Month: May 2022

The crabapple is from the genus Malus, which also includes apples. Crabapples are often used as the root foundation for an apple tree grafting endeavor, but they are beautiful in their own right, and some also create palatable fruit. Massive varieties make beautiful shade trees as they blossom with colorful flowers in the spring. Dwarf cultivars can add interest to any landscaping project. As a hearty tree, they perform well in many different climates, usually located in the U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. There are more than 1,000 known species, each with their own idiosyncrasies and development habits.

General Growth Patterns

Crabapples are used primarily for their ornamental value. They are available with assorted colors and petal arrangements, and many grow ornamental fruit after budding. They range from 10 to 25 feet in height and spread. The vast majority of them are deemed to have medium increasenonetheless, the quickness of reaching maturity varies depending on the size and kind of the crabapple. Shrubs, dwarfs and weeping cultivars reach up to 15 feet tall, while upright variations reach 25 to 30 feet. They can be located in many of shapes such as columnar, flat, oval and round.

Slow Growing

Slow growth means that a crabapple grows 12 inches or less per year. The diminutive “Sargent” crabapple (Malus sargentii) is among the most common slow-growing crabapples. This small number produces aromatic flowers in the spring followed by miniature fruit only about 1/2 inch in diameter. It grows 6 to 10 feet tall and spreads between 6 and 12 feet, giving it a shrubby appearance. Another slow growing number is the “Coralburst” crabapple (Malus coralcore). The glowing coral-colored buds for which it’s named turn into wildlife-attracting, reddish-orange fruit in the summer.

Medium Growth

Trees that grow between 13 and 24 inches per year are deemed to have medium development. A vast majority of crabapple trees fall into this class. Highlights of the medium-growth category comprise the “Snowdrift” crabapple (Malus “Snowdrift”), that can be well-known because of its abundant white flowers. The “Harvest Gold” (Malus “Hargozam”) also has white flowers, but they turn into long-lasting golden fruit throughout the winter months. Lately, the glowing pink “Japanese Flowering” (Malus floribunda) has gained notoriety as a flexible home ornamental.

Fast

Fast-growing varieties of crabapples are more challenging to find, as this category includes trees which grow 25 or more inches a year. There are two common varieties which grow this fast. The “Purple Prince,” (Malus “Purple Prince”) includes a curved shape, and its bright purple flowers competitor are one of the most beautiful in the crabapple species. The fastest-growing crabapple is the “Robinson” (Malus “Robinson”), that boasts vibrant red buds that grow small red edible fruit. This larger crabapple grows at a symmetrical 25 by 25 foot shape.

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Palms are hungry trees, requiring plenty of fertilizer to fulfill their desire for nitrogen, magnesium and potassium. Palms showing signs of nutrient deficiencies might be growing in rich soil but cannot access the nutrients because of root diseases or the incorrect soil acidity. Manganese, a micronutrient, is vital for healthy palms. Manganese deficiencies cause stunted development, discolored foliage, and a condition called frizzle top. Since manganese deficiency may be lethal, the hands need to be treated with manganese sulfate. Take note that sulfates are not exactly the same thing as sulfites. Although the names may be confused, sulfites are chemicals used in food poisoning, not plant maintenance.

Diagnosing the Problem

Symptoms of manganese deficiency start with yellowing between the veins of the leaves. Necrotic streaks will appear between the veins. As the problem persists, new leaves are stunted and threatening, and might appear scorched. The first thing to examine is that the pH level of the soil around the palm tree. If the pH level is above 6.5, the tree is unable to take in manganese in the soil. Too much phosphorous may also bring about manganese to be unavailable to the palm, as may poor drainage. If the palm tree has been planted too deeply, it may suffer from root problems that avoid uptake of manganese in the soil. Bad drainage, drought or soil that’s alternately well-drained and waterlogged may also interfere with the palm tree’s capacity to take in sufficient manganese.

Adding Manganese to Soil

The Clemson Cooperative Extension notes a solution of 1 tsp of manganese sulfate per gallon of water may be mixed together and applied directly to the soil around the palm tree. This therapy only functions if the soil lacks manganese and the tree doesn’t have any problems that keep it in obtaining the nutrient. The manganese sulfate solution might be used two or three times annually, as required.

