Beaked hazelnut, also known as beaked filbert, is a native North American shrub that produces an edible nut. It’s a nice choice for native plantings, woodland gardens, and hedges. As a native species it is easy to grow, but it does require some maintenance to keep it looking tidy.

About Beaked Hazelnut

This species of hazelnut, Corylus cornuta, is native to most of Canada and the U.S. It is a deciduous shrub that can be small to large. It ranges in height from four to 25 feet (1.2 to 7.6 m) depending on the location and conditions.

Beaked hazelnut is deciduous with ovate, toothed, bright green leaves that turn yellow in fall. The flowers emerge in spring and include long male catkins and smaller female flowers with bright red stigmas. The nut is what gives this hazelnut its name. The husk surrounds the round nut with a protrusion that looks like a beak.

Are Beaked Hazelnuts Edible?

Yes, these are edible hazelnuts, although many people leave them for wildlife to enjoy. Commercial hazelnuts come from hybrids and are larger but have a similar flavor. You can harvest beaked hazelnuts in fall and roast them for eating.

Is There a Beaked Hazelnut Tree?

There is just one plant with this name, and it is generally considered a shrub. However, it can be grown as a small tree because it has the potential to grow tall. It can be trained for one main branch and regularly trimmed to maintain more of a tree shape.

Beaked Hazelnut vs American Hazelnut

Corylus americana, American hazelnut, is native to eastern North America and is also a shrub that can grow tall like a tree. The easiest way to distinguish it from the beaked variety is by the nut case, which does not have the protrusion.

Growing and Caring for Beaked Hazelnut

This is a great choice if you’re looking for a native shrub or small tree. It’s great for natural or woodland plantings. You can also grow it as a hedge. Use beaked hazelnut to support and attract native wildlife, including birds, pollinators, and small mammals.

Beaked hazelnut grows well in USDA zones 4 through 8 and anywhere it is native. It is not native in the southwest, or southern plains states. It is found naturally in wood edges, thickets, and clearings, and along streams.

In the home garden, it will do well in most spots. Beaked hazelnut is not too particular about soil, but it will not tolerate heavy clay. It grows best in rich soils with good drainage, some acidity, and medium moisture. It prefers full sun to partial shade.

Getting it Planted

You can start beaked hazelnut from seed, but it will take some time to grow into a large shrub. Look for nurseries that supply native plants to get a larger transplant. Once you have it in the ground, provide water for the first season as it establishes strong roots. After that, it will not require much care.

One area of maintenance you will need to consider with beaked hazelnut is trimming or pruning. You can let it grow naturally, but it spreads readily by suckers and creates dense thickets. If you want a tidier growth habit, trim back the suckers regularly.

If you plant to harvest the nuts, look for them to be ready in fall. You can trim them off or wait for the nuts to drop. If you wait, the squirrels might get to them first. Once harvested, let the nuts dry fully in their shells before storing them. This can take a week or more. Dried, you can store hazelnuts to enjoy for months to come.

There is no doubt pistachios are delicious and nutritious. Hardy in USDA zones 8 to 10, pistachio trees can make wonderful additions to home gardens in these warmer climates. Yet, there are many pistachio tree problems which can reduce harvest yields. If you're not finding the quantity of nuts you were expecting, consider these common pistachio issues.

Pistachio Pests

Ground squirrels

These nut-loving critters climb trees and feed on all stages of pistachio nuts. In addition to what they consume, squirrels collect and store nuts in their burrows. To discourage ground squirrels from making burrows near the garden, remove brush piles, tree stumps and debris.

Rabbits

Although rabbits can be cute, they cause severe damage to young trees by removing bark and girdling the trunk. Most damage occurs in winter and early spring when other food sources are scarce. Prevent damage with fencing or trunk guards.

Voles, mice and gophers

Like rabbits, these rodents can damage bark and girdle trees. However, damage is often below the soil line and can easily go unnoticed until it's too late to save the tree. Keep the area cleared of vegetative material to discourage these critters.

Birds

Some varieties of bird species, including crows, magpies and scrub-jays, will feed upon various stages of pistachio nuts. Smaller birds, like sparrows, can damage fruit buds in the winter. Remove roosting areas such as brush piles and use netting to protect crops.

Invertebrates

A variety of bugs can cause damage to pistachio trees or the nuts. Small insects typically feed on the nuts before the shell has hardened, which causes black pistachio nuts and nut drop.

Here are the primary invertebrate pests to monitor:

• California Buckeye bug (Neurocolpus longirostris) -- The green and brown nymphs hatch from eggs that overwinter at the base of buds. The straw-colored adults are .3 inches (.8 cm.) long.
• Calocoris bug (Calocris norvegicus) -- This pest doesn't overwinter on pistachio trees but will migrate when their host plants are cut back in the spring. The .25 inch (.6 cm.), green-bodied adults have two black dots on the thorax and reddish-brown tinted wings.
• Citrus flat mite -- An extremely small, warm-season pest which causes nuts to shrivel or have brown spots.
• Mealy bugs -- As these pests feed, they leave honeydew, which encourages sooty mold on the clusters of nuts.
• Pistachio psyllid (Agonoscena targionii) -- The adult stage of this insect is yellow with brown markings on the abdomen. Damage results in yellow, curling and necrotic leaves.
• Pistachio twig borer (Kermania pistaciella) -- The larvae from this small, dark-colored moth bore into the nut clusters and tunnel toward the twigs. Flower and nut drop are the primary symptoms.
• Psallus vaccinicola -- There is no common name for this tiny brownish-red insect, but they are commonly found near oak trees.
• Western tarnished plant bug (Lygus hesperus) -- These brownish-green insects can be identified by the yellow triangle located between their wings. Lygus bugs migrate from legume plants.

Pistachio Tree Diseases

Bacterial Diseases

• Crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) -- This pathogen stunts plant growth. Look for galls on roots and the crown below the soil surface.
• Pistachio dieback (Xanthomonas translucens) -- Entering through wounds, symptoms of this bacterial disease include sooty black lesions on pistachio branches and the trunk.

Fungal Diseases

• Alternaria late blight (Alternaria alternata) -- Symptoms include black lesions on immature pistachio nuts and leaves.
• Armillaria root rot (Armillaria mellea) -- There is no cure once this pistachio fungus infects the orchard, so using resistant rootstock is the best prevention. Symptoms include early leaf drop, death of the branches, and honey-colored mushrooms at the base of the tree.
• Panicle and shoot blight (Botryosphaeria dothidea) -- Brown pistachios, leaves and stems are visible signs of this fungal infection.
• Powdery mildew (Phyllactinia guttata) -- As in other crops, this fungus causes powdery, white patches on leaves and nuts.
• Rust (Uromyces terebinthi) -- Infections of this fungus can be identified by the presence of reddish-brown pustules on leaves, flowers and fruit.
• Septoria Leaf Spot (Septoris spp.) -- Dark spots of varying types will appear, depending upon which septoria species is present.

