Tabebuia makes an excellent shade, lawn, or street tree, or border plant. The yellow poui develops like a tree and is the national tree of Brazil. It is a tree that grows up to 37 m in height and has large buttresses at the base of the tree. (Explanation: Buttresses are flared supporting structures found at the base of the tree trunk that provide additional support for tall trees that grow in shallow soil without a deep root system.) Yellow poui isn’t an evergreen; during the autumn it assumes a orange-yellow-red coloring. It’s leaves are oblong-lance-shaped, and mid-green in color. Dense panicles of funnel-shaped yellow flowers with 5 crimped lobes are produced.
The tree needs sun for some time at least, and it is best to position the The yellow Poui in a place where it is exposed to at least a few hours of direct sunlight. You should avoid exposure to late freezings; grow it in a covered place, locating it outside only in late spring. During the winter young plants could need a light protection from the wind or cold; and they should be provided with a high stake to keep them erect. Watering is required only from time to time, and make sure that the soil around the tree is made wet every 4-5 weeks. As the root system develops, the tree no longer needs special watering.
Young plants need extra phosphorus to encourage good root development. Look for a fertilizer that has phosphorus. Apply the recommended amount during planting or during the first growing season.
The wood of Tabebuia is used extensively in construction due to its durability. The dense heartwood is light to dark brown, is easy to dry despite its density, and is used for house posts, and bridge building. It was also used to make railway sleepers where they still made of wood.
Many species of Tabebuia species develop close associations with ant colonies, providing habitat and food for the ants that are thought to provide protection to the plants from herbivory.

The sweet gum is a large, native, aromatic tree becoming 60 to 120 feet in height, with a trunk from 2 to 4 feet in diameter. In the open it develops a very symmetric pyramidal crown, with spreading and almost horizontal branches persisting rather low on the tapering, continuous trunk. When growing in the forests, the trunks are straight and clean, with a rather small lofty crown. It has an upright pyramidal growth habit in its youth and then becomes spreading, irregular and open as it ages.
American sweetgum trees are deciduous trees, indigenous to the southeastern U.S. American sweetgum trees bear leaves shaped like stars. The leaves provide excellent fall foliage color: in some cases, at the peak of the fall foliage season, some leaves may be red, others purple, others yellow, others orange — all on the same sweetgum tree! American sweetgum trees stand up well to urban pollution and are fast-growing trees. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from October to November.
American Sweetgum Trees are best grown in planting zones 5-9. The trees prefer full sun. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil. Young plants are susceptible to damage from late frosts.

Growing a tree from a gumball (capsule):

Gumballs turn brown with age. As they turn color on the tree, the heads pop open to disperse the seed. The gumballs can be taken from the tree safely for a few weeks before they turn color without hurting the seed. If the gumballs you collected are green, you can continue to let them dry and pop open, or try to gently pry them open yourself to access the seeds. Inside each prickly point are 1 or 2 winged seeds (usually dispersed by the wind). The entire gumball can contain as many as 50 seeds in a good year, and as few as 5 in a bad year (it runs in 3-year cycles). The amount of seeds found in the gumballs tends to correlate with how viable they are. The more seeds the ball has, the more likely it is that those seeds are of good quality.
Place the capsules on a sheet of paper in a warm place. As they open, shake the seeds out and sow them in a mixture of 1/3 of horticultural sand (coarse, washed river sand) 1/3 of a good compost and 1/3 of peat moss. Mix well and place it in a 8 inch deep tray. Spread the seeds evenly and not to crowded. Cover them with a 1/6 of an inch of the same mix and place it in a cold frame. Seeds could take up to two years to germinate. As soon as the seedlings reach around 4 inches high they should be transplanted to a pot where they should be kept until ready to be planted. Young plants should be kept in a cold frame for their first winter. As you plant them in their final place, try not to disturb the roots as you remove them from the pots. Sweet gum doesn’t like to be transplanted.

Problem: The spiny fruit pods are fairly objectionable, especially on lawns and sidewalks. The limbs drop fairly easily. This tree has a tendency to spread quickly on fertile moist sites and could become a pest if not controlled.