Foliar Sprays

Once the manganese sulfate is combined with the water, it may be applied as a foliar spray. Foliar sprays work quickly for nutrients to the foliage, where they are most needed. The sprays are best for trees suffering from difficulties that keep them from getting manganese in the soil. The palm tree fronds need to be sprayed thoroughly and typically need more than 1 program if lack symptoms persist. Problems with the soil ought to be addressed too, since foliar feeding is a short term solution.

Prevention

Adjust the soil pH across the palm tree, if needed, to keep it under 6.5. To lower the pH level, you are able to apply aluminum sulfate or sulfur to the soil around the palm tree. Readily available commercially, aluminum sulfate is a fast-acting substance that dissolves quickly in the soil to low the pH level. Sulfur may take up to several months to successfully lower the pH level of the soil. The amount required to lower the pH level in your soil is dependent upon the current pH level. Either product should have concise instructions on the package to the amount to use to attain the desired acidity amount.

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North American indigenous red maple (Acer rubrum) is also an easy-growing tree which thrives in just about any dirt in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. The “red” in its name is easy to understand since the tree produces red flower clusters in springtime, followed by red-toned fresh growth, crimson buds and red samara fruit. Perhaps most appealing is that the red-orange hue of the leaves in autumn, even though the quality of the fall foliage color varies between individual parts. Since many cultivars offer more brilliant and dependable autumn colors than the indigenous tree, both growers and gardeners have been tempted to graft that the cultivars on hardier red maple rootstock.

Prepare a reddish maple rootstock. Select a youthful red maple whip having a trunk diameter of approximately 1/2-inch. If recently bought, plant in a container or in the garden in which you want the tree to develop.

Clean and disinfect a sharp knife or pruning shears with denatured alcohol. Clip off a 6-inch shoot in the maple to utilize for the scion, the part of the tree which produces the trunk and branches. Act while the tree is dormant and select healthy new growth about 1/2-inch in diameter.

Clip off the top half of the rootstock whip with the pruning shears. With a sharp knife, slice the surface of the rootstock in a deep diagonal about 2 1/2 inches long. Make a 2nd brief cut close to the upper end of the diagonal parallel to the first cut to function as the “tongue” in a “tongue-and-groove” link between the two maple stems.

Slice the base of the cultivar scion in an identical diagonal. Make a shorter cut on the low end of the scion’s diagonal. This will function as the groove from the “tongue-and-groove” link.

Join the two pieces of maple so that the taller end of the scion’s diagonal is connected with the lower end of the rootstock’s diagonal cut. The “tongue” on the rootstock fits to the “groove” cut on the scion. This locks the bits together.

Cut a piece of grafting tape or twine a few feet long. Wrap this around the whole graft area repeatedly as if you have been bandaging a wound. Apply grafting paint above the twine or tape to seal the region.

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Occasionally called nettle tree, the frequent hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) is a deciduous tree valued for its umbrella-shaped canopy and attractive fall foliage. It grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 to 9, where it will rise in urban, rural and subtropical landscapes with equal vigor. Common hackberry trees propagate best out of seeds, which you gather in fall once they ripen. The seeds sprout quickly if kept moist, warm conditions after their initial treatments.

Collect hackberry fruit in late summer or early fall, after they ripen to a sound, purplish-red shade. Choose berries with unblemished flesh and steer clear of those with insect holes or other signs of damage.

Put the hackberry fruits in a bucket. Gently crush the flesh having a soft mallet to generate the seeds easier to extract. Cover the seeds with water and soak them overnight, stirring the water sometimes.

Scoop out and discard the fruit flesh and rotten seeds which float to the surface of the water. Drain off the remaining water. Choose through the seeds at the bottom of the bucket and discard any with clear signs of damage.

Rub each hackberry seed with a fine rasp to tighten the seed coat. Apply very light pressure when scarifying the seed, and rub only until a pale spot develops. Don’t make a hole in the seed coat.

