Lemon Tree

Lemon trees are the most acidic of all the citrus fruits. One of the lyrics of the lemon tree song refers to the acidic fruit. Peter, Paul, and Mary sang, “Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower so sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon, is impossible to eat.” Those lyrics about the lemon citrus tree may not conjure up any memories except for folks over fifty years of age. Lemon trees were being grown in the world garden since at least 200 A. D. according to ancient sources mentioned the lemon plants.

The Spaniards are credited with introducing the lemon to the United States. Because lemons are evergreens and seem to be in a constant state of growth in the garden and lemon tree orchard, they are quite sensitive to cold. A warm climate garden may easily support lemon fruits, but the Midwest and northern winter confines this lovely, sweet smelling citrus tree to a container. The contianer needs to be moved inside in winter and freezing conditions. An excellent candidate for an indoor lemon trees is the juicy, popular Meyer lemon tree. The Meyer lemon is compact enough for urban balconies and limited garden spaces. The Meyer lemon will begin bearing large, juicy, thick peel fruits at an early age.

 Garden grown lemon tree fruits are so very versatile. The lemon is used in restaurants as a garnish and placed on water glass and tea glasses for flavor. It is used in pies, fillings for pastries, and of course the cool flavored lemonade drink. Lemons are utilized daily, regardless of season, winter through summer. Squeeze a garden grown Meyer lemon, and enjoy the tangy taste of lemonade all year round.

Lemon juice is valued as a stain remover in the household. Lemon peel oil is used in furniture polish, soaps, and shampoos, and is a major ingredient for perfumes and colognes. Put lemon peels in the garbage disposal to deodorize the sink and drain area. The lemony smell will delight the olfactory senses.

The juicy lemon also is a reservoir for health benefits. The high vitamin C content of the lemon was used by sailors to prevent scurvy. Winter time travel in the Christopher Columbus era was very likely to have included the juicy lemon as part of the daily rations. Lemons also contain significant amounts of vitamin B, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and carbohydrates. Lemon oil, derived in part from the lemon peel, is purported to contain properties that are stimulating, anti-infection, astringent, antiseptic, disinfectant and anti-fungal.

 Caring for lemon trees is very similar to other citrus trees. Pruning is required every year or every other year to keep them looking good. Citrus plants, other than lemon, can be pruned every other year and should be fine. Lemon trees, such as the Meyer lemon, grow fast and need to be pruned more frequently. Citrus trees should be inspected yearly for diseased and dead branches. Remove dead and diseased branches when they appear.

Growing a lemon tree is also similar to other citrus trees. If planted in the garden, place the tree in a warm, sunny, location with well drained soil. Water the tree deeply once every 7 to 10 days during the summer. Water the lemon tree less frequently during cooler weather or rainy weather. Fertilize every four to six weeks from early spring to late summer.
Lemon trees make excellent house plants where they can be enjoyed winter through summer. Provide a large enough container and use a potting soil that drains well. The soil needs to be kept moist and slightly acidic for best results. Lemon trees should be placed outside during warm weather to assist with pollination from insects.

Blueberries

The Blueberry is a flowering plant of the genus (Vaccinium). There are blueberries that are native to South America, Asia, and Europe. Blueberries are native to North America and they produce fruit that matures to a blue color. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit from late spring to summer. Commercially grown blueberries are generally divided into 3 types; lowbush or wild blueberries, highbush, and evergreen blueberries. There are approximately 30 species throughout various regions. The highbush is mainly found on the east coast, the lowbush in the Northeast and Canada, and the evergreen in the Pacific Northwest.

 The blueberry is acknowledged to have a high leveler of anti-oxidants than any other fruit. They also contain very high levels of vitamins C and A. Fully ripened blueberries contain the most anti-oxidants. Various studies have show that blueberries are beneficial in anti-aging, disease prevention, eyesight, cholesterol levels, arteries, memory, and weight control.

 Blueberries will perform well in a number of soil types as long as they are acidic and high in organic matter. Blueberries have shallow roots that are sensitive to soil compaction and poor drainage. Blueberries require acid soil with a pH below 5.5 and they do best when the pH is between 4.5 and 5.0. Blueberries should be pruned regularly after they reach 3 years of age. Remove damaged branches and less vigorous, spindly growth around the base of the plant. Blueberry bushes are best pruned when they are dormant and early spring pruning can help eliminate any winter damage to the plants.

