A quick buzz...
OK, we're officially tired of below-zero weather. Bring on the spring!

Starting Today: A Short Series on Success With Trees
Plant trees right, prune if needed, and love for years

Fruit trees, flowering shrubs, and decorative trees make a killer addition to your yard. There are only a few things to keep in mind for the best success with trees.

Here's how to plant all trees to give them the best start, and help them thrive for years to come.
  1. Get your trees as early in the spring as you can. They need all the time they can get to establish themselves in their new homes. However, trees can be transplanted any time of the summer or fall.
  2. Choose a reputable greenhouse to get your trees. Cheap is not always better. Ask the greenhouse people where the trees come from, how they've been handled, and what guarantees are available to protect your investment.
  3. Buy sturdy trees rather than "big" trees. The trunk should be straight and at least 1 inch in diameter for most trees. (Shrubs are a different story.) Ask for help to choose the very best.
  4. Choose a calm, cloudy day to transplant your new trees. If it's not cloudy, wait until late afternoon and cooler temperatures.
  5. Don't forget how big your tree and its neighbors will get! Stand back and imagine your yard 10 years from now. You'll see where to put your new trees.

Now it's time to transplant.

  1. First, dig a hole. Make the hole twice as wide as the root ball, and about 8 inches deeper. Mix cow manure or compost into some of the dirt. You can buy cow manure by the bag--don't use the fresh stuff!
  2. Put 6 inches of amended soil back into the hole, then 2 inches of plain dirt.
  3. Remove the tree from its greenhouse pot. Place in the hole, eyeballing it vertical. The rootball should be close to the original ground level. A little deep is better than too shallow.
  4. Return about half of the dirt to the hole and tamp lightly. Water thoroughly to settle the dirt. Then, fill the hole with dirt and tamp lightly again.
  5. One foot away from the trunk, make a 3 inch deep and 6 inch wide trench all around the tree. Water with a Vitamin B Upstart fertilizer (available at your greenhouse). Do NOT apply any more fertilizer at this time!

Now, care for your tree in its first year:

  1. Always stake and wrap trunk protectors around new trees.
  2. Don't over-fertilize. One more watering with a balanced fertilizer will be sufficient, applied in the middle of the summer. In subsequent years, fertilize only once, in the spring.
  3. Mulch is your friend! Put wood chips in an 18 inch ring around your new tree, 2 inches deep. Just watch out when you're mowing.
  4. Limit your pruning for the first two years. Use a sharp, clean pruning shears. Eliminate forks and double leaders, but otherwise, leave it alone to get established.
  5. Hang a bar of hand soap in your tree to (maybe) deter deer. Try a soap that contains eucalyptus essential oil.
  6. Drench the roots with water right before first frost. This helps keep the frost from penetrating so quickly, and may just eliminate winter kill on the roots.

Most important: stand back and admire your new tree.


Next week: The Monthly Herb special edition: Lavender.

In two weeks: Apple trees are by far the most popular fruit trees to plant. Did you know you can grow succulent apples on a city lot? We'll tell you how!

If you can't wait to learn about apple trees and how to prune them, email us at beiersgreenhouse@beiersgreenhouse.com with your specific questions. Thanks so much for reading all our emails.
Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
Makes 1 Loaf

This bread is best the day after baking when the flavors have developed.

1 1/2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup mild honey
2 large oranges
1 egg
4 tablespoons butter, melted, or 4 tablespoons oil
2 2/12 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 cup coarsely broken walnuts

Coarsely chop the cranberries. If you use a food processor, this takes only four pulses. Place in a small bowl and add honey. Mix well and let stand for 1 hour, or until the honey and cranberries exude a pretty pink liquid.

Grate the orange rind. There should be about 3 tablespoons of grated rind. Set aside and peel off the white bitter pith from the oranges. Then, chop the pulp coarsely in a food processor (about 4-6 pulses). Mix the pulp, whatever orange juice accumulates, and the honey-cranberry mixture.

Beat the egg well and add the melted butter. Mix this with the fruit and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9x5x3 loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and walnuts and stir in the orange rind. Combine the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients and spoon into the prepared pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and place in the refrigerator, and enjoy the next day for best flavor.


Recipe courtesy of Beier's Greenhouse. Adapted from Creative Cooking With Grains and Pasta by Sheryl and Mel London. Copyright 1982 by Sheryl and Mel London. Rodale: Emmaus, PA.
January 25, 2009
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Sincerely,

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