Apricot trees are versatile, graceful and beautiful. The foliage is attractive, and they make nice shade trees throughout the summer months. And, in the fall, as the tree prepares for the winter months, they have nice color. Apricot trees can be a lovely centerpiece in a yard: their blossoms are white or pink; their foliage is bronze in the spring, deep green in the summer, and yellow in the fall. In addition to complementing the landscape, most people grow apricot trees for their fruit, which is also versatile. It can be eaten fresh, dried for storage, made into wonderful preserves or thrown at unsuspecting targets.
Young apricot trees are likely to make excessive growth, especially trees from 2 to 5years of age. Trees making excessive growth do not mature early in the fall and are, therefore, more subject to injury from low temperatures in November and early winter. Mature apricot trees are hardier than young trees. Apricots are vigorous, fully winter-hardy trees that will eventually reach 2.5-3m (8-10ft). It is recommended that trees are grown as open bushes, as this method requires little pruning. Plant bare-root trees from autumn through to early spring, ideally in a free-draining soil. Apricots enjoy chalk but will not tolerate wet clay soils. It is best not to grow them in containers as they like a good root run.
Apricot trees are sensitive to climatic conditions and require the best possible growing sites to remain healthy and regularly productive. Apricots bloom earlier in the spring than other fruit trees and have only a limited tolerance of high summer heat. While the tree is fairly hardy (some varieties withstand winter lows down to -20° F), it can bloom too early–if you get a warm spell in late February or early March. In areas that have late frosts, you can choose some of the newer varieties developed in the North that bloom later and produce well in harsh climates. Thus, when choosing a variety, select one recommended for your zone and climate that will flower after the last spring frost in your area and that will live through your winter.
The soil must be well drained and preferably of a sandy type. Poor subsoils of any kind will result in the death or poor growth of many trees. Avoid heavy soils for apricots as such soils are likely to be poorly drained. Select a well grown one or two year old tree from the nursery. Two year old trees should have at least four of five well-spaced branches, with a good root system. The usual practice is to plant early in the spring, but planting can be completed in the fall when weather conditions are good and the soil is moist.
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.
Apricot trees prefer a well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. If fertilizer is needed, as indicated by yellow-green leaves, then 1/4 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer should be applied in the second year. Granular fertilizer should be scattered beneath the branches of the tree. An additional 1/4 pound should be applied for every year of age of the tree in early spring, before growth starts.

Winter protection:
If the temperature falls to below freezing, then will need to do additional protection. The southwest side of the trunk can become very warm on sunny days in late fall and winter. Night temperature frequently drops to well below freezing. This alternative freezing and thawing often injures the bark and wood. This permits wood-destroying fungi to gain entrance, and a large canker is likely to develop. Paint the trunk with a latex-based, white paint.
Fill any holes that develop in the soil at the base of the trunk. Make certain that the soil level adjacent to the trunk is slightly higher so that water will drain away from the tree. Water collecting in depressions near the trunk will form ice in late fall or winter. This ice may girdle the tree, causing death or serious injury.

Growing apricot from seed:
Apricot stones need to be stratified before they will germinate. This means taking the apricot stone directly from a ripe apricot, soaking it for 24 hours, then wrapping in damp paper towel then plastic (or in a bag of damp, sterilized sand, as is done in the nursery industry), and placing this into the refrigerator at about 4 deg. C for a period of four weeks (this cold storage would be four months for peaches and plums). This replicates what would occur in nature: The damp seed from the fruit would fall onto the wet ground and go through a cold, damp winter, which act to break the dormancy the stone retains when taken from the fruit. When conditions warm up again (when you take the stone from the refrigerator) and sow it into potting mix at about 20-25 deg. C, it will then be ready to germinate. Germination, however, could take some time as the hard seed coat makes the process of germination rather slow.

Pruning:
Because apricot trees tend to form too dense a canopy, open-center training is usually recommended. On mature trees, prune out dead, diseased, and broken branches, as well as any that cross through the tree’s center or crowd major limbs. Remove older, unproductive branches, cutting back to new branches. Because of the threat of silver leaf, pruning should be avoided during winter months when this fungus produces most of its spores. Pruning should therefore be carried out in summer, but not during wet weather, as this is the time bacterial canker will attack fresh wounds, and in severe cases plants can die.

