Plum Tree Care

The purple-leaved plum tree is a dramatic ornamental tree. It is usually selected for its abundant and stunning display of pink flowers and lush reddish-purple leaves. It is particularly showy because flowers bloom early in the spring before foliage appears. The plum tree's richly colored leaves are 1-1/2 to 3 inches long and are present throughout most of the growing season, making a lovely contrast and enhancement to the landscape. Some people do opt to purchase the fruit bearing variety, which produces small purple plums. A fast grower, the plum tree has an upright form with a lovely rounded and dense canopy. For best results, tree should be positioned in full sun and well-drained, acidic soil.

Plum Tree Care

Plum trees are susceptible to several stresses and insect and disease issues. By properly controlling insects and disease, fertilizing, watering and regularly pruning the trees, you can encourage tree health and enjoy the beauty of this tree on your landscape for years.

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At the beginning of the growing season horticultural oils should also be used to smother scale insects and reduce over wintering populations of aphid and mite eggs. Plum trees are also susceptible to Japanese beetle attacks. Preventative and curative treatments are available to ward off this pest.
Newly planted trees benefit from ArborKelp® - SavATree’s exclusive seaweed biostimulant which aids in tree establishment, promotes root growth and heightens stress tolerance.

Mature and established plum trees benefit from fertilizer feedings of organic-based macro and micronutrients for the nutrition necessary to sustain their health.

Cherry Tree Care, Cherry Tree Pruning & Cherry Tree Disease Treatments

In addition to their wonderful fruit, many property owners grow cherry trees for their spectacular spring flowers. Cherry trees can have a graceful weeping form or attractive upright canopy depending on the species. There are many cherry tree varieties to choose from. Most cherries produce pink to white flowers. Cherry tree leaves are also attractive in the fall. Bing sweet cherry trees produce large, delicious, deep red fruit. Bing sweet cherry trees begin to bear fruit in their fifth or sixth year, and once mature can yield up to 100 pounds of fruit.

Ornamental flowering cherry trees, such as the Kwanzan Cherry tree, Chinese Cherry tree, and Yoshino Flowering Cherry tree, are sterile and do not produce fruit, but are cultivated to be decorative by producing more abundant blossoms.

How to Grow: Cherry trees should be planted in early spring.  If growing cherries for their fruit, a cooler drier climate is best. One should plant varieties that bloom at the same time as successful pollination is necessary for a bountiful harvest. Cherry trees flourish in full sun and well-drained soil.
Size of Tree: Cherry trees are 20 to 30 feet high / 15 to 25 foot spread

Cherry Tree Care

Cherry trees are susceptible to many stresses, including insect problems and disease, such as cherry blight, making their life span around 20 years. However, by properly controlling insects and cherry tree disease, as well as watering, regular pruning, and using cherry tree fertilizer, you can enjoy the beauty and fruit of this tree on your landscape for years.

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At the beginning of the growing season horticultural oils should be used to smother scale insects and reduce over wintering populations of aphid and mite eggs. Cherry trees should also be pruned to remove dead and diseases branches and to control size.

Mature and established cherry trees benefit from fertilizer feedings of organic-based macro and micronutrients for the nutrition necessary to sustain their health and prevent cherry tree problems.

Cherry Tree Pruning

Pruning and training deciduous fruit trees are performed primarily to increase fruit production and develop a strong tree framework of optimum size and shape. This is especially important for a cherry tree which can grow faster than its body and limbs can actually support. Pruning is necessary to maintain tree health, vigor and productivity throughout the life of the home orchard.  Benefits of pruning and training include:

• Aid in the establishment of newly planted cherry trees
• Enhance early productivity
• Increase fruit size and quality
• Promote flower bud development throughout the cherry tree canopy
• Promote development of new fruiting wood needed to maintain productivity
• Reduce the tendency for biennial bearing
• Reduce incidence and spread of certain cherry tree diseases
• Facilitate spraying, fruit thinning and harvesting

Cherry Tree Diseases, Pests & Signs

There are several damaging diseases and pests that affect cherry trees. Some of the most common are:

Brown Rot – This fungus infects blossoms, fruit and small branches. Signs include cankers, fruit rot and blight.  Powdery, brown gray tufts can be seen on the twigs or fruit especially when wet.