Mangos

Most Americans consider the mango an exotic fruit with the taste of a peach and pineapple. Although it is popular in tropical areas it actually originated in Southeast Asia or India where it has been grown more than 4,000 years. Over the years mango groves have spread to many parts of the tropical and sub-tropical world, where the climate allows the mango to grow best. Mango trees are evergreens that will grow to 60 feet tall. The mango tree will fruit 4 to 6 years after planting. Mango trees require hot, dry periods to set and produce a good crop. Most of the mangos sold in the United States are imported from Mexico, Haiti, the Caribbean and South America.

Varieties

Today there more than 1,000 different varieties of mangos throughout the world. Mangos come in different shapes, sizes and coloring depending on the ripeness. The colors range from yellow to green to orange or red. They weigh as little as a few ounces up to a few pounds. All varieties have a very rich tropical flavor when ripe.

Guava Trees

The Guava is a sub-tropical fruit native to central America. It is grown from Florida across the lower south, gulf coastal region to Texas, as an outdoor plant. With a good source of light, it can be grown in containers and brought indoors for growing in northern climates. The Guava is a small tree or evergreen shrub that produces fragrant white flowers followed by 2-4 inch long round or oval shaped fruits. The fruits come in different varieties ranging from white, pink, yellow, or red. When ripe they are soft with a creamy texture. The juice is very sweet and highly nutritious. The trees are generally self-fertile, however they do produce a much larger crop when cross-pollinated with other varieties. Guava trees are easy to grow and are adaptable to many soil types. However, they prefer regular watering and fertilizing on a monthly basis. Willis Orchard Company offers a unique selection of Guava trees (Pink, Yellow, White, and Red). So try one of each for your home orchard, you won't regret it.

Planting Your Peach Tree

Planting a peach tree is a simple process, but there are a few steps that need to be taken to ensure that your tree has the best chance of thriving in its new location. Here are some tree planting tips:

The site you choose is very important when planting fruit trees. Peach trees need a sandy, well-drained soil. Water should drain away quickly after a rainfall, and the roots will not survive in a thick, clay-type soil. Full sun is required as well, so ensure that there is no shade blanketing the tree from nearby trees or buildings.

Peach trees are best planted when dormant, in the winter or very early spring months. This will allow the roots time to adjust and establish themselves when the warmer months arrive.

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Before you purchase your peach tree, take a soil sample to the nursery to have it analyzed. The garden experts there will be able to tell you if you need to add anything to the soil, such as lime or phosphorous, before planting.

Create a hole in the earth that is large enough to encompass the entire root system of the tree. Do not add fertilizer to the earth, as it can burn the tree's tender roots.


After purchasing your peach tree, soak the roots in water for about 24 hours before planting. Trim off any damaged or decaying roots, being careful not to go overboard in your trimming.

Place the root system of the peach tree in the ground, and cover with soil. Pack the soil in gently as you work. Make sure that the bud union of the tree (the point where the root system meets the tree trunk) ends up about 1 to 2" from the ground level.

Water the area where the tree was planted, and make sure there are no weeds in the near vicinity. If desired, add a layer of mulch where the hole was dug out to deter weed growth and retain moisture.

Growing Fruit Trees – Zone Specifications Critical for Success

Growing fruit trees in the continental United States normally dictates that we plant deciduous fruit trees. An exception would be citrus fruit trees, which are grown in subtropical zones (zones 9 and 10), or in containers for inside temperature control. Nursery grown fruit trees are usually orchard quality trees that are grown by fruit growers and the backyard gardener for producing backyard fruit.

The zone in which the fruit grower is located is critical for success for the many fruit varieties that are offered. All nursery grown fruit tree varieties have zone recommendations on the tags or in the nursery advertisements. Zone specifications are just as important to the backyard fruit grower as the professional orchard fruit grower.
Most subtropical fruit trees are evergreen. The subtropical fruit trees will withstand some below freezing weather if they are in their dormant season or semi-dormant season. In temperate climatic zones, the fruit grower will need to move the citrus varieties inside during the winter months. Temperate zone fruit trees would include apples trees, cherry trees, pear trees, and peach trees. Subtropical fruit trees would include orange and lemon trees.