Catalpa, also spelled Catawba, is a genus of mostly deciduous trees in the flowering plant family Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate regions of North America, the West Indies, and eastern Asia. Catalpa is a true tree of the people, surviving in all kinds of conditions from polluted cities to windswept prairies. Native Americans utilized the Catawba long before settlers arrived in the New World. But the settlers soon recognized the value of the catalpa and carried it with them across the country. With catalpa’s ability to survive most conditions and grow rapidly, and it’s bonus of beautiful, fragrant flowers, it was the pioneers choice of trees to plant on a new homestead.
There are two recognized species of catalpa or Catawba tree in North America, Southern Catalpa, C. bignonioides, and Northern Catalpa, C. speciosa. There are only subtle differences in the two and they have both been planted far outside their natural ranges. The tree is the food plant of the Catalpa Sphinx moth, the leaves being eaten by the caterpillars. The caterpillars are an excellent live bait for fishing, particularly in the south U.S. where some dedicated anglers plant catalpa mini-orchards for their own private source of “catawba-worms”.
For fast shade in rough conditions, catalpa is a good choice. Farmers plant catalpa for the wood, which makes strong, lightweight, rot-resistant fence posts. It makes a nice specimen tree with showy flowers at a time few other trees are blooming. Fisherpersons plant Catawba because it attracts caterpillars used for bait.
Catalpas grow to 10-25 m tall and 3 ft in diameter, and can be recognized by their large heart-shaped to three-lobed leaves, showy white or yellow flowers in broad panicles, and in the autumn by their 20-50 cm long fruits which resemble a slender bean pod, containing numerous small flat seeds, each seed having two thin wings to aid wind dispersal. Because of the leaves, they are sometimes confused for Tung trees in the south U.S. The leaves grow in pairs of threes which are whorled and opposite at a node. They are 6-12″ long and 4-8″ wide. They are characterized by a dull green above, and a paler green and fuzzy underside.
The Catalpa grows best in sun and partial shade. It is very tolerant of different soil types but it prefers deep, moist, fertile soil. It can withstand wet or dry alkaline coinditions and extremely hot, dry environments. They grow quite rapidly when young. A catalpa tree in a good spot may add 2 foot of growth a year, and trees bloom young, as early as six years of age.
Growing from seed: The seeds do not need any special treatment, such as freezing. Use a shallow container that has drainage and fill it with coarse sand or seed-starting mix. The sand, or mix, should be kept evenly moist and the container should be in a place where it gets some bottom heat or at least, where it is not exposed to chilly drafts. The bottom heat can come from sitting on top of the refrigerator or similar light-heat generating appliance. The seeds may well take 4 to 8 weeks to germinate. Plant them twice the depth of their thickness. After sprouting, the seedling will grow rapidly and after it’s gotten two sets of true leaves, it can be transplanted to a four-inch pot filled with container soil mix and kept in a sunny, warm spot, or under artificial light. If you plant the seeds now, by the time they sprout and are ready to transplant, the days will be getting longer.

The nectarine is a cultivar group of peach that has a smooth, fuzzless skin. Though fuzzy peaches and nectarines are commercially regarded as different fruits, with nectarines often erroneously believed to be a crossbreed between peaches and plums, or a “peach with a plum skin”, they belong to the same species as peaches. Several genetic studies have concluded in fact that nectarines are created due to a recessive gene, whereas a fuzzy peach skin is dominant. Nectarines have arisen many times from peach trees, often as bud sports.
Nectarine trees are small to medium sized short-lived trees, only living for about 12years. They are often grafted onto other rootstocks, similar to apple trees, which controls maximum height. If left to grow on their own rootstocks, nectarines will reach a height of 8 to 20 feet. Most varieties are self-pollinating, therefore only one tree will need to be planted to obtain fruit, that is, Peach and nectarine cultivars do not require cross pollination and set satisfactory crops with their own pollen. A single peach or nectarine tree can, therefore, be expected to bear crops in the home landscape if flower buds or flowers are not killed by low temperatures.
Nectarines require full sunlight and should not receive shade from buildings or tall trees. The early morning sun is particularly important because it dries the dew from trees, thereby reducing the incidence of diseases. If the planting site does not get plenty of sun, then you can’t expect the best performance from the trees. If possible, select a site with a high elevation so that cold air can drain away from the tree on a cold night during bloom. The best site will have well drained sandy loam type soil. Peach or nectarine tree roots or rootstocks will not tolerate soils where water remains on or near the surface for more than one hour after a heavy rain.
Prepare the soil one to two years before planting so that soil pH, organic matter, and nutrient status can be modified for the production of high quality peaches and/or nectarines. Prepare a bed at least 5 to 6 feet in diameter by cultivating (spading) 10 to 12 inches deep and adding organic matter such as manure, leaves, grass clippings, and compost. Before planting, prepare the soil thoroughly by plowing or spading followed by disking or raking to smooth the surface. If you have not adjusted the soil pH to 6.5 previously, liming should be done before you prepare the soil so that the lime will be mixed throughout the planting area. When added to the surface and not plowed in, lime takes years to move down into the soil. Lime an area 10′ by 10′ where each tree is to be planted. Phosphorus also moves down through the soil slowly and should be incorporated along with lime before planting if soil tests indicate a need.
Plant your tree in the spring in the center of your prepared area. Keep the bud union 1 inch above the soil. Planting a peach or nectarine tree too deep in the soil can cause poor growth or death.
Pruning and training should be done in the year of planting and every year after to develop a strong, well balanced framework of scaffolds (a tree with a strong trunk and well positioned side branches), as well as to maintain the balance between vegetative growth and fruit production. Immediately after planting, prune the tree back to a height of 26 to 30 inches. Cut off all side branches to leave a whip (a shoot without lateral branches or with lateral branches removed) that is 26 to 30 inches tall. Although this may sound drastic, the best shaped open center trees come from those pruned initially to a whip. The principles used to develop the trees are used to annually maintain the size and shape of the mature tree. Remove low-hanging, broken and dead limbs first, then remove the vigorous upright shoots along the scaffolds. Lower the tree to the desired height by pruning the scaffolds to an outward growing shoot at the desired height.

