Apple Trees

Apple trees are a great addition to any garden. They have beautiful blooms, provide shade, and add colored fruit to your garden design. Apple trees come in all shapes and sizes to suit all types of gardens. Apple trees can be found in dwarf varieties or as tall as 25 feet.

Apples will usually begin to grow on apple trees by about the 4th year but have the largest harvest when they are between 10-30 years old. These trees grow best in colder climates. Some apple varieties cannot self pollinate and must be planted with another apple tree to aid in pollenization. In the spring apple trees are usually laden with beautiful pink or white blooms. They are truly a spectacular site!

Purchasing & Planting

When purchasing an apple tree buy bareroots that are guaranteed by the seller. Choose larger trees so you will have fruit sooner. Do no purchase apple tree bareroots that are dry, shriveled or with a lot of leaf growth.

To plant your apple tree dig a hole that is 1-½ times as deep as the rootball and twice as wide as the spread of the roots. Prune twisted, broken, or dead roots and branches. Cut back the roots so they are all the same length. Prune back 1/3rd of the top of the tree. Make a mound of soil mixed with compost in the center of the hole. Place the apple tree on this mound and spread the roots over the mound. You want the area where the trunk and roots come together to be at ground level. Place a stake in the hole about 2 ½ inches away from the tree. Be careful not to sever any roots. Firm soil around the stake. Fill the rest of the hole with soil in 3-inch increments. Pack the soil down gently after each addition to get rid of air pockets. Water well and often. You can form a watering basin to be sure your tree gets enough water. Mound soil around the base of the tree about 5 inches from the trunk to form a moat to catch water.

Apple trees must be tied to the stake correctly. Secure with a bank or webbing available at nurseries or garden centers. Rope or twine can actually cut into the apple tree bark as the tree grows. The tie should have a rubber pad to wrap around the tree. Attach the tie in a figure 8 shape about 3 inches below the lowest branch. Remove the tie as the tree grows.

Seasonal Care

For seasonal care begin in early spring. Soak the bareroot apple trees in a tub of water overnight before you plant. In early summer some immature apples may fall off your tree. This is called June drop and is normal. You will want to think the apple crop when the fruit is about the size of a quarter. Leave one apple from each cluster. The fruit needs to be 8-11 inches apart. The following spring prune damaged and vertical branches. Prune horizontal branches in the upper portion of the tree. Fertilize with 5-10-10-fertilizer spread in a circle 17-24 inches from the apple tree trunk. You can tell if an apple is ripe buy examining the seeds. Brown seeds mean an apple is ready to eat.

Keep an eye out for Scab on your apples. This is a fungus that will cause yellow spots on the leaves and fruit. The spots will gradually turn black. Remove the infected fruit and spray with fungicide after the tree is finished growing its fruit.

Varieties of Apples

If red apples are a favorite try Adina that ripens in early summer. It grows well in warm zones 6-9. Winesap, a red apple that ripens in the late summer or fall, is crisp and tart and needs a pollenizer. Another delicious red apple is the Refree that ripens in the middle of the summer. This apple tree is disease resistant and has a sweet flavor. Pink Pearl ripens in the early fall. In spring this apple tree’s blossoms are a red-pink.

For those who love green apples try Granny Smith. These apples ripen in late fall or early winter and grow well in zones 6-9. They are very tart. Gravenstein apples ripen in late summer. This apple is a very poor pollenizer. Garden Delicious apples are ready for picking in mid fall. They are great for a small area as they only grow 4-6 feet tall.

There are many wonderful varieties of Yellow apples. Golden Delicious ripens mid-fall and is disease resistant. Jonagold can be picked early fall and do need a pollenizer. Mutsu apples ripen in mid-fall and are large and spicy. They will not pollinate with other varieties. The Winter Banana apple is ready for picking late fall. This apple smells like a banana and has a very low acid content.

Quick Facts

Most apple trees flower in the spring. Their apples are usually ready to pick from summer to late fall. Apples trees do well in zones 4-9 and prefer full sun for at least 6 hours a day and shelter from the wind. They also need nutritious well balance soil. They can be as narrow as 5 feet or spread out to 25 feet. The apple tree height can.

European Plums

European Plums are beautiful trees that grow up to 20 feet tall. These plum trees have shiny, dark bark with white flowers in the spring. Within 4 years of planting these plum trees will start bearing fruit. This plum tree is suited to colder growing regions and comes in a variety of skin colors and pulp tones.

click on picture to enlarge

The majority of these plum trees do not need cross-pollination

but more plums will be produced if another European plum tree is planted in the same garden. You want to harvest these plums when they are slightly soft. Pick the fruits off the branches by twisting upwards.