Fill 3-inch starter pots using a mix of 3 parts coarse sand and one part seed compost. Drizzle water onto the sand mix until it feels quite moist at the top half.

Poke a 1/2-inch-deep hole at the center of the mud mixture and place a single hackberry seed in each pot. Cover the seed loosely using the mud and compost mix. Mist the mix to settle it.

Wrap the starter pots with plastic wrap. Place the pots in the fridge or outside from a north-facing wall. Chill them for three months to cold-stratify the seeds. Remoisten the mud mixture whenever it dries out in the top 1/4 inch.

Move the pots to a cold frame or indoors near a large window. Remove the plastic wrap. Establish the pots to a germination mat and cover them with a plastic propagation dome or a sheet of plastic wrap. Adjust the temperature on the germination mat to between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water that the hackberry seeds whenever the mud mixture feels mostly dry only under the surface. Avoid over-watering them to prevent mold and fungi problems.

Watch for sprouting in about three months. Maintain the hackberry seedlings on the germination mat to get another 2 weeks to encourage growth. Transplant them to 6-inch pots full of standard potting soil as soon as they hit 2 inches tall.

Move the hackberry seedlings to a lightly shaded area of the garden in spring after the last frost. Grow them under dappled shade with regular watering to get their initial summer. Transplant them into a garden bed at fall, only after the first rainfall.

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Tall, erect arborvitaes (Thuja spp.) , such as American arborvitae (T. occidentalis) and giant arborvitae (T. plicata), work best for use as living fences and privacy screens. Choose a slow-growing cultivar, such as “Techny” (T. occidentalis “Techny”), which grows 12 to 15 feet tall and easily could be controlled to some shorter height, to get a manageable fence. “Green Giant” (T. standishii x plicata “Green Giant”), which grows quickly to 30 feet tall, functions nicely as a privacy screen and/or wind screen in open spaces which could accommodate its height. “Techny” thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, and “Green Giant” thrives in zones 4 through 8.

Measure inward in the property line around half of the adult width of this arborvitae cultivar you decide on. The planting place ought to be in full sun to partial shade for best growth results. “Techny” varieties, which grow 6 to 8 feet broad, have to be planted at least 4 feet from the property line. Since “Green Giant” grows quickly to 10 to 12 feet broad, it ought to be planted at least 6 feet from the property line.

Stretch a garden hose straight where you would like to plant the arborvitae fence, then spray landscaping spray paint on the ground beside the hose to mark the planting row.

Loosen the soil along the marked planting row as deep as you can with a rototiller. Add soil amendments such as compost, sphagnum peat, manure, leaf mould and grass clippings if you’ve got poor soil with poor drainage; then use the rototiller to blend the amendments with the soil. Arborvitae can tolerate soil with a pH of 6 to 8, which ranges from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. Check the soil using a soil pH test kit, and add iron sulfate to amend alkaline soil or lime to amend acidic soil, working the amendment into the ground.

Dig a trench along the planting row, which makes it two to three times the width of your young arborvitae plants’ containers. Dig the trench as deep as the containers’ depth.

Place the arborvitaes from the trench, spacing them roughly one-half the adult width of the particular cultivar. Slightly closer spacing is acceptable to get a denser fence, but provide each plant sufficient space to grow.

Fill across the arborvitaes’ root balls with the amended native ground around the trees’ original planting depth, but prevent pushing the soil around their trunks. Pack the soil gently to remove air pockets.

Apply a 2- to- 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the base of this arborvitaes. Keep the mulch away from the trunks to prevent issues with rot and infestation. The mulch will help to retain moisture and suppress weed growth.

Water the arborvitaes heavily and often, preferably with a soaker hose, to maintain their soil moist but not wet. Adhere to this watering routine after planting and during the first year in spring, summer and autumn. Winter watering is usually required just once monthly if the ground dries out however isn’t frozen. After the plants present themselves in the very first year, supplemental water is usually required only in periods of summer drought.

Clip the arborvitaes’ delicate, new development tips with bypass pruners in late spring to shape the plants and encourage a flush of new development to fill in the living fence fast. Never prune back to this old wood because arborvitaes do not produce new development on wood.

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