The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Tree

Meyer lemon tree

Posted on by Posted in Edibles, Tree .
For four years now, I’ve been doing my best to keep a Meyer Lemon tree alive and somewhat thriving. It is a container bound tree that lives outdoors June through September and indoors in front of a south facing window the remainder of the year. It has been a struggle ever since I received the little tree stub for Christmas from my beautiful bride but I am determined to eventually see the “fruits” of my labor.
Here is how it looks in its current state (actually from a week ago):      

It has quadrupled in size but as you can tell, it is a bit awkward as many leaves have dropped from the branches over the years. As I move the container indoors each autumn, the tree becomes unhappy and sheds some leaves in protest. The tree manages to hold on OK through the winter, but it is your classic “one step forward and two steps back” situation.

So now I’ve decided to make some changes to hopefully get me a nice looking and well limbed tree and most importantly, some friggin fruit. Actually, my first fruit appeared this summer and here’s hoping I can keep it on the tree over the winter:

Fingers are crossed.

Back to my changes:

  • I think I panicked a bit in the past and brought my tree in too soon; usually mid to late September. This year, I gave the tree a few more weeks of outdoor time and only brought it in last week in anticipation of our first frost.
  • I made it a point to slowly transition my tree from the outdoors to its ultimate winter landing place. The tree went from full sun all summer to partial sun for a week to my garage for a week. I am now ready to bring her indoors and hopefully the transition is a bit less stressful this year.
  • I never considered fertilizing my lemon tree while indoors but I am open to doing so this year. I’ve read quite a bit on the topic and while opinions vary, I am leaning towards feeding. What would you suggest?
  • I had previously lined the bottom of the container with perlite to aid in the drainage process but I can now attest to the fact that I believe that actually hindered the drainage. The perlite is out, new soil and a larger container are in and here’s hoping we get some positives out of this.
  • Finally, I made the investment in a grow light and I’m counting on this to supplement the light the tree typically gets from my south facing window.

I’ll be closely tracking the development of the tree this “off-season” and will share the results. In the interim, I beg for your feedback on what has or hasn’t worked for you.

As always, thank you.

John  

Hawthorn Winter King

Posted on by Posted in Tree .
Eight years ago, when moving into our new home out in the “country” here in New Jersey, the yard was a blank canvas.
There was literally zero landscaping. The only mature trees were in the woods at the back of the property.
It was exciting to be able to create something from scratch … and terrifying to have to create something from scratch.
Since then, I’ve done my best to try and add as many trees as possible, but as we all know, trees aren’t exactly cheap. And with that hefty expense, comes the pressure to make sure that the trees purchased produce the biggest bang for the buck.
Which leads me to our discussion for today. A tree that I’ve only had for roughly two years but already love – Hawthorn Winter King:

Some information on this tree:

  • Height ranges from 20 to 30 feet with a similar spread
  • Zone 4-7
  • Full sun
  • Deciduous
  • Blooms for about two weeks in early to mid May here in zone 6B
  • Filled with berries in summer that emerge red and turn orange into winter
  • Leaves turn a mix of gold, red, bronze in autumn
  • The silver bark peels to reveal the orange bark underneath
  • Shape is upright and dense; vase-like
  • Native to North America
  • Tolerates clay and wet soil (woo hoo)
  • More disease resistant than other Hawthorn trees

And here’s what I’ve witnessed in the two short years since I purchased this gem.

The leaves and buds of Hawthorn Winter King emerge almost simultaneously at the end of April:

And the blooms appear soon after, lasting about two weeks:

One quick side note: I read that these flowers are “malodorous” which in simple terms means “they smell like hell”.
Now as you may know, I have virtually no sense of smell but even I could attest to the fact that they do not smell so great. But who cares? Who gets their nose all up and in there?
Most importantly, I have a new word for my vocabulary that I will be sure to drop in a conversation real soon. Back to our discussion …
After the blooms have faded, the leaves have held up well through both a wet and dry summer, which works for me.
Eventually, the Hawthorn Winter King berries emerge red in color, slowly transforming into a shade of orange like they are as of today. Through research on the web, it appears that songbirds dine on these berries more than any other bird but I’ve yet to catch any in the act. They must not taste so great since these berries survive on the branches deep into winter:

I have yet to witness much of a fall color on this Hawthorn other than some yellowing of the leaves, which soon turn brown and drop:

However, one of the best, if not THE best attributes of this tree is its peeling bark. As larger pieces of the bark fall off, the orange bark underneath is exposed giving it awesome “winter” interest:

From winter to early spring, Hawthorn Winter King, even in its earliest stages of growth like I am experiencing, has a phenomenal silhouette and stands out in my landscape:

I am expecting more of the same as this tree evolves over the next few years and will be sure to report out on its progress.

John

Crabapple Prairifire

Posted on by Posted in Tree .

Multi-seasonal interest. It is what gardeners seek but often have difficulty locating.

Well I’ve got a tree for you today that offers not 2 … not 3 … but 4 seasons of interest (hell, if there is ever a 5th season invented it will offer interest then too). Throw in the fact that it draws wildlife, is disease resistant, works in most soils and is low maintenance and you’ve got yourself one mother of an awesome tree.

I’m talking about Crabapple Prairifire:

I’ve only had this deciduous tree for three years now and it has been stellar since day one. I can only imagine it will continue to please in the years to come as it develops further.

A few quick tidbits on Crabapple Prairifire :

  • Survives in zone 4-8
  • Prefers full sun
  • Mature size is approximately 15 x 15
  • Prefers average soil moisture and can handle wet soil (woo hoo!!)
  • Takes on a dense, rounded shape as it matures
  • The ‘Prairifire’ cultivar was discovered in 1982 at the University of Illinois

Here are some photos I’ve taken over the past year or so (zone 6B) along with some additional factoids:

Crabapple Prairifire begins leafing out in early to mid April and the foliage emerges in a deep red color:

 

Within a week or so after that, the blooms have emerged and usually last 2-3 weeks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the blooms have faded and dropped, the Crabapple Prairifire foliage begins to change to green and the crabapples begin to develop:

The crabapple fruits are enjoyed by the birds and the birds like to chill amongst the dense foliage:

 

But back to the crabapples. They are my personal favorite aspect of this tree. They last from summer all the way into the fall and persist throughout the winter:

Crabapples in summer:
Crabapples in the Fall:

 

Crabapples in late Fall:

 

Crabapples in winter:

 

Crabapples during a late winter freeze:

 

I have yet to prune my Crabapple Prairifire since it is so young but may look to do so next winter.

I’ve been so happy with this tree to date that I am looking to add 2-3 more in the near future. I’ve even considered lining my driveway with them (got a few thousand dollars I can borrow?)

Seriously, 4-season interest is a rarity so how can you not jump all over these gems?

John

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