Purchasing & Planting

When purchasing a plum tree chose a plum tree that is at least 2 years old. You want a bareroot plum tree purchased in the early fall. Do not purchase a young plum tree as you will have to wait quite a while for the first fruit. Do not purchase plum trees with dry roots or just a few straggly roots. When you bring your plum tree home soak the roots overnight. Dig a hole twice as large as the roots. Mix compost and dug up soil together along with 1 cup of dry fertilizer. Place the tree in the hole and fill in with the soil mixture. Create a basin around the trunk of the tree to catch water. Give the plum tree a thorough soaking. After planting is complete prune your plum tree. Cut the plum tree back by about 1/3rd. Mulch around the base of the plum tree. In spring spray the young tree with dormant oil to kill any insects. After the spring blossoming is over apply and insecticide.

click on picture to enlarge

Growing Tips

Plum trees love full sun. Be sure the soil is well drained. Plum trees prefer a soil pH of 5.5 to 6.

Seasonal Care

For seasonal care of your fruit bearing plum tree prune the plum tree in late winter or early spring. Remove any old or damaged branches. Fertilize and mulch. In early summer thin the growing fruits to about 5 inches. Use a spray to prevent brown rot and plum curculio. In fall protect the fruit from birds with netting or noisemakers. Place wire fencing around the base of the plum tree so mice will not eat the bark.

Plum trees can develop a few problems. Black knot, a fungus, causes knobby growths on branches. Remove the infected limbs and use a fungicide. Plum skins may crack. This is due to erratic watering. Be sure to water regularly but don’t forget to withhold water after rainstorms. After a year of abundance your plum tree may produce a small crop of plums. This is due to overbearing. Thinning the young plums and yearly pruning will help prevent this problem.

Varieties of Plums

Plums come is several varieties. Green Gage plums are a small yellowish fruit that grows well in zones 5-9 and ripens early in the season. Brooks plums are purple and quite large. These plums prefer zones 5-7 and also ripen early in the season. Mt. Royal is a medium sized plum with a dark bluish skin and yellow flesh. It does need pollination, grows best in zones 5-9 and ripens toward the middle of the season. President plums are large with a blue-black skin that grows best in zones 5-9. They need a pollinator and ripen mid to late in the season. Reine Claude plums are a small greenish plum for zones 5-7. This plum ripens mid or late season. Yellow Egg is very large and as the name suggests, yellow. This plum ripens mid season and grows in zones 5-9.

click on picture to enlarge

There are a group of plums called the prune plums. They have a very high sugar content. This is the type of plum that is dried to make prunes. But these plums also taste delicious right off the tree. Stanley is a prune plum on the large side with dark blue skin and yellow flesh. This plum tree grows in zones 4-8 and ripens mid-season. Fellemburg prune plums are large and purple with yellow flesh. They ripen mid-season and grow best in zones 5-9. Italian Prune is a large dark purple Prune Plum that flourishes in zones 5-7. These plum trees ripen in the early part of the season. The Valor prune plum is dark purple with a greenish pulp that does very well in zones 5-7. This prune plum ripens mid-season.

Quick Facts

In general European Plums are a tree that can spread up to 20 feet wide and 20 feet tall. This plum tree prefers zones 4-9 and loves full sun with fertile well-drained soil. The white flowers bloom in the spring and plum fruit harvest time begins in late summer and runs through the fall. A standard plum tree will yield up to 3 bushels of plums. Smaller dwarf varieties will provide approximately 1 bushel of plums and semi-dwarf plum trees 2 bushels. The smaller plum trees will do well in containers.

Blackberries

There is nothing more delicious than a blackberry fresh off the blackberry bush. And, blackberries are a fairly hardy plant and easy to grow. The blackberry plant will provide an abundant crop year after year with minimal care.

click on picture to enlarge

Blackberry plants are made up of 2 types: trailing and erect.

Erect blackberries are more rugged and require less maintenance than trailing blackberries. Some erect blackberries can withstand temperatures as low as 25 degrees F. Trailing blackberries do best in warmer climates and can grow up to 20 feet. The trailing blackberry plants are sweeter and have fewer seeds than erect blackberry plants.

It takes about a year for the blackberry plant to mature enough to bear fruit. The blackberry plant will spend its first year growing side shoots off the main stems. It is these side shoots that will bear the fruit during the next growing season. Newer blackberry plants have been designed with less thorns so they are easier to harvest and prune. When purchasing a blackberry plant be sure to get the thornless variety.