With a common name like “pignut hickory,” this is a tree that grabs your attention. And rightly so. Though not well-known outside the eastern part of the US, it is a very attractive, slow-growing native tree. 

Read on for more information about this useful tree.

Pignut Hickory Tree

Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) is a tall, deciduous tree, native to the Eastern areas of the United States. It can grow to 100 feet (33 m.) in the wild, with short, picturesque branches and a spreading crown. This hickory makes an excellent shade or street tree in cultivation since it is attractive in all four seasons.

In springtime, the pignut hickory tree’s bud scales open. They fold back, looking like petals, as the new pignut hickory leaves emerge. The rich green foliage grows quickly and creates welcome shade in summer. Leaves blaze yellow in fall and when the branches are bare, the unusual pignut hickory bark provides winter interest. 

Pignut Hickory Nut

The pignut hickory got its common name centuries ago when hogs were found to be eating its small, nutritious nuts. These pignut hickory nuts are pear shaped and ripen in autumn. The husks are green when young, but turn brown and dry as they mature and split away from the nuts. 

The hickory nuts are too bitter for human consumption, but a variety of wildlife species rely on them for food. However, the dropping fruit and husks, as well as leaves in fall, create quite a lot of litter. That makes it advisable to plant pignut hickory trees in a large, park-like setting rather than near a residence. 

Growing Pignut Hickory 

Pignut hickory trees are hardy from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 4 or 5 through zone 9. They grow best in direct sun, but they can also do well in partial shade. They do require well-drained, acidic soils, but are otherwise undemanding. Their deep roots allow them to adapt to sandy or clay soils.

There are many ecological benefits to planting these trees. They are host plant for a large variety of butterflies and moths, including the large luna moth. Certain caterpillars also find a home and nurture in the pignut hickory. The hickory nuts are a favorite food of many woodland creatures including black bears, deer, squirrels, chipmunks, foxes, mice and wood ducks. 

Roasted chestnuts are not the popular treat they once were, but it’s a worthy endeavor to bring back an old time feel in the home. What is the best way to roast chestnuts? Well, first make sure you have harvested the correct variety. Edible chestnuts are very different from horse chestnuts, which should not be consumed. 

How To Prepare Chestnuts

Roasting chestnuts by an open fire was a common treat in our great grandparents’ time. But during 1904, a terrible blight affected the American chestnut and decimated much of their population. The trees have been reestablished in recent decades and now are more common. If you are new to the food, keep reading to learn how to harvest and store chestnuts. 

Ways to Roast Chestnuts at Home

The "open fire" is not as common an option in modern life, but you can roast chestnuts in the oven, or use a microwave or boiling water. The nuts need to be pierced a few times or cut an X into the skin to let the steam out. Chestnuts can often be found at Farmer's markets or on a stroll around your neighborhood. Be sure you are foraging for the edible nut which has a husk with short bristles. 

Horse chestnuts should not be eaten. They have fan-like leaves and the fruit has sharp, stiff bristles. Horse chestnuts are very prickly, whereas the edible variety has softer burrs. 

Chestnuts do not have a long refrigerator life and are best eaten freshly harvested or purchased. 

What is the Best Way to Roast Chestnuts

After piercing the husk, you can place nuts in a long handled pan with holes in the bottom and put them over a campfire. Roast chestnuts at home in an oven preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 C). Roast chestnuts in the oven take 15 to 20 minutes. They should be stirred frequently. Roasting gives the best flavor, but you can also lay them on a damp paper towel and roast for a couple minutes in a microwave. Dry nuts benefit from steaming. To roast chestnuts on the stove top use a cast iron pan. Keep the nuts moving for 15 minutes, and then cover with a bit of water that boils until it is evaporated. They can also be boiled for 5 minutes and then peeled. 

How to Harvest and Store Chestnuts

Ripe nuts are mature when they start falling from the tree. Harvesting starts in September through October. The nuts are high in starch and should be used fairly quickly. If you are preserving them for a while, wash and spread the nuts out to dry. Check for discolored nuts and discard. The dried husk should be very hard. Store nuts in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. You can also freeze them for a few months before use. Let frozen nuts thaw in the refrigerator and blot away any excess moisture before roasting.

Fall is pecan harvest time, which means it’s also time for the perfect pecan pie recipe. A pecan pie recipe can be easy (use premade crust) or a little more difficult if you decide to make your own crust. Before you delve into the making of the perfect pecan pie, however, you need to know how to harvest pecans. 

How to Harvest Pecans

Pecan harvest time is in late fall. The nuts are ready to harvest when the green hulls split open and drop to the ground. Squirrels and other creatures love the pecans as much as we do, so it is important to harvest on a daily basis lest these critters get to the nuts first. 

Harvesting pecans takes a bit of work. You can either harvest the nuts off the ground or shake the tree and then harvest them. Use a blower to lightly blow away fallen leaves to more easily reveal the nuts. If shaking the tree, lay a tarp beneath the tree to collect the falling nuts. 

Once the nuts have been harvested, remove any rotting pecans, then allow them to dry for a couple of weeks. After the nuts have dried it’s time to crack them. Use a nutcracker or a hammer to crack the nuts.

The Perfect Pecan Pie Recipe

The perfect pecan pie recipe might be up for debate, as recipes are often passed down from generation to generation. Even some of the ingredients might be called into question. Some people use a pecan pie recipe with brown sugar while others use white sugar, corn or cane syrup, honey, molasses or even maple syrup to sweeten the concoction. 

What is definitive is that pecan pie contains pecans, eggs, butter, and some type of sweetener. 

Pecan pie made easy uses premade crust, readily available in either the freezer or refrigerator section of the grocery store. Otherwise, make your own crust; a pate brisee, a type of shortcrust pastry is a delicious option especially when combined with a tweak of bourbon and maple syrup. 

Don’t get scared of making pie crust. It can easily be made in a food processor, just be sure the butter is COLD.

Basic Pecan Pie Recipe with Brown Sugar

Either make your pie crust and then chill in the fridge or use a premade crust, also cold. 

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Whisk together a cup of brown sugar and ¼ cup (59 ml.) granulated sugar with ½ cup (118 ml.) of melted butter, ¼ tsp. (1.2 ml.) salt, 2 large eggs, 1 Tbs. (14.7 ml.) milk, 1 tsp. (4.9 ml.) vanilla, and 1 Tbs. (14.7 ml.) flour until smooth. Stir in 1 C. (236.5 ml.) chopped pecans and pour into chilled crust. 

Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or a crust shield and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F (176.6 C) and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bake until just set. Cool before slicing. 

Pecan pie will keep covered in the refrigerator, if it doesn’t get eaten first, for up to a week.