Can you grow nectarines from seed ?
Nectarines can be grown from seed but they require a cold period to break the dormancy. The period is about 90 days of temps below 40 degrees. Plant the seed (free of fruit) in a pot about 1 inch deep. Place the pot in a plastic baggie, seal it and put it in the fridge for 90 days. Place back out ina warm area (70degrees F or better) and germination should occur in a few weeks or you can leave the pot outdoors for the winter making sure you keep the soil moist and the seeds will germinate in the spring.

The Lilac Tree (Syringa) is a fully hardy deciduous small tree. It’s claim to fame is the mass of flowers it produces in mid to late Spring. Most of the flowers have a delicious scent - powerful but not over-powering. The majority of lilac trees have dark green leaves. Aside from Roses, there is no flower as beautiful and aromatic as Lilacs. Of the two, Lilacs have a stronger scent that carries quite a distance. Unfortunately, Lilacs bloom for only a very brief couple weeks in the spring.
Lilacs in the United States date back to the mid 1750’s. They were grown in America’s first botanical gardens and were popular in New England. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew them in their gardens. Lilac bushes can live for hundreds of years, so a bush planted at that time may still be around. Lilacs originated from Europe and Asia, with the majority of natural varieties coming from Asia. In Europe, lilacs came from the Balkans, France and Turkey.
Lilacs are low-maintenance shrubs. They offer good summer shade after they have reached several feet tall and they provide privacy to neighboring properties. With just a little care and maintenance, and the knowledge of how to replenish the old wood with new shoots, the shrubs will last a lifetime.
Lilacs do not like to get their feet (the roots) wet for a prolonged period of time. They do best on hillsides, slightly elevated areas, or level ground where there is good drainage. Their roots run deep. If you have an extended dry period or drought, water infrequently but thoroughly. Lilacs do not grow well in lowlands where water tends to collect for prolonged periods of time.
Space your lilacs 5 feet apart in a neutral or limy soil, in a position where they’ll get sun for at least six hours a day. Pulverize the soil to the full depth of a spade and spread the roots vertically. Lilacs send out a mat of roots, all quite close to the soils surface. Cover the roots with clean topsoil, and then finish off with soil into which you have worked a balanced plant food, moderately fresh dairy or stable manure, or a cup of super phosphate. Protect the bark of the view plants from injury both when you’re handling them and after they are planted. Cut sod back from the stems to prevent a reckless lawn mower from hitting them. And water all the lilacs heavily up until their blooming time, unless the season is extremely wet. A loose mulch on the area above the roots will help soil take in water more freely, and it will save your back by doing away with your having to hand-trim spreading grass.
Weed around your lilac bushes to maintain a clean, aesthetic look. Pile mulch high for appearance, to retain some soil moisture, and to keep weeds down. Do not make mulch so thick that new shoots are hampered from sprouting and developing. Lilacs will tolerate almost any kind of soil, from clay to sand, with a pH of 6 to 7. Like any plants, your Lilacs will benefit from compost and humus worked into the soil to help retain some water during dry spells, and to provide additional nutrients.
You do not need to provide frequent fertilizer or organic feeding for your lilacs. Use a general purpose fertilizer in early spring or one high in Phosphorous to promote blooming. Too much nitrogen in the soil will result in poor blooms. Repeat the use of a general purpose fertilizer after the flowers have died off.
Lilacs flower on old wood, and produce more flowers if unpruned. If pruned, the plant responds by producing fast-growing young vegetative growth with no flowers, in an attempt to restore the removed branches; a pruned lilac often produces few or no flowers for one to five or more years, before the new growth matures sufficiently to start flowering. Unpruned lilacs flower reliably every year. Despite this, a common fallacy holds that lilacs should be pruned regularly. If pruning is required, it should be done right after flowering is finished, before next year’s flower buds are formed. Lilacs generally grow better in slightly alkaline soil.
For propagation, simply find shoots growing out from the main clump and dig down to expose the roots for those canes and sever between the mother plant and your new clone. Plant it in the same soil it came out of with some compost or humus added and water regularly until it starts to take off. Lilacs are not hesitant growers and you’ll see your plant grow quickly.

