Taking care of these trees involves a similar understanding of their seasonal requirements. These versatile trees bring beauty to gardens with their colorful blossoms and small fruits.
These medium-sized trees thrive in locations that receive full sun or at least partial sunlight. They usually adapt to a range of soil types but prefer well-drained soil. One must ensure the planting area has good drainage to prevent soggy roots, which can lead to root rot.
Crabapples are pretty tough once they’ve settled in, requiring just about 15 to 20 inches of moisture each year. Proper watering is the key to their well-being, especially during dry spells. Ensure you water deeply and consistently, giving your trees enough moisture to keep the soil pleasantly damp but not soaked. Applying a layer of mulch around the tree’s base will help retain moisture, regulate soil temperature, and discourage pesky weeds.
But wait, there are some little troublemakers to watch out for, like aphids, caterpillars, and the pesky apple scab disease. These critters can wreak havoc on your tree’s leaves and overall health. Don’t worry; you can apply the right treatments or pesticides when needed. If you spot any affected leaves or fruit, quickly remove them to prevent diseases from spreading.
The bitter orange, also called Seville orange, is a hybrid citrus plant. Below you will find tips on cultivation, care and use of the exotic plant.
Bitter oranges, also known as Seville oranges, resemble normal orange, but are much smaller [Photo: nnattalli/ Shutterstock.com]
Exotic citrus plants are very popular in this country. But while lemons and oranges are increasingly cultivated, bitter orange is rarely found. Here you will find a short profile of this special plant, as well as some tips on cultivation, proper care and use of the bright orange fruits.
From the outside, a blood orange may look like any old orange, but as soon as you cut into one of these beauties you can see the difference. The blood orange has deep crimson-colored flesh and a complex flavor. It's similar in taste to a sweet navel orange, but with a hint of tart and floral flavor as well. The blood orange is in season from October through May, but at its peak in February and early March.
Tangerines are small, brightly colored oranges. They have slightly looser peels than most oranges, which makes them easy to peel and eat out of hand. Tangerines are very sweet — as is their juice. Thus, some people prefer tangerine juice over traditional orange juice. Most tangerines have seeds in them, but you may be able to find seedless varieties as well.
Tangerines have quite a long season, running from November all the way through May, which makes them an easy orange to find.
A mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata), also known as mandarin or mandarine, is a small, rounded citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange,[1] it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads.[1] Tangerines are a group of orange-colored citrus fruit consisting of hybrids of mandarin orange with some pomelo contribution.
The mandarin orange is smaller and oblate,[1] unlike the spherical common orange (which is a mandarin-pomelo hybrid).[2] The taste is considered sweeter and stronger than the common orange.[3] A ripe mandarin orange is firm to slightly soft, heavy for its size, and pebbly-skinned. The peel is thin and loose,[1] with little white mesocarp,[4] so they are usually easier to peel and to split into segments.[1] Hybrids usually have these traits to a lesser degree. The mandarin orange is tender and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas.[1][3]
According to genetic studies, the mandarin orange was one of the original citrus species; through breeding or natural hybridization, it is the ancestor of many hybrid citrus cultivars. With the citron and pomelo, it is the ancestor of the most commercially important hybrids (such as sweet and sour oranges, grapefruit, and many lemons and limes). The mandarin orange has also been hybridized with other citrus species, such as desert lime and the kumquat.[2] Though the ancestral mandarin orange was bitter, most commercial mandarin strains derive from hybridization with pomelo, which gives them sweet fruit.[5]
The tree of the sweet orange often reaches 6 metres (20 feet) in height. The broad, glossy, evergreen leaves are medium-sized and ovate; the petioles (leafstalks) have narrow wings. Its white five-petaled flowers are very fragrant. The fruit is a modified berry known as a hesperidium, and the flesh is divided into segments called carpels. The usual shape of the sweet-orange fruit is round and the colour of its pulp orange, but there are variations. The mandarin, for example, is distinctly flattened, and the blood orange has red pulp. The pulp of the sweet orange is agreeably acidulous and sweet; the leathery peel is comparatively smooth; and the oil glands are convex. Oranges are picked when fully ripe, for, unlike some deciduous fruits, they do not ripen or improve in quality after being picked. The trees bear abundantly from 50 to 80 years or even more, and some old orange trees whose age must be reckoned by centuries still produce crops.
orange, any of several species of small trees or shrubs of the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae and their nearly round fruits, which have leathery and oily rinds and edible, juicy inner flesh. A number of species and varieties of orange are economically important, namely the China orange, also called the sweet, or common, orange (Citrus ×sinensis); the mandarin orange (C. reticulata), some varieties of which are called tangerines; and the sour, or Seville, orange (C. ×aurantium), which is less extensively grown. Common varieties of the sweet orange include the Jaffa, from Israel, the seedless navel, and the Maltese, or blood, orange.