You have probably heard that black walnut trees (Juglans nigra) are not good neighbors in a garden. Their roots ooze a substance called juglone that discourages other trees from growing well. However, don’t despair. If you are hoping to plant trees next to black walnuts, you simply need to find juglone tolerant trees. There are actually many of them. Read on for information on good black walnut companion trees as well as tips for planting trees near black walnuts. 

Planting Trees Near Black Walnuts

You may have heard that nothing will grow near or under black walnut trees. Their roots exude juglone, a substance that is toxic to many plants. It prevents new seeds from germinating and also prevents existing trees from growing well.

When you have a black walnut tree in your garden, any nearby plants that are sensitive to juglone will wither and often die. Symptoms of juglone poisoning include withering leaves and stunted growth. No juglone sensitive trees should be planted within 50 to 80 feet (15 to 24 meters) of a mature black walnut tree. 

That doesn’t mean your black walnut must stand alone in the back yard. Juglone tolerant trees grow perfectly normally in this situation and, the fact is, most trees fit into this category. You’ll want to plant trees resistant to juglone for black walnut companion trees.

Trees Next to Black Walnuts

Trees next to mature black walnuts are sure to experience the juglone roots produce. Although, walnut trees don’t achieve maturity and produce walnuts for around 15 years.

If you are just planting a walnut tree, you have less to worry about. Immature walnut trees produce less juglone than mature trees and very young trees produce none at all. That means that you can plant short-lived trees of any kind as initial black walnut companions. 

Trees Resistant to Juglone

Once your black walnut matures, you’ll need to replace the short-lived trees nearby with trees resistant to juglone. There are quite a few juglone tolerant trees you can plant near your black walnut. If you want to plant fruit trees try quince, peach, nectarine, persimmon, cherry, or plum. All are great companion trees to use. 

If you want taller trees go for any tree in the oak or hickory families. Other great choices when you are planting trees near black walnut include black locust, catalpa, Eastern redbud, hackberry, Canadian hemlock, most maples, pagoda dogwood, poplar, and red cedar.

Black walnuts are tough trees (Juglans nigra) that can rise to over 100 feet (30.5 m.) and live hundreds of years. Every tree dies at some point though, even if only from old age. Black walnuts also are subject to diseases and pests that can kill them at any age. “Is my black walnut dead,” you ask? If you want to know how to tell if a black walnut is dead or dying, read on. We’ll give you information on identifying a dead black walnut tree.

Is My Black Walnut Dead?

If you ask yourself whether your beautiful tree is now a dead black walnut, there must be something wrong with the tree. While it may be difficult to determine exactly what is wrong, it shouldn’t be too difficult to tell if the tree is actually dead or not.

How to tell if a black walnut is dead? The easiest way to determine this is to wait until spring and see what happens. Look carefully for signs of new growth like leaves and new shoots. If you see new growth, the tree is still alive. If not, it may be dead.

Identifying a Dead Black Walnut Before Spring

If you just can’t wait until spring to determine whether your tree is still living, here are a few tests you can try. Flex the slender branchlets of the tree. If they bend easily, they are most likely alive, which indicates that the tree is not dead.

Another way to check whether your tree is dead is to scrape back the outer bark on young branches. If the tree’s bark is peeling, lift it and look at the cambium layer beneath. If it is green, the tree is alive.

Dying Black Walnut and Fungal Disease

Black walnuts are drought and pest resistant, but they can be damaged by a number of different agents. Many dying black walnut trees have been attacked by the thousand cankers disease. It results from a combination of boring insects called walnut twig beetles and a fungus.

The beetle bugs tunnel into branches and trunks of the walnut trees, carrying spores of the canker producing fungus, Geosmithia morbidato. The fungus infects the tree causing cankers that can girdle branches and trunks. Trees die in two to five years.

To figure out if your tree has this disease, look carefully at the tree. Do you see insect borer holes? Look for cankers on the tree bark. An early sign of thousand cankers disease is part of the canopy’s failure to leaf out.

Other Signs of Dying Black Walnut

Inspect the tree for peeling bark. Although walnut bark is normally quite shaggy, you should not be able to pull the bark away very easily. If you can, you are looking at a dying tree.

When you begin pull back the bark, you may find it already peeled back, exposing the cambium layer. If it is pulled back all the way around the tree trunk, it is girdled, and your walnut tree is dead. A tree cannot live unless the cambium layer can transport water and nutrients from its root system to the canopy.

Pecans are such delicious nuts that if you have a mature tree, your neighbors are likely to be jealous. It may occur to you to grow a few gift plants by rooting pecan cuttings. Will pecans grow from cuttings? Cuttings from pecan trees, given appropriate treatment, can root and grow.

Read on for more info on pecan cutting propagation.

Pecan Cuttings Propagation

Even without a crop of tasty nuts, pecan trees are appealing ornamentals. These trees are easy to propagate in several different ways, including planting pecan seeds and rooting pecan cuttings.

Of the two methods, using pecan cutting propagation is preferable since each cutting develops into a clone of the parent plant, growing exactly the same type of nuts. Fortunately, rooting pecan cuttings is neither difficult nor time consuming.

Growing pecans from cuttings starts with taking 6 inch (15 cm.) tip cuttings in springtime. Pick side branches about as thick as a pencil that are very flexible. Make the cuts on a slant, positioning the pruners just below leaf nodes. For cuttings from pecan trees, look for branches with lots of leaves but no flowers.

Growing Pecans from Cuttings

Preparing the cuttings from pecan trees is only part of the process of pecan cutting propagation. You also need to prepare the containers. Use small, biodegradable pots less than 6 inches (15 cm.) in diameter. Fill each one with perlite then pour in water until the medium and the container are thoroughly wet.

Remove the leaves from the bottom half of each cutting. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone, then press the stem into the perlite. About half its length should be below the surface. Add a little more water, then place the pot outside in a sheltered area with some shade.

Caring for Pecan Cuttings

Mist the cuttings daily to keep them moist. At the same time, add a little water to the soil. You don’t want the cutting or the perlite to dry out or the cutting won’t root.

The next step in rooting pecan cuttings is exercising patience as the cutting sprouts roots. Over time, those roots grow stronger and longer. After a month or so, transplant the cuttings into larger containers filled with potting soil. Transplant into the ground the following spring.

Growing pecans from seed is not as simple as it sounds. While a mighty oak may shoot up from an acorn stuck in the ground, sowing pecan seeds is only one step in a complex process of growing a nut producing tree. Can you plant a pecan seed? You can, but you may not be able to get nuts from the resulting tree.

Read on for information on how to plant pecans, including tips on pecan seed germination.

Can You Plant a Pecan?

It is entirely possible to plant a pecan seed. However, it is important to realize that growing pecans from seed will not produce a tree identical to the parent tree. If you want a particular type of pecan nut, or a tree that produces excellent pecans, you will need to graft.

Pecans are open pollinated trees, so each seedling tree is unique in all the world. You do not know the seed’s “parents” and that means the nut quality will be variable. That’s why pecan growers only grow pecans from seed to use as rootstock trees.