Purchasing & Planting

Blackberry plants should be purchased in early spring and only if the plants have at least 3 strong canes (stems). As your local nursery for a disease resistant thornless variety. Do not purchase plants with spotty or discolored leaves. Do not buy bareroot plants that seem to be totally dried out.

When you bring you blackberry plants home fill a bucket with water and a vitamin solution and soak the blackberry plant roots for at least 2 hours. Dig a hole a few inches wider than the root spread. Form a pyramid of soil in the center of the hole. Place the blueberry plant on top of the pyramid and spread the roots out. Fill in with soil and firm down evenly.

Use a wire support to train your blackberries. Bury two stakes behind your blackberry plants on either side of the blackberries. String 3 of 4 lengths of wire between these two stakes and attach the canes to wire with ties. If you train new blackberry canes to grow to one side and older blackberry canes to the other side it will be easier to remove the older blackberry canes at the end of the season. For erect blackberries control their shape by pruning back the tops of the stems to the height you prefer. Do this during the first year of growth and your blackberry plant will become bushier and bear more fruit.

Growing Tips

Blackberry plants prefer strong direct sun but need to be protected from wind. Blackberry plants like well-drained soil. Be sure to add compost or humus to the soil every few weeks.

Blackberries that grow on stems far from the center of the plant are usually smaller. If you want large blackberries prune back the tips of the canes. Blackberries also work as a barrier to keep animals out of your garden. Simply plant a row of blackberry plants along the border line.

click on picture to enlarge

Blackberries are susceptible to Anthracnose. It is a fungus that appears as dark bumps with gray centers on fruit and the stems. Remove any diseased blackberry fruits and canes and prune back the blackberry plant.

Seasonal Care

For seasonal care begin in early spring with planting of pre-existing plants. Cut back side stems about 12 inches so the blackberries will be larger. In mid to late spring remove and straggly stems. During the summer and fall get rid of any suckers that appear and cut away old canes after the blackberry plants have stopped bearing fruit. In colder areas remove young blackberry canes from their support and buy them in shallow trenches.

Varieties of Blackberries

You choices amongst the erect blackberries includes the Thornfree variety. Thornfree blackberries ripen late in season and while they are trailing the first year they become erect thereafter. Darrow blackberries ripen early to mid season. Darrow blackberries are quite large and very sweet. They have a larger blackberry crop than other varieties. Ebony King blackberries ripen early in the season. Ebony King blackberries can handle the cold very well. The Ebony King blackberry has sweet fruit and is quite disease resistant. Illini blackberries ripen mid-season. Illini’s are tangy and cold tolerant. Eldorado blackberries ripen early to mid season. They also tolerate cold well and are disease resistant. Smoothstem blackberries ripen late in the season. The Smoothstem blackberry plant, as the name implies, is thornless. Smoothstem blackberries are tart and the plants are disease resistant.

click on picture to enlarge

Trailing blackberry plants come in many varieties too. Young blackberries ripen in mid-season and they are thornless and tangy. Brainerd blackberry plants ripen in early season. The Brainerd blackberries are thorny with large fruit. Evergreen blackberries ripen late in the season. Their canes are thornless except for the suckers from the roots (remove these suckers). Hedrick blackberry plants ripen in early season and are cold tolerant. They are susceptible to orange rust. Olallie blackberry plants ripen mid-season. These blackberries need a frost free climate. The Olallie blackberry is very sweet. The Jersey Black blackberry plant ripens mid-season. The Jersey Black blackberry is very large and somewhat sweet.

Quick Facts

Most blackberry plants can spread up to 12 feet wide and 7 feet hight. The blackberry plant is an easy to grow perennial. The average blackberry plant will produce up to 3 quarts of blackberries. The blackberries ripen from late summer to early fall. The blackberry plant like full sun and well-drained soil. The blackberry plant grows best in zones 5-8.