There are few plants that create greater intrigue or visual impact during all four seasons than the flowering crabapple. In the spring all eyes are enticed with delicate colors offered by emerging leaves and buds. Unopened flower buds may hint of one color and as flowers open, other hues are revealed in a spectacular floral display. As flowers fade the rich foliage offers another subtle contribution to the landscape.
The flowers of crabapple tree are to be expected in full bloom during late April up to middle of May. There are classifications of the flowers of the crabapple tree. There is the single type with only five petals in it and the semi-double has six to ten petals. The double type has more than ten petals. Double-flowered crabapple trees will be able to keep the flowers longer but the fruits are not abundant.
Blossoms often open from pink or red buds and change to paler shades after opening, creating a beautiful pink cloud lasting several weeks. Asian crab apple specimens are usually preferred for ornament because their fruits are more colorful and last into the winter providing food for over-wintering birds. Blossom colors range from pearly white through delicate pinks to a deep red. There are even cultivars with coral or salmon colored flowers.
The flowers are pollinated by the early bees, one of the 90 possible associated insects that the Crab apple provides a home and sustenance for. Another form of wildlife that benefits from the growth of the Crab apple tree are our native birds, they relish the trees autumn crop of greenish-yellow miniature apples. Crab apples are much loved by birds as a source of food. Those birds will then depart to scatter the apple seed throughout the hedgerows where they perch, there it will grow to complete another of nature’s life circles. Raw Crab apples are much too acid for us humans; instead, we use the fruit in the creation of jams and jellies, often combined with rowan or blackberries.
Flowering crabapples are adaptable but thrive in rich loam type soil (a combination of clay, silt, and sand). Regardless of soil type, good drainage is a must for tree health. Crabapples grow best in a moist, slightly acidic soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. Excessively moist areas and low spots should be avoided. On the other hand, relatively dry sites can be tolerated by crabapples if plant stresses are minimized during the first year after transplanting.
Crabapples planted in average fertility soils and provided moderate amounts of organic matter need little additional fertilizer the first year. If you note that annual growth is less than 5″ - 6″ or leaves are small or pale green, then supplemental fertilizer is required. If fertilizer is suggested, apply 2 - 3 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of root zone area.
Plant stress, evidenced as unhealthy appearance (e.g. leaf scorch, poor leaf color), is a response to unfavorable environmental conditions. Drought stress, for example, is due to a lack of water, either from rainfall or irrigation. Water is essential for every life function of the plant. However, too much water or over-watering, a persistent saturation of the roots, can lead to root rot and eventual plant death. Other plant stresses include too much shade, insect damage, infectious diseases, and physical damage from lawnmowers, weed-eaters, animals, and children playing.
Full sun exposure, 8 to 12 hours of direct sun, is required for optimal development of fruits and flowers. Most flowering crabapples are hardy and can endure the colder temperature extremes of zone 4 on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone maps.
Flowering crabapples require direct exposure to sunlight throughout the day to ensure the development of the flowers, as well as the fruits. This means the trees must be planted on locations where they can access the sun for at least eight hours every day.
Crabapples require little pruning other than to keep it in shape or from interfering with other landscape specimens. Rapidly growing shoots from branches, called water sprouts, rapidly growing shoots from roots or the base of the tree, called suckers, dead, diseased, damaged, and crossing branches should all be removed. Sometimes on dense growing crabapples, it’s necessary to prune the center of the plant to allow additional sunlight and air movement.
Pruning should be completed before early June. By mid-June to early July, flower buds for the next season are beginning to form in most crabapples. Pruning after July will reduce floral display and fruiting for the following year.