If you are wondering how to plant pecans that produce excellent nuts, you’ll need to learn about grafting. Once the rootstock trees are a few years old, you will need to graft cultivar buds or shoots onto each seedling rootstock.

Pecan Tree Germination

Pecan tree germination requires a few steps. You’ll want to select a pecan from the current season that appears sound and healthy. In order to give yourself the greatest possibility of success, plan on planting several, even if you only want one tree.

Stratify the nuts for six to eight weeks before planting by placing them in a container of peat moss. Keep the moss moist, but not wet, in a temperature slightly above freezing. After that process is complete, acclimate the seeds to normal temperatures for a few days.

Then soak them in water for 48 hours, changing the water daily. Ideally, the soaking should occur in running water so, if possible, leave a hose trickling into the dish. This facilitates pecan tree germination.

Sowing Pecan Seeds

Sow pecan seeds in early spring in a sunny garden bed. Fertilize the soil with 10-10-10 before planting. After two years a seedling should be around 4 to 5 feet (1-1.5 m.) tall and ready for grafting.

Grafting is a process where you take a cutting from a cultivar pecan tree and allow it to grow on the rootstock tree, essentially blending two trees into one. The part of the tree with the roots in the ground is the one you grew from seed, the branches that produce nuts are from a particular cultivar pecan tree.

There are many different ways to graft fruit trees. You’ll need a cutting (called a scion) that is straight and strong and has at least three buds on it. Do not use branch tips since these can be weak.

It’s definitely an unpleasant surprise to head out to admire the nuts on your garden pecan tree only to find that many of the pecans are gone. Your first question is likely, “What’s eating my pecans?” While it could be neighborhood kids climbing your fence to pinch ripe pecan nuts, there are also many animals that eat pecans. Bugs might be the culprits as well if your pecans are being eaten. Read on for ideas on different pests that eat pecans.

What’s Eating My Pecans?

Pecan trees produce edible nuts that have a rich, buttery flavor. Sweet and delicious, they are used extensively in cake, candy, cookies, and even ice cream. Most people who plant pecans do so with the nut harvest in mind.

If your pecan tree is at long last producing a heavy crop of nuts, it’s time to celebrate. Keep an eye out; however, for pests that eat pecans. It happens this way; one day your tree is hanging heavy with pecans, then day by day the quantity decreases. More and more pecans are gone. Your pecans are being eaten. Who should go on the suspect list?

Animals That Eat Pecans

Many animals like to eat tree nuts just as much as you do, so that’s probably a good place to start. Squirrels are perhaps your best suspects. They don’t wait until the nuts are ripe but start gathering them as they develop. They can easily damage or take off with half a pound (227 g.) of pecans per day.

You may not think of birds as pecan eaters since the nuts are so big. However, birds, like crows, can damage your crop as well. Birds don’t attack the nuts until the shucks split. Once that happens, look out! A flock of crows can devastate the crop, each one eating up to one pound (0.5 kg.) of pecans per day. Blue jays also like pecans but eat less than crows.

Birds and squirrels are not the only animals that eat pecans. If your pecans are being eaten, it might also be other nut-loving pests such as raccoons, possums, mice, hogs, and even cows.

Other Pests That Eat Pecans

There is an abundance of insect pests that might damage the nuts as well. The pecan weevil is one of them. The female adult weevil punctures the nuts in summer and lays eggs inside. The larvae develop inside the pecan, using the nut as their food.

Other insect pests damaging pecans include the pecan nut casebearer, with larvae that feed on the developing nuts in the spring. Hickory shuckworm larvae tunnel into the shuck, cutting off the flow of nutrients and water.

Other bugs have piercing and sucking mouthparts and use them to feed on the developing kernel. These include brown and green stinkbugs and leaf-footed bugs.

The pecan tree is a hickory native to North America that has been domesticated and is now grown commercially for its sweet, edible nuts. Mature trees can produce 400-1,000 pounds of nuts per year. With such a large quantity, one might wonder what to do with pecans.

Cooking with pecans is, of course, the most common of pecan uses, but there are other ways of using pecans. If you are lucky enough to have access to a pecan tree, read on to learn how to use pecans.

What to Do with Pecans

When we think of pecans, we may think of eating the nuts, but many species of wildlife also enjoy not only the pecan fruit, but foliage as well. Using pecans isn’t just for humans, many birds, squirrels, and other small mammals eat the nuts, while white-tailed deer often nibble on the twigs and leaves.

Beyond our feathered friends and other mammals, pecan nut uses are generally culinary, but the tree itself has beautiful, fine-grained wood that is used in furniture, cabinetry, paneling, and for flooring and fuel. The trees are a common sight in southern areas of the U.S. where they’re used not only for the nuts produced but as valuable and graceful shade trees.

Pecan nuts are used in pies and other sweet treats like candies (pecan pralines), cookies, and breads. They are terrific with sweet potato recipes, in salads, and even in ice cream. Milk is made from pressing the seed and used to thicken soups and season corn cakes. The oil may also be used in cooking.

Turns out that pecan hulls are also very useful too. The nut shells can be used to smoke meats, they can be ground and used in beauty products (facial scrubs), and can even make excellent garden mulch!

Medicinal Pecan Uses

The Comanche people used pecan leaves as a treatment for ringworm. The Kiowa people ate a decoction of bark to treat symptoms of tuberculosis.

Pecans are also rich in protein and fat and are used as a supplement for both human and animal diets. Interestingly, ingesting pecans has been said to aid in weight loss. This is because the nut satiates the appetite and increases metabolism.

Pecans, like many other nuts, are rich in fiber too, which helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and prevents some types of cancer. They also contain monounsaturated fats, like oleic acid, which are heart-healthy and can reduce the risk of strokes.

Additionally, the high fiber content promotes colon health and encourages regular bowel movements as well as reducing risks of colon cancer and hemorrhoids. Their powerful antioxidants help boost the immune system, while their vitamin E content may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Bacterial scorch of pecans is a common disease identified in the southeastern United States in 1972. Scorch on pecan leaves was first thought to be a fungal disease but in 2000 it was correctly identified as a bacterial disease. The disease has since spread to other areas of the U.S., and while pecan bacterial leaf scorch (PBLS) does not kill pecan trees, it can result in significant losses. The following article discusses the symptoms and treatment for a pecan tree with bacterial leaf scorch.

Symptoms of a Pecan Tree with Bacterial Leaf Scorch

Pecan bacterial leaf scorch afflicts over 30 cultivars as well as many native trees. Scorch on pecan leaves manifests as premature defoliation and a reduction in tree growth and kernel weight. Young leaves turn tan from the tip and edges towards the middle of the leaf, eventually browning entirely. Soon after symptoms appear, the young leaves drop. The disease may be seen on a single branch or afflict the entire tree.