How to Grow and Cultivate Luscious Lemons

Lemons grow on average sized trees. These trees have deep green leaves and fragrant flowers. Lemon trees grow quickly and can bear fruit at a very young age. Lemon trees come in dwarf sizes for container gardens and standard sizes up to 10 feet tall. There are true lemons and lemon hybrids. The lemon hybrids are usually lemons mixed with another fruit like a lime.

click on picture to enlarge

Purchasing & Planting

When purchasing a lemon tree chose a potted lemon tree about 1

1\2 times taller than the pot. Do not purchase tall lemon trees and any lemon trees showing signs of disease. Before planting cut back any broken stems. Dig a hole a little bigger and deeper than the rootball. Use a spade to churn up the sides and bottom of the hole. Mix compost into the soil. Remove the lemon tree from its container and loosen the roots gently. Cut any roots that completely circle the rootball. Place the lemon tree in the hole so the top of the rootball sits 2 inches above ground level. You may need to add soil to the middle of the hole achieve this height. Fill in space between the rootball and the hole. Create a ring 2-3 feet in diameter and around 3 inches hight to hold in water.

Growing Tips

Lemon trees like full sun or light shade. Lemon trees prefer well drained soil. Lemon trees need regular watering to produce juicy lemons. If you would like to have lemons year round bring a potted lemon tree indoors. Keep this potted lemon tree in a cool sunny room.

click on picture to enlarge

The lemon tree may develop deformed fruit if exposed to unusual weather, especially cold spells. If this happens do not worry. Your lemon tree will probably be back to producing normal shaped lemons the following year. If your lemon tree seems to be too large or is not producing enough lemons prune it drastically. Saw the limbs back to stubs 2 inches in diameter. Shoots will from shortly. Protect young lemon trees from cold by piling wood chips about 1 foot deep around the lemon tree base. Be sure to remove these chips from the lemon tree in the spring.

Seasonal Care

To prepare lemon trees seasonally begin in winter. This is the best time to fertilize your lemon tree. Fertilize with nitrogen and potassium around the base of the tree. Spread the fertilizer out as far as the spread of the lemon tree branches. Check with your local nursery to determine how much fertilizer you will need for your lemon tree. In summer water well once a week. Do not let your lemon tree dry out of your lemon fruits will suffer. Harvest lemons throughout the seasons. Clip fruit with sharp pruning shears.

Beware of raised, brown, corky areas on lemons. This is citrus scab and is most common in humid climates. These scabs can also show up on lemon tree leaves. Citrus scab can be controled by planting lemon trees in breezy areas and pruning so air circulates quickly to dry lemons and leaves.

Varieties of Lemons

If you wish to have a crop of true lemons consider planting one of the following lemon trees: Armstrong, Eureka, Femminello Ovale, Genoa, Lisbon, or Villa Franca. Armstrong lemons are medium and very tart. These lemon trees bear ripe fruit year round. Armstrong lemon trees do not have thorns and will grow to about 20 feet tall. Eureka lemon trees produce small lemons of the kind most often seen in your supermarket. These lemons are tart and the branches have few thorns. The Eureka lemon tree will grow up to 20 feet tall and is short-lived. The Femminello Ovale lemon tree also produces very tart lemons of a medium size. This lemon tree is thornless and grows up to 25 feet tall. Genoa lemons are medium-sized. The Genoa lemon tree has a lot of thorns and is resistant to cold. This lemon tree will grow about 15 feet tall. The Lisbon lemon tree is also full of thorn. Its lemons are medium sized and juicy and the lemon tree grows 20-25 feet tall. The Villa Franca lemon trees grows to 25 feet tall too. The lemons on this tree are mostly harvested in the winter.

click on picture to enlarge

Hybrid lemons are another options when purchasing a lemon tree. The Improved Meyer lemon is mild with ripened fruit available year round. This lemon tree hybrid is the hardiest variety and grows up to 12 feet tall. Monachello lemons are not too tart or juicy. This lemon tree is thornless and grows up to 20 feet tall. Perrine lemons are very tart and juicy with some lime flavoring. This lemon-lime hybrid is very sensitive to cold and can grow up to 25 feet tall. Another lemon tree that does not like the cold is the Ponderosa lemon. These lemon fruits are very large and tart and harvest mostly in the winter. The Ponderosa lemon tree only grows 10 feet tall. Rough Lemon lemons are slightly tart. The Rough Lemon tree is very drought tolerant and sensitive to cold. It will grow up to 25 feet tall. Sungold lemon trees are also slightly tart with green striped, yellow fruits. They are very lovely with variegated leaves and will grow up to 14 feet tall.

Quick Facts

Lemon trees can grow up to 30 feet wide and 30 feet tall. The lemon trees prefers zones 9-10 if grown outside. Lemons will grown best on trees in full sun or partial shade and well-drained soil. The lemon tree is easy to grow and will stay green year round. Lemons ripen throughout the year and a standard size tree will produce 300 lbs of lemons per year. Now that is a lot of lemonade!!