Powdery Mildew – Fungal disease that attacks twigs and leaves. Signs are white patches on new leaves and premature dropping of leaves.

Cherry Leaf Spot – Fungus that primarily affects cherry tree leaves but can also attack twigs and stems. Look for dark colored spots on the leaves, leaf yellowing, premature dropping of leaves and white spots on leaves in wet weather. Cherry leaf spot is more prevalent in humid areas.

Black Cherry Aphid – These tiny soft bodied, black insects eat the leaves of the cherry tree causing them to become twisted, stunted and curled.  The aphids also secrete honeydew which may cause black fungus to grow. Severe infestations can kill young cherry trees and reduce quality and quantity of a mature tree's harvest.

Preventing Diseases in Fruit Trees

If you maintain any pitted fruit trees such as plums, peaches, or cherries, you already know that those types of trees are much more susceptible to diseases than any other type. While the fruits are delicious, it can be rather hard to live with all of the maladies that can plague the life of everyone who has ever grown one of those types of fruit trees.
 
The main disease that you will hear about the most is known as Brown Rot.. This is a fungus that attaches to many of the leftover fruits after the picking season is over. Not only does it look disgusting on the leftover fruits, but it also can come back on the newer fruits, rendering them inedible.
 
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To prevent this, you should prune your trees often to encourage good air circulation. Buildups of moisture are the main cause of the brown rot. Also when you are done picking for the season, you should get rid of all of the leftover fruits in the tree or on the ground.

Picking a good spot for your Fruit Tree

When growing a fruit tree, choosing the right place to plant it is very important. You have to consider how close it is to a building, electric line, side walk, or any other thing that might disrupt its growth. Once you plant a fruit tree, the chances of unearthing it and changing its spot without killing it are very slim.
 
Therefore you must always be sure you know which size fruit tree you have (dwarf, semi dwarf, or standard) and how big it will end up once it's an adult. Dwarf trees need an area with an eight-foot diameter to grow. Semi-dwarf fruit trees can grow up to fifteen feet wide. Standard fruit trees can grow as wide as thirty feet. To keep the size of your fruit tree at whatever level is best for you, be sure to prune them at least once a year.
 
In addition to this, you have to consider whether or not it will be the sunlight it needs to survive. You also have to be sure it doesn't get too much sunlight. If your tree doesn't get just the right amount of sun, it will die.
 
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Be sure that you do not plant it where the sunlight will be blocked by something. Make sure that it won't be hit by the sun the whole day. Either of these can be fatal to the tree.
 
An important thing to keep in mind when choosing a spot for your tree is whether your spot will be convenient for watering, harvesting, and pruning. A place that would not be good to plant a fruit tree is close to your house or your fence. Any of these things could get in the way of you harvesting and pruning. If your tree grows over your fence the fruit could drop into your neighbor's yard, just keep that in mind since your neighbor may not like this.
 
Be sure to plant your tree where it will be easy to water; if you already have a sprinkler system in your yard you could put your tree where the sprinkler could reach it. If you do not have a sprinkler system installed, you should put the tree within reach of your hose.
 
One of the most important things of all to keep in mind when planting a fruit tree is whether or not your soil in your yard is suitable for your tree. You have to make sure that is has enough nutrients, it has enough moisture, you need proper water drainage so the tree doesn't drown. If your soil doesn't have these traits then your tree won't grow very well or produce good fruit. You can always alter your soil to be more suitable for your tree.
 
You can find out what kind of soil you have by taking a sample and taking it to a lab. It may be expensive, but they can test it for what nutrients it has the most of. You'll have the results back in a couple of days. If your soil is low in nutrients, you can go to your local nursery, or any other store with gardening supplies, and get fertilizer.
 