Bacterial leaf scorch of pecans may start as early as spring and tends to become more destructive as the summer progresses. For the home grower, a tree afflicted with PBLS is just unsightly, but for commercial growers, the economic losses can be significant.

PBLS is caused by strains of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex. It may sometimes be confused with pecan scorch mites, other diseases, nutritional issues, and drought. Pecan scorch mites can be easily viewed with a hand lens, but other issues may need to have testing done to confirm or negate their presence.

Treatment of Pecan Bacterial Leaf Scorch

Once a tree has been infected with bacterial leaf scorch, there are no economically effective treatments available. The disease does tend to occur more frequently in certain cultivars than others, however, although currently there are no resistant cultivars. Barton, Cape Fear, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Rome, and Oconee are all highly susceptible to the disease.

Bacterial leaf scorch of pecans can be transmitted in two ways: either by graft transmission or by certain xylem feeding insects (leafhoppers and spittlebugs).

Because there is no effective treatment method at this time, the best option is to reduce the incidence of pecan leaf scorch and to delay its introduction. That means purchasing trees that are certified disease-free. If a tree appears to be infected with leaf scorch, destroy it immediately.

Trees that are going to be used for rootstock should be inspected for any signs of the disease prior to grafting. Lastly, only use scions from non-infected trees. Visually inspect the tree throughout the growing season prior to collecting the scion. If trees for grafting or collection of scions appear to be infected, destroy the trees.

Pecan ball moss control isn’t easy, and even if you manage to remove most ball moss in pecan trees, it’s nearly impossible to remove all the seeds. So, the burning question is, what can you do about ball moss in pecan trees? Read on to learn more.

What is Ball Moss?

Ball moss is an epiphytic plant that commonly grows in the interior limbs of trees where conditions are moist and shady. You may also notice ball moss on fence posts, rocks, power lines, and other non-living hosts. Is ball moss bad for pecans? Opinions in the horticultural community are mixed. Many experts think ball moss in pecan trees is harmless because the plant isn’t a parasite – it takes nutrients from the air, not the tree. The thinking in this camp is that when branches fall, it’s because they’re already dead or damaged due to a variety of reasons. Others think that sparse growth of ball moss in pecan trees is no problem, but a severe infestation can weaken the tree by blocking sunlight and preventing development of leaves.

How to Kill Pecan Ball Moss

You can remove ball moss in pecan trees the old-fashioned way – just blast the pesky plants with a strong stream of water or pick them off the tree with a long-handled rake or a stick with a hook on the end. Any dead branches should be removed. If the infestation is severe and hand-removal is too difficult, you can spray the tree with fungicide in early spring. (Keep in mind that the balls may not fall off the tree until it rains.) Repeat the process the following spring to eliminate ball moss that was missed. Some gardeners find that a baking-soda spray is effective on pecan trees with ball moss. The spray works by drying out the moss, which consists mostly of water. Note: Before you declare war on ball moss in pecan trees, keep in mind that the moss is an important habitat for beneficial insects, and serves as an important source of nutrition for many songbirds.

Spanish moss is a rootless plant with stringy, whisker-like growth that often droops from tree limbs. It is abundant along the southwest coastal area of the United States, extending from southern Virginia to eastern Texas. Is Spanish moss bad for pecans? Spanish moss isn’t a parasite because it takes nutrients from the air and debris that collects on the tree, not from the tree itself. It uses the tree only for support. However, Spanish moss on pecans can cause serious trouble when it grows so thick that it inhibits growth of the nuts. Additionally, a pecan tree with Spanish moss may suffer broken branches if the weight of the moss is great, especially when the moss is wet and heavy after a rainfall. A thick growth of Spanish moss can also prevent sun from reaching the leaves. Read on and learn what you can do about pecans and Spanish moss.

Managing Pecans and Spanish Moss

Currently, there are no chemical herbicides labeled for controlling Spanish moss on pecans in the United States, although some growers report success by spraying copper sulfate, potassium, or a mixture of baking soda and water. Any spray should be used with great care to avoid harming pecan trees or surrounding plants. Your local cooperative extension office is a good source of information. Most growers find that simple manual removal is the best means of pecan Spanish moss control. One of the easiest ways to remove Spanish moss on pecans is to use a long-handled rake or a long pole with a hook at the end. However, this can be quite a chore if you have a large number of pecan trees, or if taller trees are out of reach. In this case, it’s a good idea to hire an arborist or a tree company with a bucket truck. With the proper equipment, removing Spanish moss on pecans is a simple task.

Pink mold on pecans is a secondary disease that develops when nuts have previously been injured, usually by a fungal disease known as pecan scab. The key to treating pecan pink mold is to address the preliminary problem; pecans with pink mold can usually be avoided if pecan scab fungus is properly controlled. Read on for more information on pecan pink mold.

Symptoms of Pink Mold on Pecans

Initially, pink mold enters through cracks and fissures in the pecans, which exposes damaged tissue within the green hull. If conditions are moist, the pink mold grows rapidly and enters the interior of the pecan, destroying the nut and leaving a mass of pink powder in its place. A rancid odor is often present.

How to Treat Pecan Pink Mold

Management of pecan scab disease usually takes care of any problem with pink mold on pecans. Pecan scab disease is a common but very destructive disease that affects leaves, nuts and twigs, and is especially prominent during wet, humid conditions. You may not be able to completely eliminate the disease, but you can reduce the presence of pathogens, thus minimizing the risk of pecan pink mold. If you’re planting new pecan trees, always start with disease-resistant cultivars. Your local cooperative extension office can provide advice on the best varieties for your area. Plant pecans where the trees receive the best possible air circulation. Allow plenty of space between trees. Similarly, thin and prune the tree properly to maintain healthy airflow. Keep the area clean. Remove debris on the ground around the tree, as leaves, twigs, nuts and other plant matter may harbor disease pathogens. Plowing debris into the soil may help prevent infection. Implement a fungicide spray program. Your local cooperative extension office or a knowledgeable greenhouse or nursery can help you determine the best product for your particular situation. The first spray treatment should be at the pre-pollination stage, as soon as the tree emerges from dormancy in early spring. Reapply fungicide after two and four weeks. At that point, spray every three weeks for the remainder of the growing season. Read the label carefully and use the proper tools for spraying fungicides. Spray the tree thoroughly to create a thin film on all leaf surfaces. Note: Any recommendations pertaining to the use of chemicals are for informational purposes only. Chemical control should only be used as a last resort, as organic approaches are safer and more environmentally friendly. Read more at Gardening Know How: Fruit Tree Spray Schedule: Tips On Proper Fruit Tree Spraying Times https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/fegen/fruit-tree-spraying.htm

The areas where pecan trees are grown are warm and humid, two conditions that favor the development of fungal diseases. Pecan cercospora is a common fungus that causes defoliation, loss of tree vigor, and may affect the nut crop. A pecan with brown spots on leaves may be suffering from this fungus, but it also could be cultural, chemical, or even pest-related. Learn how to recognize pecan brown leaf spot disease so you can control the problem before it does serious damage.