Incredible Edible Apricots

Apricot trees are a year round treat. Apricot trees have delightful heart like leaves and orange brown bark. The blossoms are a colorful bright yellow or white and the Apricot fruit is a brilliant orange-peach.

click on picture to enlarge

Apricot trees are ready for picking during different times of the

seasons. It is this picking time that distinguishes the different apricot varieties. Most apricot trees will do fine over the winter. In addition, the apricot tree comes in either dwarf for container gardens, or standard stock. The apricot tree will bear fruit in its 3rd or 4th year and will bear fruit for up to 35 years. Some apricot trees will self-pollinate while other apricot trees require another apricot tree for cross-pollination.

Purchasing & Planting

Purchase bareroot apricot trees in early spring. Or, purchase container apricots in the spring or summer. They should be approximately 3-5 feet tall. Be sure the apricot trunk is sturdy. Do no purchase trees over a year old or any apricot trees that look small.

To plant your apricot tree dig a hole they same size as the container or a little bigger than the root spread. Ad some compost to the shoveled soil. Remove the apricot tree from the container and prune any long roots. Prune the apricot branches back so you have just two 7-inch long side branches spaced about 7 inches apart and one central stem. Place the apricot tree in the hole and spread out the apricot roots. Fill in the hole with the soil, compost mixture and add water. If the apricot tree starts to lean stake the apricot tree with two 3-foot stakes and rubber ties.

click on picture to enlarge

Growing Tips

Apricot trees love full sun and sheltered frost-free sites. The apricot tree grows best in well-drained soil that has a lot of compost. Apricot trees like a soil pH or 6-7. Do not fertilize apricot trees. This cause weak apricot growth and makes the apricot tree susceptible to diseases and insects. In fact, it is best to plant apricots away from lawns or any other area where fertilizer is used.

The apricot tree is fairly disease resistant. However, apricots can be afflicted with brown rot. This fungus attacks the apricot fruit and turns the apricot soft. To control this fungus spray apricot trees with a fungicide and destroy any badly infested trees.

To optimize apricot fruit growth thin apricots to every 2-3 inches along the branches. This will ensure a plumper and juicier apricot.

Seasonal Care

For seasonal care of existing apricot trees begin in early spring and prune heavily. Cut back tall branches and central limbs so light penetrates to all the branches. Do this while the apricot tree is still dormant. In early summer thin the developing apricot fruit. In summer handpick apricots when they ripen to a golden orange color but feel firm.

Varieties of Apricots

Apricot varieties are based on when the apricot fruit ripens. If you want juicy plump apricots early in the season try planting Wilson Delicious apricots, a medium sizes apricot that grows best in zones 5-8. Another apricot tree that ripens early is the Early Golden. This apricot tree bears large apricots in zones 5-8. The Early Golden apricot tree is self-fertilizing and comes in dwarf or standard sizes. Flora Gold apricots also ripen early and are of a medium size. These apricots self-fertilize and grow best in zones 5-8. They are considered a semi-dwarf apricot tree. Goldrich apricots ripen early in the season in zones 4-9. The Goldrich apricot is quite large and requires another apricot tree for pollination.

click on picture to enlarge

Mid-season apricots come in 4 basic varieties. The Curtis apricot is a medium fruit with a red blush in zones 5-8. This apricot tree comes in dwarf or standard size. Garden Annie apricots are on the large size and self-fertilizing. These apricot trees grow best in zones 5-8 and are dwarf in size. Goldcot apricot trees are medium to large self-fertilizers. They grow best in zones 5-8 and come in dwarf or standard varieties. Harglow apricots are medium self-fertilizers that grow in zones 3-8. These apricot trees only come in standard size.

The late ripeners consist of Blenheim, Harval, Moongold & Sungold varieties. Blenheim apricots are medium to large apricot trees that grow best in zones 4-8. These self-fertilizing trees come in the standard size only. Harval apricots are medium size and are quite disease resistant. These apricot trees come in standard size and grow in zones 4-8. Moongold apricots pollinate with Sungold apricots in zones 3-8. Both apricot trees come in the standard size only. Sungold apricots are a medium fruit that grows best in zones 4-8.

Quick Facts

In general the apricot tree can grow 10-30 feet wide and 8-20 feet tall. Apricot trees love full sun and rich well drained soil. They flower in early spring and the apricot fruit can be harvested throughout the summer depending on the apricot tree variety. Each tree will produce about 3-6 bushels of apricots a year. Apricot trees grow best in zones 5-9.