After you have checked on all of these things, you are finally ready to go and choose what kind of fruit tree you want. When you are choosing your tree keep in mind the spot you picked, and buy the tree that would do best in that spot. The worst thing that can possibly happen is devoting time and money to growing a tree, only to end up having to remove it because of poor planning.

Happy Gardening !

Longan Fruit Tree

Native to the highlands of India, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia, longan trees (Dimocarpus longan) are evergreen tropical trees that grow over 40 feet tall and wide.

Features

The longan tree bears glossy, dark green compound leaves composed of four to eight leaflets. Even if it never produces fruit, it makes an attractive tropical shade or street tree. The small, yellowish, plumelike flower clusters occur in late spring with fruits ripening by mid- to late summer. The bark is coarsely smooth and pale cocoa brown.

Growing Requirements

• Plant longan in fertile, well-drained soil in a garden location that receives at least 10 hours of direct sunlight daily, according to Margaret Barwick in "Tropical and Subtropical Trees." Some shading from intense hot tropical midday summer sun is beneficial. The tree is susceptible to nutrient deficiencies, so an acidic topsoil at least 3 ft. deep is best. Maintain a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch over the root zone. Longan is not drought- or salt spray-tolerant.

Considerations

• Like the closely related lychee tree, longan trees tend to flower more profusely and yield better fruit crops when the preceding winter has been cool and somewhat dry. Barwick notes that winters with frequent light frosts tend to increase the subsequent spring production of flowers. Fruit production is diminished after warm and humid winters during which temperatures had not dropped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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How to Water a Longan Tree

Longan trees are closely related to the more popular lychee tree, with similar histories and growing requirements. These trees--also called dragon's eye trees hail from southern China, where they grow in high, cool elevations with some frost hardiness. The trees grow to 30 to 40 feet tall and bear small brown skinned fruits.

Plant longan trees in rich, deep soil to satisfy their need for quick drainage. Use a combination of quick-draining soil, sandy loam and organic compost for planting, to encourage both drainage and moisture retention. Longan trees won't flower or bear fruit if they grow in thick or waterlogged soil.

Irrigate longan trees with 2 to 3 inches of water a week during spring and summer. Longan trees need consistent moisture during flowering and harvest seasons.

Reduce watering to 1 inch per week after harvest and through winter, to decrease excessive foliage growth and encourage spring flowering. Longan trees are tolerant to drought and will manage with restricted or no water at this time.

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How to Care for a Longan Tree

Grow the longan tree in full sun in the warmest, driest area of the garden.

Water the young longan tree regularly to keep the soil moist. When the tree begins bearing fruit, it only requires a regular irrigation schedule while it is in flower and bearing fruit. Withhold water in September and October.

Maintain a grass- and weed-free area around the trunk of the longan tree. Apply a 4-inch layer of mulch, 8 inches from the tree's trunk and spread out to the dripline. Mulch helps discourage weed growth.

Fertilize the first-year longan tree with 1/4 lb. of 6-6-6 fertilizer every eight weeks. Increase the amount of fertilizer to 1/2 lb. in the second year but decrease the frequency of applications to four, split evenly throughout the year. Follow this same schedule in the third year, increasing the amount of fertilizer to 1 lb. Mature longan trees require 5 lbs. of fertilizer just before the tree blooms in late spring and again before harvest. Spread the granular fertilizer on the soil beneath the tree, 5 inches from the trunk, and spread it out 1 foot beyond the dripline. Water well after applying.

Apply an iron chelate soil drench around the tree in July, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Reapply at the same rate in early September.

Inspect the longan tree periodically for pests. Contact your county cooperative extension service to find out approved control methods.

Prune the longan tree to keep it to a manageable size. Agriculturists with the University of Florida suggest that the tree be kept no taller than 15 feet high and 30 feet wide. Cutting 1 to 2 inches from the tips of new shoots on the young longan tree during the spring and summer will help keep the tree compact.

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