About Pecan Brown Leaf Spot Disease

Pecan cercospora is most prevalent in neglected pecan orchards or in older trees. It rarely causes serious issues in healthy, mature plants. By the time you see brown spots on pecan leaves, the fungal disease is well advanced. Early signs can help avoid the disease getting a foothold in an orchard situation. The name of the disease gives some indication of the symptoms; however, by the time the leaves are that advanced, the fungus is well established. The disease affects only mature leaves and starts showing up in summer. The disease is encouraged by high humidity and warm temperatures. Initial signs are just tiny dots on the upper surface of the leaves. These enlarge to reddish-brown lesions. Mature lesions become gray brown. The spots may be round or irregular. If humidity or rainfall incidence remains high, the tree can defoliate in just a few months. This causes overall diminished health.

Similar Diseases and Causes

Gnomonia leaf spot is very similar to cercospora. It causes spots that stay within the veins but cercospora spots develop outside the lateral veins. Pecan scab is an extremely serious disease of these trees. It forms similar spots on leaves but primarily immature tissue. It can also affect twigs and bark on pecan trees. Brown spots on pecan leaves may also be due to down spot disease. This is another fungus whose spotting on foliage starts out yellow but matures to brown. Other causes of a pecan with brown spots on leaves may be from drift. Chemical injury as a result of wind-borne toxins can cause leaf defoliation and discoloration.

Controlling Pecan Brown Leaf Spot

The best defense against this disease is a healthy, well managed tree. A mild infection doesn't do much damage to a tree with good vigor. Also, well pruned pecan trees with an open canopy have more light and wind through the center, preventing the spread of the fungus. Following a good fertilization schedule has been shown to help minimize incidences of the disease. In areas that can expect warm, wet conditions, annual application of fungicide in early spring can be just the right antidote to pecan brown leaf spot.

Pecans are gorgeous, large deciduous trees in the family Juglandaceae grown as shade trees and for their delicious edible seeds (nuts). Mighty as they may seem, they do have their share of maladies, one of which is crown gall on a pecan tree. What are the symptoms of a pecan tree with crown gall, and is there a way of preventing pecan crown gall? Read on to learn about pecan crown gall control.

What is Pecan Crown Gall?

Crown gall on a pecan tree is caused by a bacterial pathogen. It is found around the world and afflicts both woody and herbaceous plants belonging to over 142 genera within 61 separate families. Plants infected with crown gall become stunted and weak and more susceptible to winter injury and other disease. The bacterium infects the tree through wounds caused by insects, grafting and cultivation and may be confused with other growths caused by fungi, virus or other diseases.

Symptoms of a Pecan Tree with Crown Gall

The bacterium transforms normal plant cells into tumor cells that become wart-like growths, or galls. At first, these growths are white to flesh toned, soft and spongy. As they progress, these galls become corky, rough and dark in color. The growths appear on the trunk, crown and roots near the soil line and the branches on occasion. The tumor may decay and slough off while new tumor tissue develops in other areas of the same gall. Tumors develop again in the same places each year and secondary tumors also develop. The sloughed off tumors contain the bacterium, which is then reintroduced into the soil where it can survive in the soil for years. As the disease progresses, the tree weakens and leaves may turn yellow as the tumors interrupt the flow of water and nutrients. Severe galls can girdle the tree’s trunk, resulting in death. Infected trees are highly susceptible to winter injury and drought stress.

Pecan Crown Gall Control

Once the pecan is infected with crown gall, there is no method of control. Preventing pecan crown gall is the only control method. Only plant disease free, healthy trees and avoid damaging the tree. Biological control is available in the form of an antagonistic bacterium, A. radiobacter strain K84, but it can only be used preventatively since it has to be used on the roots of healthy trees prior to planting.

Pecan scab disease is an extremely destructive disease affecting pecan trees. Severe scab can reduce pecan nut size and result in a total crop loss. What is pecan scab? For information on pecan scab disease and tips on preventing pecan scab in your orchard, read on.

What is Pecan Scab?

Pecan scab disease is caused by the fungus Fusicladium effusum. It is a disease that destroys pecan crops, especially in the southeastern United States. Scab is most severe during times of above-average rainfall. The pecan scab fungus causes its first damage in the spring, when it attacks new, young leaves. As summer arrives, the fungus moves into the nut shucks. Left to its own devices, pecan scab can kill all of the leaves on a nut tree. But that’s not all the pecan scab symptoms. As the fungus progresses, the pecan scab disease reduces the size and fill of the pecan nuts, and can even result in complete nut loss. It is possible, in rainy years, for a grower to lose an entire crop to pecan scab disease. It is quite easy for a home grower to lose to the fungus the nut crop from a handful of pecan trees.

Preventing Pecan Scab

Are you wondering how to go about preventing pecan scab in your trees? It’s easier than figuring out how to treat pecan scab. Big commercial growers spray fungicides repeatedly on their pecan trees in an attempt to reduce pecan scab symptoms. However, the best bets for home growers are to select resistant cultivars and to use good cultural practices. The cultural practices that can help in preventing pecan scab all involve ways of getting air moving around the trees to keep them dry. For example, pruning and thinning the trees encourage air and sunshine to enter the canopy, helping to dry the branches. In addition, clearing vegetation in the areas around the pecan trees also allows for faster drying. Mowing grass under the pecans does the same. If you are wondering how to treat pecan scab, the only effective means is spraying fungicides. However, pecan trees are generally too tall to allow homeowners to spray them easily., and they must be sprayed multiple times in order to combat the disease. These measures are not practical for home growers with a few trees. The cost of repeated spraying would be prohibitive. Attempting to prevent the disease is by far the better option.

Have you noticed a decline in your pecan trees? Are the top branches dying out while leaves are smaller or chlorotic? Even worse, are some of them stunted with little foliage; while others are barren? Are there small galls on the rootstocks of your prized trees? If so, it is possible you have a disease issue such as pecan root knot nematodes.

About Pecans with Root Knot Nematodes

In addition to those described above, other symptoms that indicate nematodes on pecans are wilting and spots on the leaves. This infestation is often mistaken for a nutrient deficiency. If the health of the tree fails to improve after feedings of supplemental zinc or nickel, inspect further for nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic roundworms found in soil, and in and on plant tissues. Pecan root knot nematodes puncture plant tissue and remove cell contents with a spear-like mouthpart, called a stylet. They begin by damaging the roots from within, creating galls and interfering with water and nutrient intake. Galls develop further up the tree. This process affects photosynthesis and nutrient uptake of new branches and nuts. Root knot nematodes are likely present in soil and water that may move them toward your trees. They are transported by soil on tools, footwear, or infested plants. Many experts believe they overwinter in soil as eggs, waiting to hatch the next spring.