Caring for fruit trees is much the same as caring for any plant. Proper soil, drainage, moisture, and fertility conditions would need to be maintained. Proper care for the fruit bearing branches is unique as compared to other trees.

 Pruning fruit trees should begin at an early age. Most fruit trees produce more quality fruit, and live longer, healthier lives if properly maintained and pruned. Fruit tree pruning does not need to be complicated or confusing. Many times the nursery will do the initial pruning on the dormant fruit tree. If the fruit tree arrives already pruned from the nursery, it can be planted without further pruning.

If the dormant bareroot tree arrives with long branches and over 3 foot tall, prune the tree to knee high and cut the side branches back by at last 2/3rds to promote vigorous new growth. Top pruning induces lateral branch growth, and in fruit trees, this produces a more easily accessible tree branch and shapely form. Pruning also diverts the expenditure of nourishment to form woody growth to that of buds and fruit.

Fruit trees are fast growing. After the spring flush of growth, cut the new growth back by ?. In late summer, prune the new growth on the branches back again by ½. The 2nd year pruning of the backyard fruit tree is the same as the first. Cut back new growth by half in the spring and again in late summer. In the 3rd year, choose a height and do not let the tree get any taller.

Tree height is a decision for the pruner. When there are vigorous branches above the chosen height, cut back or remove them. I n late spring or early summer, pinch back all new growth. Size development and low fruiting wood is determined in the 3rd year. Each branch should have at least 6 inches of free space around them. Remove all crossing branches that are too close together. Keeping fruit tree branches open to allow more light and freedom for bee movement is important. Sunlight and bees carrying pollen should allow for more and larger fruit. All varieties of fruit trees can be maintained at a predetermined height if pruned consistently.

 Pollination of backyard fruit trees is just as important to the small property owner as it is to a professional nursery. Many varieties of fruit trees are not self pollinating and require another fruit tree for pollination. Every fruit tree needs pollen to set fruit regardless of zone. Nursery grown apple trees will have pollinators by every row of apple trees. Even if the apple tree is known as self-fruitful, pollen from other compatible apple trees can assist in setting more fruit. Cross pollinizing varieties should bloom at approximately the same time as the other apple tree.

Crabapple trees are exceptional pollinizers because of their heavy blooming characteristics and their length of bloom period. Other fruit trees, such as sweet cherries, need pollinizers to produce fruits. Sour cherry trees are mostly self-fruitful. Many peach, pear, and plum trees are self-fruitful and will benefit from having a compatible pollinizer close by. Lemon and orange trees are mostly self-fruitful.

Citrus Trees

Citrus is thought to have developed in Southeast Asia in about 4000 BC. Citrus probably entered Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. Citrus fruits were first brought to America by the Spanish and the Portuguese. The fact that citrus trees are evergreen and cannot tolerate freezing dictated that the warm climates of Florida and California became the leading citrus producing states in the Unites States. Citrus fruits belong to the ‘Rutaceae’ family. Citrus fruits are fragrant, with or without seeds depending on the variety, and contain significant amounts of vitamin C, pectin, and fiber. They are fat free, sodium free, and cholesterol free.

The dwarf citrus trees offered by Nature Hills may also be grown inside. Dwarf citrus trees in containers can be successfully grown throughout the United States. Citrus like 8 to 12 hours of sunlight a day. Full-spectrum fluorescent grow lights are the best supplement for inside growth. They will tolerate less light in the winter than in the spring and summer. For container soil, use a light, well draining commercial soil mix. Do not put gravel in the bottom of the pot. Place the container on pebbles in a saucer or other surface that will allow air and water flow. Water them every 5 to 7 days with ¼ to ½ gallon of water. Do not keep them standing in water. The soil should be moist, not soggy. Citrus foliage benefits from being sprayed or misted with water, especially in winter months when the humidity might be low. A humidifier would also help keep the leaves lush and healthy.