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Pruning fruit trees and fruiting bushes in spring is one of the most important tasks you can do to improve plant health, control size, and increase fruit quality. The key is knowing which plants benefit from spring pruning, when to make your cuts, and how much to remove without reducing your harvest. This guide focuses…
Citrus trees are beautiful, productive, and a staple of many home and small-scale orchards—but they can be surprisingly vulnerable to cold weather. Even in Zones 8 through 10, winter freezes can appear suddenly, with little warning. One night of frost or a few hours of temperatures dipping below freezing can damage delicate leaves, flowers, fruit,…
Interplanting isn’t limited to annual vegetables. Perennials, shrubs, and small trees can be strategically planted in or around the vegetable garden to create a diverse, resilient ecosystem. These plants provide habitat, nectar, and pollen for beneficial insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, bees, and parasitic wasps, which in turn help control pests and improve pollination. Why…
Winter is a critical time for fruit trees and shrubs. Even though growth slows or stops, roots continue to respire, and soil conditions affect plant survival and spring growth. Proper winter watering and soil care prevent desiccation, root damage, and nutrient loss. Drawing on decades of experience gardening in both mild Sonoma Valley and cold…
Citrus trees—lemons, limes, oranges, and mandarins—are sensitive to cold, frost, and fluctuating winter temperatures. Even hardy varieties can suffer damage to leaves, branches, and fruit if left unprotected. Drawing on decades of experience gardening in both mild Sonoma Valley and cold Iowa Zone 5, I’ve developed strategies to help citrus trees survive winter in all…
Young and newly planted fruit trees are especially vulnerable during their first winter because their roots are undeveloped and less resilient. Frost, freezing winds, and fluctuating moisture can stress or damage them, reducing their chances of survival and strong spring growth. Drawing on decades of gardening experience in both Sonoma Valley and Iowa Zone 5,…
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