By goodadmin | September 16, 2007
By steve stamos
The Mulberry is a genus of 15 species of deciduous trees of varying sizes, native to warm moderate and the semitropical areas of Asia, Africa and North America, with the bulk of the species indigenous to Asia. The following species are those commonly accepted and most familiar species:
White Mulberry - Morus alba
Chinese Mulberry - Morus australis
African Mulberry - Morus mesozygia
Texas Mulberry - Morus microphylla
Black Mulberry - Morus nigra
Red Mulberry - Morus rubra
The white mulberries can grow up to 25 meters but is the most inconsistent in form. The red mulberry can reach 20 meters in height while the black mulberry is the smallest and can grow up to 10 meters. The species vary greatly also in longevity. The red mulberry seldom lives more than 75 years, while the black mulberry has been known to bear fruit for hundreds of years. In general the mulberry makes an attractive tree which will bear fruit while still small and young.
The leaves of the mulberry tree are thin, shiny, light green diversely lobed even on the same tree. A few leaves are unlobed although others are glove-shaped. The red mulberry leaves are bigger and thicker and often lobed. They are rough on their top and hairy underneath. The smaller black mulberry leaves are alike to those of the red mulberry, only with stouter twigs and fatter buds. The species vary in the season they begin to leaf-out. White mulberries typically come out in early spring, nearly two months ahead of black mulberries.
Mulberry trees produce blossoms that are either dioecious or monoecious, and some of the times will convert from one sex to another. The flowers are hung on short, green, drooping, ordinary catkins that appear on current season’s growth and also on spurs of older wood. They are wind pollinated and cross-pollination is not necessary.
The fruit, botanically speaking, isn’t a berry but a clustered fruit. The color of the fruit does not identify the mulberry species, for instance, white mulberries can produce white, lavender like or black fruit.
Mulberry Trees produce pleasant-tasting juicy blood-red, black, red or white fruit that is seldom seen on the supermarket shelves. They mature over an extended period of time contrary to a lot of other fruits
which appear to come all together.
Mulberries require full sun and also enough space to grow. They favor a warm, well-drained soil, preferably a thick loam. Although fairly drought-resistant, mulberries require some watering in dry times of the year. During drought, the fruit is likely to drop before it has fully ripened. Mulberries in general flourish with minimum fertilization.
Mulberries can be grown from seed, but plants can take several years to bear. Seeds should be sown as soon as extracted from the fruit. Sprig budding is the most common technique for grafting mulberries.
The berries can be consumed fresh or any way that berries are used, including in pies, tarts, puddings or as a sauce. Slightly unripe fruits
are better for making pies and tarts. Mulberries mix well with other fruits. They can as well be made into wine and make a first-class dried fruit, specially the black varieties. For an easy to grow fruit tree that will reward you with crops of fresh fruit in spring, mulberries are a must in the garden.
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By goodadmin | September 15, 2007
by steve stamos
The Common Hazelnut tree Corylus avellana is a species of hazel native to Europe and Asia. It is usually a shrub reaching 3-8 m tall, but could reach 15 m. The leaves are rounded, 6-12 cm long, deciduous and hairy on both sides. The hazelnut tree is originated along the Black Sea around Turkey through the Mediterranean region.
The blossoms are produced very early on in spring, earlier than the leaves. The male flowers are pale yellow up to 12 cm long showy catkins, the female very small and mostly hidden in the buds, with just the red 1-3 mm long styles visible. The fruit of the hazelnut tree is a nut, developed in bunches of one to five, with each held in a short leafy husk which envelops about 75% of the nut. The nut is more or less spherical to ovoid, up to 2.5 cm long and2 cm wide, brown with a light mark at the base.
The nuts fall out of the husk when mature, approximately 7-8 months from pollination. Corylus avellana It is readily distinguished from the closely related Filbert Corylus maxima by the shortish husk; in the Filbert the nuts are fully enclosed. The name “hazelnut” applies to the nuts of any of the species of the genus Corylus. There are numerous cultivars of the Hazel. The bulk of commercial Hazelnut is raised as graft onto stock of the Turkish Hazel Corylus colurna.
Common hazelnut tree is cultivated for its nuts in commercial plantations. The kernel is edible and utilized raw, roasted or ground into a paste. The Hazelnut is extensively utilized in confection and also in combination with chocolate. Hazelnuts are popular as a coffee flavoring, particularly in the form of Hazelnut café latte. Vodka-based Hazelnut liqueurs, such as Frangelico, are as well growing in popularity.
Hazelnuts are harvested annually when autumn comes to a close at which time the trees drop the nuts and foliages. Hazelnuts are rich in protein and polyunsaturated fat. Furthermore, they contain important amounts of vitamin B1 and vitamin B6.
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By goodadmin | September 9, 2007
by steve stamos
The Plum tree belongs to the genus Prunus of the family Rosaceae. Frequently grown as a shrub but can be grown as a tree but rarely more than 10 m high. The Plum tree is by nature small and bears heavily with comparatively little attention.
The common European plum tree is classified as Prunus domestica, the Japanese plum as Prunus salicina, and the Damson plum as Prunus insititia. European plum trees incline to be upright with attractive deep green foliage and suited to both warm and cool climates. The Japanese plums, most likely originating in China, is a vigorous tree and unlike the European plum need another Japanese plum tree to pollinate it . The tree produces 5 to 10 cm long leaves and white and fragrant flowers in early spring.