Nematode Control for Pecan Trees

Avoidance of this disease is easiest, so buy nematode resistant stock when planting. Keep drainage around the trees impeccable to prevent infected water from sitting and infesting the orchard. If you suspect nematodes are present on your trees, there are a few means of control for pecans with root knot nematodes. You may solarize the soil throughout the orchard. Treat affected trees with pruning of the canopy. Remove dead branches and prune thoroughly to encourage root growth. This does not control the parasite, but may keep the tree healthy enough to produce on a limited level. Encouraging a heavy crop is usually more than the infested tree can handle. No chemical nematode control for pecans is available. When replacing trees in this area, take precautions such as soil solarization and purchasing trees on nematode resistant rootstocks. If you can let the land lie fallow for a year or longer, all the better. Pecan root knot nematodes will eventually die if no host is present.

With the rising popularity of homesteading, home landscapes now incorporate trees and shrubs that can pull double duty. Functionality has become just as important as beauty in our garden spaces. With blooms as early as January in mild climates, almond trees are making their way into the landscape more often as reliable double duty plants, providing homeowners with early spring blooms, healthy nuts, and an attractive landscape plant. Read on for tips on what to do with almonds in the winter.

Almond Winter Care

Closely related to peaches and other stone fruit trees in the Prunus species, almond trees are hardy in U.S. hardiness zones 5 to 9. In the cooler regions of their range, however, the early spring blooms of almond trees may be susceptible to bud damage or loss from late winter frost. In these locations, it’s recommended that you use later blooming varieties of almond to avoid frost damage. In warmer regions where almonds are grown, they may only have a short, semi-dormant period in which almond winter care chores should be done. Pruning and shaping is generally done to almond trees in winter between December and January. Many almond growers prefer to grow almond trees in a very specific, open, vase-like shape. This shaping/pruning is done during almond’s winter dormancy, starting the first growing season. Three to four main branches, which spread up and outward, are selected to grow as the first scaffold branches, and all other branches are pruned out. The following year, certain branches growing out from the first scaffold branches will be selected to grow into secondary scaffolding branches. This form of selection pruning is maintained year after year, always keeping the center of the tree open to air flow and sunlight.

What to Do With Almonds in Winter

Yearly maintenance should be done in late autumn or winter to trim out dead or damaged wood, and clear away garden debris and weeds. Leaves, nuts, and weeds left around the base of almond trees can harbor pests and disease, and also provide winter nests for small mammals which may chew on tree trunks or roots. Disease pathogens will oftentimes overwinter in dropped almond foliage and twigs which are left on the ground through winter, while borers and worms find perfect winter hideouts in fallen fruit and nuts. If left there over winter, the rapidly increasing temperatures of spring may lead to a sudden infestation of pests or disease. Almond trees are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases. Many of these problems can be avoided by implementing the spraying of horticultural dormant sprays into your almond winter care regiment. Preventative fungicides can be sprayed from autumn to early spring, depending on your region. Early spring applications are best for cooler climates with killing frosts.

Of late you may have noticed the wide variety of oils available not only for cooking but for cosmetic use as well. Almond oil is one such oil, and no it’s nothing new. Almonds were the hottest commodity on the “Silk Road” between Asia and the Mediterranean, and of choice for practitioners of Ayurveda for more than 5,000 years. What is almond oil and how do you use it? The following article contains almond oil information about the uses of almond oil.

What is Almond Oil?

Most of us are aware of the health benefits of eating sweet almonds. Almond oil has even more health benefits than crunching on the tasty nut. Almond oil is simply the essential oil pressed out from the nut. This pure oil has been found to be rich in Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, proteins, potassium, and zinc, making it not only heart healthy but good for our skin and hair.

Almond Oil Information

Almonds are not actually nuts, they are drupes. There are both sweet and bitter almonds. Bitter almonds are usually not eaten since they contain hydrogen cyanide, a toxin. They are, however, pressed into bitter almond oil. Usually, though, almond oil is derived from sweet almonds, the kind that are good to snack on. Native to the Mediterranean and Middle East, the largest producer of almonds in the United States is California. Today, 75% of the world’s almond supply is produced in California’s Central Valley. There will be a subtle difference in almond oil depending on the variety and location where the almond tree is grown. People with nut allergies should avoid using almond oil, but the rest of us are wondering how to use almond oil.

How to Use Almond Oil

There are many almond oil uses. Almond oil can be used to cook with. It is chock full of healthy fats that actually help to reduce cholesterol. Cooking with almond oil is certainly not the only way to use it. For centuries, almond oil has been used medicinally. As mentioned, Ayurvedic practitioners have been using the oil for thousands of years as massage oil. The oil has been used to treat vascular problems such as spider and varicose veins as well as to treat liver ailments. Almond oil can be used as a laxative and, in fact, is milder than most laxatives, including castor oil. It is said to generally boost the immune system. The oil is also an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Almond oil has been found to possess mild antioxidant properties and can be used topically to improve the skin. It is an excellent emollient as well and can be used to treat dry skin. The oil improves the texture and moisture absorption of hair as well as treating dandruff. It also treats chapped lips and purportedly can heal scars and stretch marks. One caveat regarding the use of this oil on skin or hair is that it’s oily and can cause clogged pores or skin breakouts, so a little goes a long way. Disclaimer: The contents of this article is for educational and gardening purposes only. Before using or ingesting ANY herb or plant for medicinal purposes or otherwise, please consult a physician or a medical herbalist for advice. Do not use if any nut allergies are known.

Many great forests of American chestnut trees died from chestnut blight, but their cousins across the seas, European chestnuts, continue to thrive. Beautiful shade trees in their own right, they produce most of the chestnuts Americans eat today. For more European chestnut information, including tips on how to grow a European chestnut, read on.

European Chestnut Information

European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is also called Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut. This tall, deciduous tree belonging to the beech family can grow to 100 feet (30.5 m.) tall. Despite the common name, European chestnut trees are not native to Europe but to western Asia. Today, however, European chestnut trees thrive throughout much of Europe as well as northern Africa. According to European chestnut information, humans have been growing sweet chestnut trees for their starchy nuts for centuries. The trees were introduced in England, for example, during the time of the Roman Empire. European chestnut trees have dark green leaves that are slightly furry. The underside is a lighter shade of green. In the fall, the leaves turn canary yellow. Tiny, clustered flowers appear in male and female catkins in summer. Although each European chestnut tree has male and female flowers, they produce better nuts when more than one tree is planted.

How to Grow a European Chestnut

If you are wondering how to grow a European chestnut, keep in mind that these trees are also susceptible to chestnut blight. Many of the European chestnut trees cultivated in America died from the blight too. The wet summers in Europe make the blight less deadly. If you decide to start growing sweet chestnut despite the risk of blight, be sure you live in the right climate. The trees grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 7. They can shoot up 36 inches (1 m.) in one year and live up to 150 years. European chestnut care begins at planting. Select a large enough site for the mature tree. It can spread to 50 feet (15 m.) wide and twice that in height. These trees are flexible in their cultural needs. They grow in sun or partial shade, and will accept clay, loamy, or sandy soil. They also accept acidic or slightly alkaline soil.

