Mild weather sows the seeds of temptation
Gardeners can be seduced by mild weather at this time of the year, as the temptation is to sow seeds in open ground, even though the soil is still cold and wet. Those who succumb to the lure of a warmer day or two will lose most seeds.Main-crop carrots, parsnips, peas, beet and potatoes can wait until the end of next month to be sown.
Patience pays off later, with strong, healthy plants the reward for delaying sowing. However, small quantities of spinach, stump-rooted carrots, hardier lettuce, mustard, cress and turnips can be sown now.
Peas and leeks can be sown under cover, for planting out later. If dwarf, quick-maturing peas (Earlicrop Massey or Novella) are sown at the same time as main-crop varieties, such as Greenfeast, a natural succession of crops will occur.
Although they are more resistant to rust if sown in autumn, broad beans can be sown now, as the seed will germinate at very low temperatures. Onions can still be sown, if soil conditions allow.
Hoe around spring cabbages in the garden to stir soil hardened by winter rains. When harvesting, take every second plant at the half-grown stage so those remaining have more space to mature. Autumn-planted lettuce responds well to the same treatment.
Spinach likes plenty of organic matter in the soil. When preparing the ground for this crop, work in compost at the rate of a 10-litre bucketful per square metre.
Summer spinach can be sown from now on, but choose a warm spot this early in the season.
New Zealand spinach ( Tetragonia expansa ), which is not a true spinach, grows best in the hottest, driest months of the year. Frost-tender, its seed should not be sown until October. The plants spread quickly, with trailing growths eventually forming a clump of succulent shoots. Allow plenty of space, as each plant will grow 60cm or more in diameter. It remains ready for use until next winter's frosts. It is recommended that New Zealand spinach always be cooked before eating.
Pruning Pear Tree - News
Apple and pear trees root action will suffer if drainage is poor, so check how it is by digging a circular trench, just clear of a tree's root area. If water collects in it, dig another trench leading off it from the lowest point.
Best production with another Asian pear variety. Semi dwarf 12-15 feet high. Sun. PRUNUS VIRGINIANA — Eastern America. Small tree that can be pruned down, with dark red, tart fruit in summer. 20 feet. Full sun-light shade. CORNUS MAS — Ukraine.
In the new one, we have no suitable walls, so they are free-standing trees. The age of the tree makes a difference to flavour, too. Ours are still relatively young and I chose the trees (the orchard has six pear trees and six plums/gages) to give as

But how do you find the right sort of tree for your garden? Though plum trees are usually slightly bigger than apple or pear trees, new, smaller rootstocks such as 'Pixy' mean that it is now easier to grow a plum tree in a smaller space.

London plane trees, sugar maples, oak, green ash, Callary pear trees and more, now lost from the landscape. Gagnon, city tree resource manager, sprayed a neon orange circle Tuesday on a Norway maple on Linwood Avenue, among 11 trees that will probably
FYI- Bradford Pear Tree Pruning | MMHOA
Strong winds are a Bradford Pear tree’s worst enemy. Everywhere you go in the southeast you will see Bradford Pear trees. They grow fast, are absolutely beautiful when they are in bloom and provide great shade. The problem is after about 5-10 years the average Bradford Pear is plagued with the same issue, storm damage. The main reason is because they grow so fast and have a huge number of limbs that concentrate in the center of the tree. With this high concentration comes an issue of stress to the trunk of the tree and when the limbs get too long either one of two things happen during times of strong winds. Either entire branches become too large and break or the entire tree gives and splits at the trunk. Neither are a good thing for the tree or the people, cars and houses that these trees shade. The problem that Bradford owners face then is what to do. Far too many people simply cut the limbs and do nothing to prune the rest of the tree. This is the worst thing you can do because once a large section of the tree is lost to storm damage it exposes more of the other branches to the elements. Because of the trees recent stress of losing limbs, once another storm comes through you are almost guaranteed additional limb losses and this becomes an issue of personal and property safety.
If you have a Bradford Pear it is strongly encouraged that you begin a pruning program to help ensure your tree remains strong and is protected against the elements as much as possible. From experience, it is not a matter of if you will have storm damage but when. Below is a link to a good overview of Bradford Pear Tips, please take a few minutes to review and we hope it helps.
http://www.walterreeves.
Pruning Pear Tree - Bookshelf
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The richly detailed text and Robert Bateman’s original art pay tribute to this ubiquitous organism that is too often taken for granted.An Illustrated Guide to Pruning
With its simple tables, lists, and strategies, this book is an appealing resource for horticulture, landscape and tree associations and industries and is a ...Tree, a life story
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This new edition preserves the sense of awe found in the original book, with stunning looks at North America's most superlative trees--the old, the massive, the ...Find An Article Directory
Pruning Pear Trees | eHow.com
Prune a Bradford pear early in its life to create a strong structure. This tree is planted for its upright, oval shape and colorful fall foliage. ...
Prune your Pear Tree - page 4
What's the best way to prune a pear tree and when should it be pruned.
How to Prune a Pear Tree | eHow.com
Pear trees have a nice natural shape that you can maintain with early training and timely pruning. Pear trees do well in both warm areas and frosty northern climates. ...
Pruning Pear Trees
Pruning Pear Trees. Although pear trees are one of the most easy to care and maintain fruit bearing trees, many people find it difficult to prune them. ...
Proper Pruning of Pear Trees
It's really not that hard, but let's start with the easiest, most forgiving of all the fruit trees. Pear trees are generally easy to grow and maintain. T...