The common European plum, the most important species, has been cultivated since ancient times and in all likelihood originated near the Caspian Sea. Yields of varieties of this species range in color from yellow or blood-red to green, but purplish-blue is most common.
Plums can grow red, green, yellow-gold, purple, or blue plum fruits, varied in size from large to small and in taste from sour to sweet. Dried plums, or prunes, are made from the varieties that are most plentiful in sugar and solids. The Damson plum-a small, ovate, sweet fruit employed mostly in jams-was first cultivated in ancient times in the area of Damascus.
The Cherry plum tree or Myrobalan - Prunus cerasifera, syn. P. divaricata, is a native species of to central and Eastern Europe and central Asia. This is a very popular decorative tree in gardens. The fruit can be consumed fresh in some forms, being sweet with a fine flavor, while others are sour, but first-class for jam making.
Plums are popular consumed fresh but also are popular for jam making and bottling or canning, but the sweeter varieties are among the most delicious dessert fruits.
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By goodadmin | September 2, 2007
by steve stamos
The pistachio nut tree, Pistacia vera L., Anacardiaceae, is a wide-spreading, bushy, broad-leafed tree which grows slowly to a height and spread out of up to 10 meters with one or many trunks. It is native to highland regions of Iran, Turkmenistan and western Afghanistan. It has pinnate grayish foliage with 3 to 5 roundish, 5 to 14 cm long leaflets and small, brownish-green flowers without petals. Its open habit and beautiful foliage make the pistachio tree a worthful ornamental. The fruit is a drupe, containing an elongated seed with a hard, whitish shell and a striking kernel which has a mauvish skin, light green flesh and a particular characteristic flavor. The plant is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. Under favorable conditions could survive and produce for centuries.
When the fruit of the pistachio tree matures, the husk changes from green color to a yellow-red and the shells break open partially with an audible pop. The kernels are frequently eaten whole, either fresh or roasted and salted, and are also utilized in ice cream and confections such as baklava. In July 2003, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) okayed the first qualified health claim particular to nuts lowering the risk of heart disease: “Scientific evidence suggests… that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, such as pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease”.
It takes close to ten years for the tree to reach significant yields. Production and harvest is heavier in alternate years. Peak production output is reached at approximately 20 years. Pistachio nut trees are usually cut back hard to make the harvest easier. One male tree produces adequate pollen for eight to twelve nut-bearing females.
The Pistachio nut tree is reasonably hardy in the right conditions, and can survive temperature ranges between -10°C in winter to 40°C in summer. The pistachio tree needs a sunny location and well-drained soil. This nut tree does badly in conditions of high humidity, and is susceptible to root rot in winter if it gets too much water and the soil is not free draining. Long hot summers are required for proper maturing of the fruit. The pistachio nut tree does best on soils that are deep, friable and well drained but moist. It can, however, survive in poor, stony, highly alkaline or slightly acid, or even saline soils. The tree has a deeply penetrating root system. Pistachio trees will tolerate considerable drought but do best with deep, infrequent watering. Since the pistachio nut tree grows slowly, it does not require large quantities of fertilizer.
The Pistachio nut tree thrives in areas which have winters cool enough to break bud dormancy and long hot summers. The tree has about the same cold resistance as almonds and olives. Chill requirements are estimated at about 1000 hours. The nuts are harvested when the husk covering the shell becomes loose. The pistachio tree is usually propagated by budding or grafting onto selected seedling stocks. The pistachio nut is considered one of the best edible nuts, along with almonds, macadamias and cashews. Pistachio nuts are highly flammable when stored in big amounts, and are prone to self heating and spontaneous combustion.
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By goodadmin | July 30, 2007
by steve stamos
The kiwifruit or species Actinidia deliciosa is a fruit producing woody vine (not a tree) of the genus Actinidia. Its birth place is China. Kiwifruit plants are dioecious, (male or female), with only the female plant bearing fruits. To be pollenized the female needs close by a male plant. However, one male plant will be sufficient for up to eight female vines. It prefers a well-drained soil rich in organic matter and a pH of 5 - 6.5. A sunny location and some type of trellising system to grow and spread is necessary.
most temperate climates with adequate summer heat. Vines require heavy pruning and fruit is borne on one-year or older canes, but production declines as each cane ages. Canes should be pruned off and replaced after their third year. The plant needs a long growing season of frost-free days. The leaves of the kiwi vine are large, deep green, leathery, oval and 15 to 25 cm in diameter. Young leaves are coated with red hairs, while mature leaves are hairless on the upper surface. The flowering period extends over several weeks. Flowers are large, 3 to 5 cm in diameter, colored cream-white and lightly fragrant.
The most common shape of the fruit is oval, about 5-8 cm long and 4.5-5.5 cm diameter. It has a fibrous, green-brown skin outside and a bright green or golden flesh with ray like rows of small, black, edible seeds, a soft fleshy texture and a resembling that of a mixed fruit salad. A new cultivar Actinidia chinensis or Gold Kiwifruit has yellow flesh it is sweeter, less acidic flavor of tropical fruit salad.
Kiwifruit can be eaten whole, including the skin or cut in half and scoop out the flesh or peeled and sliced. Kiwifruit is a rich source of vitamin C, potassium; slightly less than that of a banana. Also contains vitamins A and E, high level of dietary fiber and antioxidants. It is also rich in the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin which makes raw kiwifruit unsuitable for use in or dairy or desserts containing milk products.
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