***Mushy Jackfruit is currently available for Pre-Order. When placing a Pre-Order, this means the fruit you have ordered is not currently in season, or is extremely limited in season. Your pre-order holds your place in line on our wait list. When Mushy Jackfruit comes into season and is ready to harvest from the trees, you will receive your order as soon as possible.***
Mango trees are lush, tropical staples that produce juicy, sweet fruits, says Vernic Popat, the CFO of PlantOGram.com. "Mango trees thrive in full sun and require well-drained soil to prevent root issues," she says.
Even though it is also derived from a citrus fruit - especially the peel - it has a more bitter and fresh fragrance and is a popular diffuser oil.
It is claimed to contain antifungal qualities, which may aid in the reduction of any hazardous germs within.
In the greenery of Indonesia's Java and Sumatra islands resides a species of bird called the Pink-headed Fruit Dove. The bird has a pink head, neck, and underparts, contrasting with its emerald wings and back. Males have more intense, vivid pink colors than the females.
As arboreal animals, these doves rarely come to the forest floor. They feed on small fruits and berries available in their forest habitat.
Their nests comprise twigs and leaves; they make nests high in the trees to keep their eggs away from predators.
The Fruit Fly, specifically the wild type, boasts a yellow-brown body. It's marked by black rings across its abdomen - the characteristic leading to its species name, melanogaster, or "black-bellied." These flies are noted for their distinctive brick-red eyes. Sexual dimorphism is evident as males are marginally smaller, exhibiting darker backs.
Apart from leafy greens, vegetable-like fruits are also great both for the environment and for you. They contain high levels of carbohydrates and water when compared to greens. They also have high fiber and vitamin C.
These types of fruits grow in warm climates, and you can eat them in various forms. Some examples of fruit vegetables include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash, etc. Apart from these types of fruits, citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapes have a low impact, making them great for our environment.
The first fruit on our list of purple fruits is passion fruit. It is a tropical fruit native to South America, Australia, South Africa, and India. There are many species of this purple variety. This purple fruit with a soft pulp and seeds in a hard rind has a lot of antioxidants and nutrients.
Passion fruit has a significant amount of fiber, niacin, potassium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and helps reduce cellular stress. Lastly, passion fruit keeps blood pressure stable. It doesn’t increase blood sugar after consumption, making it the purple fruit suitable for diabetic people3.
Plums are sweet and juicy fruits belonging to the same family as apricots, peaches, and nectarines. There are various colors of plums, but we’ll be discussing plums with purple flesh. There are different ways to consume plums. Some turn them into jam, eat them raw, or make dried plums for easy preservation.
The indigenous people of Australia use plum fruits and some parts of plum trees to treat problems like mosquito bites, skin sores, flu, colds, and headaches. Plums are rich in Vitamin that help your body heal, heal blood vessels, and build muscle. This purple fruit also improves digestive health by preventing constipation with its natural sugar alcohol acting as a natural laxative.
Certain vegetable species produce different male and female flowers that bees can help pollinate when they come to gather nectar. This is true for vegetables like pumpkins, melons, squashes, and cucumbers which develop long vines as they grow, sprouting flowers as they do so that bees can be drawn to them for pollination.
Bees also enjoy flowers produced by vegetables such as onions, cauliflower, and chives. You could maintain a vegetable garden that is also bee-friendly, one in which you can grow regular kitchen-use greens.
Bees enjoy the flowers of almost every fruit tree because of the steady supply of nectar that they have to offer. Choose fruit trees that produce a lot of flowers, and have variety in fruit trees as well.
For the summer, apple and cherry trees make for a big hit with bees because of the large colorful blossoms. In fall, you can grow plum and peach trees that bloom later but are attractive to your little bee friends.
Fruits are one of the most sustainable foods. You can include them in plant-based diets or meat-based meals. Although fruits have high nutritional value, some have a negative environmental impact. Some fruits like avocado, pineapples, peaches, bananas, and strawberries need enormous amounts of water to grow. They also have a high carbon footprint and use chemical pesticides that harm soil health.
You can eat sustainably by purchasing fruits grown in your local community. These fresh fruits didn't go through the rigors of transportation, thus reducing their environmental footprint. Also, buying fruits grown locally helps us eat seasonally. Some fruits only grow during the summer or fall season. We refer to these fruits as seasonal fruits.
Another reason to include locally grown fruits in your sustainable food list is the high quality of nutrients they provide. Local fruits have more nutrients because the transit period between harvest and your table or freezer is minimal. Their nutrient value is still intact and barely reduced. Seasonal produce imported from another country loses some nutrients, if not all, because of the long time it spends on trucks and distribution centers.
Also, consuming organic fruits grown in local communities supports the economy. Local farmers reinvest the money into the community to grow more fruits. You can converse with local farmers and learn about their sustainable agriculture practices. Overall, consuming fruits grown in local communities is safe and healthy.