Choosing fruit trees and starting from seeds: What to do in the garden this week

1. Citrus greening of huanglongbing (HLB) is a debilitating bacterial disease vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid, a winged insect similar in size and roughly similar in appearance to aphids and whiteflies. There is currently no cure for HLB, which eventually kills the infected tree. To avoid its spread, be aware that you may be in a quarantined area where movement of citrus plants or fruits outside of your location is prohibited. To find out if you live in a quarantined area, call the hotline at 800-491-1899. When pruning a citrus tree at this time, even if you are not in a quarantined area, it is advisable to bag the clippings and dispose of them in the trash. In a similar vein, caution dictates that citrus clippings should not be used for compost or mulch as long as HLB is a concern.

2. As mentioned here in previous tips, it is much easier to start vegetables and flowers from seed indoors than to sow their seeds directly in the garden bed. If you do direct sow, this is best accomplished in a raised bed which, nowadays, means a box filled with the soil mix of your choosing; a 50:50 mix of fast-draining topsoil (available by the bag) and compost is one designer soil option. The sides of the box should be at least 10 inches tall and may go as high as you wish. Taller boxes, up to three feet tall or taller, will make it easier on your back when you garden. The only seeds that do not transplant well and should therefore be germinated exclusively in the garden bed are root crops such as radishes, beets, and turnips. Cucurbits (cucumber, squash, melon), as well as beans and corn, are also recommended for direct seeding. Plants that are germinated indoors will need to be acclimated to outdoor conditions because they could be stressed by heat or cold if instantly transplanted into the garden. The first day of acclimation, place them in the sun (still in their containers) for a few hours and then bring them back inside. Increase the time of sun exposure over the course of several days, eventually leaving them outside at night. After a week of acclimation, transplant them.

3. Consider planting drought-tolerant woody perennials whose cool white flowers belie their indifference to the heat. Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus) will be blooming soon, a four- to six-foot tall shrub that will be covered with brilliant white flower clusters complimented by sea green foliage. Once established, butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) require a minimum of water and this includes white varieties that are seen less frequently than the pinks and purples. Plant white rugosa roses and you will be in for a pleasant surprise. Rugosas have crinkled, rough textured foliage and will be less water needy than more familiar rose types, although most roses, once established with a constant layer of mulch, will seldom, if ever, need more than two irrigations per week. Azaleas have a reputation for water neediness and yet, once established, are also fine with a good soaking twice a week as long as they are surrounded with a moisture-holding mulch such as leaf mold. Fragrant Star is a deciduous azalea with a sweet, powerful scent. It grows to a height of four feet and may be used as a hedge for a shade garden. It is cold hardy to -20 degrees but is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.

Related Articles

4. To complement your white flowers, select plants with dark burgundy to deep purple foliage. Small trees in this category, none growing over 12 feet tall, include: smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria var. Royal Purple), bedecked with intriguing roundish leaves and flower puffs that are purple too; peppermint tree (Agonis flexuosa var. After Glow) with willowy foliage that emits a peppermint fragrance when crushed and also contrasts well with the many grey-leafed species, especially of the dusty miller type, that grace our gardens; mimosa (Albizia julibrissin var. Summer Chocolate) with attractive pinnate foliage and fragrant pink and white flowers; dark burgundy-leafed crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), sporting either pink, lavender, or red flowers, depending on the variety.

5. When shopping for fruit trees, avoid those with fruit. Yes, it’s nice to see a tree planted in the backyard that immediately displays a crop, but fruit formation in the container could have been the result of stress from which it will take the tree several years to recover. Of course, there are those who wish to keep their fruit trees in the same container for years. In order to succeed in this endeavor, it is advisable to remove the tree from its container once a year and dig the old soil into your garden, gifting the tree with new soil in its place. You can also prune any circling roots at this time and trim back the top growth, unless it is a dwarf, to keep the tree at a manageable height.

Send questions, comments, and photos to joshua@perfectplants.com