long and was therefore hard to ship. Interest in growing paw paws is increasing once again as the tree is sturdy and isn't subject to considerable pest infestations. Growing paw paws is fairly easy and will provide you with fresh paw paw fruit for decades. I have four paw paw trees that will produce their first crop next year here in coastal Georgia.

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Caring for Your Own Apple Tree

Growing an apple tree requires a little care but provides bushels of rewards.

Apple trees are a favorite addition to the home landscape or backyard orchard because of their beautiful spring blooms, late summer to early fall fruit and ease of care. Taking care of an apple tree is simpler than you think. I know because I have 3 of them. Just give them the proper location, enough water and sunshine, yearly fertilization, a little pruning and check on them periodically to make sure they don’t become sick or insect-infested. Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll be eating an apple a day in no time.

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