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The Heyser Way: Small Scale Fruit Production
I just picked up the ‘Small Scale Fruit Production’ guide published by Penn. State. Perusing it, I noticed it gives the good news and bad news of growing fruit. Good news- “exercise, enjoyment, a supply of delicious fruits, enhancement of the home landscape, and a truly educational experience. Bad news - “There are cultural requirements and pest problems to solve throughout the year.” Of course, they know that once you’ve paid $7.50 for their publication you’ve already weighed the merits of each and have decided to go for it.
The Planting Site
CRABAPPLES
Outstanding Crabapple Cultivars for Maryland
Crabapples are one of the most desirable small trees to incorporate into today’s smaller landscapes. They are easy to grow in zones 3 through 7, have a dramatic spring floral display, tolerate a wide range of soil and climatic conditions, and are readily available. However, they are often mislabeled, have messy fruit, have problems with the understock, and are frequently susceptible to a number of diseases that can make them aesthetically unattractive.
VIRGINIA ROUND-LEAVED BIRCH
Virginia is uniquely positioned to accommodate a great diversity of flowering plants. Its latitude, topography, and climate allow plants primarily adapted to northern climates as well as those adapted to southern climes to grow within its borders. Virtually all plants native to Virginia can be found growing in other states (plants tend not to respect political boundaries).
Snags & Logs:
Vigorous, living trees provide wildlife with food and shelter, but what about dead or dying trees-or even logs? Just as they did when they were healthy and living, dead and dying trees are critical elements of habitat for many animals. Trees are like any Irving thing. They have Infancy, youth, maturity, old age, and death. And, as a tree ages and eventually dies, changes in Its bark, wood, and other parts create habitat for animals suited to each stage In the life and death of the tree. Dead trees are called “snags”, and when snags fall to the ground they are then called “logs”.
Fringe-tree Old-Man’s-Beard:
The ethereal spring bloom of the fringe-tree, Chionanthus virginicus, qualifies this plant as one of North America’s most beautiful small flowering trees. Fringe-tree’s showy bloom delights any who visit this plant’s native habitats along streams, small rivers, and in drier sites at higher elevations throughout Virginia. Its unique natural beauty, longstanding use in horticultural settings, widespread distribution throughout the Commonwealth, and its distinctive biology have earned the fringe-tree recognition as the Wildflower of the Year, 1997
Endless Variety Among Evergreens: Take Boxwood for Example
Boxwoods offer the gardener a rich variety from which to choose. There are nearly 100 naturally occurring species of this evergreen landscape plant. Most are native to the Caribbean Islands, East Asia, and central Europe. There are also about 300 different boxwood cultivars that grow in the northern Temperate Zone. The National Boxwood collection at the U.S. National Arboretum contains nearly 140 different species and cultivars of boxwood. It is one of the most comprehensive living collections of boxwood in the world.
Boxwood (Buxus sp.) is an ornamental, broad-leaved, evergreen shrub that has enriched gardens for centuries. The name derives from the elegant boxes made of boxwood that ladies in ancient Rome and Greece used to store jewelry.
The Earth: Plant Your Own Orchard
Through the years I have found great satisfaction in growing my own vegetables and much enjoyment from growing my own fruit trees. Orchard fruits and nuts not only supply essential nutrition and fiber to a diet but also opportunities for joy and beauty. Growing vegetables can be very productive, but no food-production system is complete without a small orchard.
In one way, an orchard is easier to grow than a vegetable garden. Once planted, fruit and nut trees will produce for years. Some apple trees can still be productive after 50 years.
The Earth: Managing Your Energy Orchard
Here on our farm, my husband and I have chosen wood as our sole source of heat. Our house is kept warm and cozy by the wood stove in the living room. In an average heating season the stove consumes three cords of mixed hardwoods, all from our land.
Fortunately, we have about 30 acres of forest, so there’s never a shortage of firewood. Now, you don’t need to own 30 acres of woods to be self-sufficient in firewood. In most regions of the United States a woodlot of three acres is adequate. If available land is limited, firewood can be grown along roads, streams, edges of fields, stone fences, property lines or surrounding the house, as a windbreak or privacy screen.
Cut Christmas Trees: Selection and Care
A decorated evergreen tree can be a wonderful addition to the house during the holiday season, but when not properly selected and maintained it can also represent a potential fire hazard. You can have a beautiful and safe holiday tree if you follow a few simple suggestions.
Start Fresh
You can’t turn a dry tree into a fresh tree, so it’s important to start with a fresh tree. Most cut Christmas trees are harvested several weeks before they’re sold and they can vary a lot in freshness depending on how they have been handled.
