Whether home-grown or store bought, Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) fruits ripen sweet and tasty on the tree (USDA hardiness zones 4-9). There are over 100 varieties available worldwide, many with difficult to pronounce. Investigate variety cold hardiness and winter chilling rating as some cultivars are hardier than others. Southern varieties require only 300- 600 hours of winter chilling temperatures […]
Archive for the ‘Propagation(grafting)’ Category
Asian Pears Becoming Very Popular
Posted by Hugh on January 6th, 2016
Posted in acidic soil, Asian Pears, Bee Favorite, Disease prone, Fertilizing plants, Fruits & Vegetables, Harvest Time, Heat Tolerance, Insect (Pest) Problems, mulching, Pear (Pyrus spp.), Pesticide recommendations, Planting tips, Pollination needs, Powdery mildew, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Rabbit/deer Protection, Root suckering, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Voles, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Asian Pears Becoming Very PopularWidely Planted Norway Spruce
Posted by Hugh on December 7th, 2015
Norway spruce (Picea abies) is a large pyramidal evergreen conifer. It is native to the mountains of northern and central Europe where it often matures to 100 feet or more in height. In the cool temperate areas of the U.S. and Canada, Norway spruce is widely planted, typically reaching 50 to 80 feet tall at maturity (USDA hardiness […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Christmas tree, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Mites, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spruces (Picea spp.), Trees & Shrubs, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Widely Planted Norway SpruceSelecting Japanese Maple Varieties For Winter Hardiness
Posted by Hugh on November 4th, 2015
Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and (A. japonicum) are among the most picturesque of trees and shrubs. Their star-shaped leaves are comprised of 5-7-9 pointed lobes, depending on variety (cultivar). Trees exhibit layered branching, cascading form, lacy foliage (dissectum types), and stunning fall color. There are countless numbers of cultivars… […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Japanese maple, Landscape ideas, Maples (Acer), mulching, mulching trees, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Rabbit/deer Protection, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Selecting Japanese Maple Varieties For Winter HardinessDwarf Ginkgoes For Small Spaces
Posted by Hugh on September 10th, 2015
Prehistoric Ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) are easily identified by their triangular shaped leaves (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Trees mature to huge sizes, up to 80 – 90 feet high. Their growth rates are initially slow during the early establishment years. Ginkgo tree are “dioecious”, either male and female. Most (not all) ginkgoes develop into tall pyramidal […]
Posted in acidic soil, compact shrub, compact tree, Container growing, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ginkgo biloba, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Dwarf Ginkgoes For Small SpacesARS Selects ‘Oso Easy Lemon Zest’ Rose For Award of Excellence
Posted by Hugh on July 13th, 2015
The American Rose Society (ARS) announced at the 2015 National Conference that Proven Winners received the Award of Excellence for its Oso Easy Lemon Zest shrub rose. To receive this honor, a rose must prove its toughness and beauty in six different no-spray trial locations across the U.S.(USDA hardiness zones 5-9). “Oso Easy Lemon Zest rose is a […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bee Favorite, Container growing, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowering, Flowers, mulching, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Roses, shrub roses, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, winter hardiness Comments Off on ARS Selects ‘Oso Easy Lemon Zest’ Rose For Award of ExcellenceAmerican Yellowwood Deserves To Be Planted More
Posted by Hugh on May 19th, 2015
American yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) is a beautiful native tree which is rarely planted in U.S. landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). Yellowwood is a tree for all seasons. It is both a lovely shade and flowering specimen. Long white wisteria-like flowers appear in mid- to late-May. It eventually matures into a lovely 35 to […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Disease resistant, Failure to Bloom, Fragrant, Native Plant, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Transplant problem, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness, Yellowwood Comments Off on American Yellowwood Deserves To Be Planted MoreNew ‘Pam’s Mountain Bouquet’ Kousa Dogwood
Posted by Hugh on April 25th, 2015
‘Pam’s Mountain Bouquet’ is a new Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa) cultivar from the plant scientists from the University of Tennessee Dogwood Working Team (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Mountain Bouquet is a near-white flowering form whose petal-like bracts fuse into near perfect squares. The cultivar blooms slightly later than other flowering dogwoods, helping to extend dogwood’s […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Chinese (kousa) dogwood, compact tree, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Ornamental fruit, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark Comments Off on New ‘Pam’s Mountain Bouquet’ Kousa DogwoodTake A Second Look At Canadian Hemlock
Posted by Hugh on January 18th, 2015
Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is a native evergreen species which is available in many forms: prostrate, globose, weeping, fastigiate and variegated (USDA Hardiness Zones 3-7). Its tremendous versatility as a hedging tree or shrub in planting sites is also a great reason to continue to include hemlock in the landscape. Hemlock may […]
Posted in Attracting birds, compact shrub, container shrub, DWARF CONIFERS, Evergreen, Hemlock (Tsuga), Insect (Pest) Problems, Native Plant, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Take A Second Look At Canadian HemlockWhat A Plant Costs
Posted by Hugh on January 1st, 2015
I overheard a customer complain about the “outrageous” prices for plants, particularly the newly introduced ones. Here is some of the whys: Certain plants are difficult to reproduce. Occasionally, stores may stock some expensive items like paperbark maple (Acer griseum) and fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus). These […]
Posted in Landscape ideas, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Uncategorized Comments Off on What A Plant CostsEmerald™ Arborvitae
Posted by Hugh on December 4th, 2014
Emerald™ or ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) is not new shrub or cultivar. More than 3 generations of gardeners have used this unique form of eastern arborvitae as their “go to” evergreen shrub up and down the eastern coast and through the Midwest (USDA hardiness zones 3-7). Emerald is a semi-dwarf evergreen shrub with a […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), Bagworms, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Landscape ideas, Mites, mulching, Native Plant, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation(grafting), Rabbit/deer Protection, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Emerald™ Arborvitae