Almonds are not actually nuts. They belong to the genus Prunus, which includes plums, cherries, and peaches. These fruiting trees are usually propagated by budding or grafting. How about rooting almond cuttings? Can you grow almonds from cuttings? Keep reading to find out how to take almond cuttings and other information about propagating almonds from cuttings.

Can You Grow Almonds from Cuttings?

Almonds are usually grown by grafting. Since almonds are most closely related to peaches, they are usually budded to them, but they can also be budded to plum or apricot rootstock as well. That said, since these fruiting trees can also be propagated via hardwood cuttings, it is natural to assume that rooting almond cuttings is possible.

Will Almond Cuttings Root in the Ground?

Almond cuttings will likely not root in the ground. It seems that while you can get hardwood cuttings to root, it is quite difficult. This is no doubt why most people propagate with seed or by using grafted cuttings rather than propagating almonds from hardwood cuttings.

How to Take Almond Cuttings

When rooting almond cuttings, take cuttings from healthy exterior shoots that are growing in full sun. Choose cuttings that appear strong and healthy with well-spaced internodes. Central stem or basal cuttings from last season’s grown will be most likely to root. Take the cutting from the tree when it is dormant in the fall. Cut a 10 to 12 inch (25-31 cm.) cutting from the almond. Be sure the cutting has two or three nice looking buds. Remove any leaves from the cutting. Dip the cut ends of the almond cuttings into rooting hormone. Plant the cutting in a soilless media which will allow it to be loose, well-draining, and well-aerated. Place the cutting with the cut end in the pre-moistened media down an inch (2.5 cm.) or so. Place a plastic bag over the container and place it in a 55 to 75 degrees F. (13-24 C.) indirectly lit area. Open the bag every day or so to check to see if the media is still moist and to circulate air. It may take some time for the cutting to show any root growth, if at all. In either case, I find that trying to propagate anything myself is a fun and rewarding experiment.

Some plants like it hot, and Indian almond trees (Terminalia catappa) are among them. Interested in Indian almond cultivation? You’ll only be able to start growing an Indian almond (also called tropical almond) if you live where it’s toasty year-round. Read on for more information about Indian almond care and tips on how to grow tropical almond trees.

About Indian Almond Trees

Indian almond trees are very attractive, heat-loving trees that only thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. That may be traced back to their origins in tropical Asia. Indian almond cultivation generally occurs in tropical and subtropical regions in North and South America. They naturalize easily and are considered invasive in some regions. If you are considering growing an Indian almond, you’ll need to know the size and shape of the tree usually reaches some 50 feet (15 m.) tall but can grow considerably taller. The tree’s branching habit is interesting, growing horizontally on a single, erect trunk. The branches divide repeatedly into tiered whorls that grow some 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m.) apart. The bark of Indian almond trees is dark, a gray or grayish brown. It is smooth and thin, cracking as it ages. Mature trees have flattened, dense crowns.

How to Grow Tropical Almond

If you live in a warm zone and are thinking about growing an Indian almond tree, you’ll be interested to learn that it is more than an ornamental. It also produces juicy, edible fruit. To get this fruit, the tree first needs to flower. White blossoms appear on long slender racemes a few years after an almond tree is transplanted. Male and female flowers appear in early summer and develop into fruits late in the year. The fruits are drupes with a slight wing. As they mature, they turn from green to red, brown, or yellow. The edible nut is said to taste similar to that of an almond, hence the name. You’ll find that tropical almond care is minimal if you plant the tree correctly. Site the young tree in a full sun location. It accepts almost any soil as long as it well draining. The tree is drought tolerant. It also tolerates salt in the air and often grows close to the ocean. What about pests? Dealing with pests is not a big part of tropical almond care. The tree’s long-term health is usually not affected by pests.

Very few trees are completely disease-free, so it’s no surprise to learn the existence of diseases of chestnut trees. Unfortunately, one chestnut disease is so serious that it has killed off a large percentage of the chestnut trees native to the United States. For more information on chestnut tree problems and tips on treating a sick chestnut, read on.

Common Chestnut Tree Problems

Blight – One of the deadliest diseases of chestnut trees is called blight. It is a canker disease. The cankers grow fast and girdle branches and stems, killing them. The noble U.S. native, American chestnut (Castanea dentata), is a huge, majestic tree with a straight trunk. The wood is beautiful and highly durable. Its heartwood can be counted on in any situation where decay is a potential risk. American chestnut trees made up about half of all eastern hardwood forests. When blight reached this country, it decimated most of the chestnuts. Treating a sick chestnut is not possible if the problem is blight. European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is also susceptible to these chestnut diseases, but Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) is resistant. Sunscald – One of the chestnut tree problems that can look like blight is called sunscald. It is caused by sun reflecting off of snow in winter and heating the bark on the south side of the tree. The tree erupts in cankers that can look like blight. Use latex paint on the tree trunk to prevent this issue. Leaf spot and twig canker – Both leaf spot and twig canker are other chestnut diseases that can damage these trees. In comparison to blight, they can hardly be viewed as significant. They should be categorized as chestnut tree problems rather than chestnut diseases. Leaf spot presents as small spots on chestnut leaves. The spots are colored yellow or brown and have concentric rings in them. Sometimes the colored area falls from the leaf, leaving a hole. Sometimes the leaves die and fall. Treating a sick chestnut with leaf spot (Marssonina ochroleuca) is not recommended. Let the disease run its course. It is not one of the chestnut diseases that kill trees. Twig canker (Cryptodiaporthe castanea) is not one of the chestnut tree problems that you have to stay up nights worrying about either. It is a little more serious than leaf spot. Twig canker attacks Japanese or Chinese chestnuts. The cankers girdle whatever area of the tree they appear on. Treating a sick chestnut with twig canker is a matter of pruning out the infected areas and disposing of the wood.

An underutilized nut, the butternut is a hard nut that is as large as a pecan. The meat can be eaten out of shell or used in baking. If you are lucky enough to have one of these gorgeous white walnut trees, you may be wondering when and how to harvest butternut trees? The following article contains information regarding harvesting and picking butternuts.

About Butternut Harvesting

Butternuts, or white walnuts, are tolerant of a variety of poor soils but do require well-draining soil. The nuts resemble walnuts and are encased in a sticky husk inside a knobbed shell. Butternuts are richer, creamier, and sweeter than walnuts but are rarely cultivated. They are also susceptible to fungal infections. The incidence for fungal infection combined with the fact that the tree is difficult to propagate are the greatest impediments to commercial cultivation. Combine these with the great difficulty in cracking the nut, and harvesting butternuts commercially loses economic viability. Like walnuts, butternuts have significant omega-3 fatty acids, shown to reduce inflammation and reduce the risk for heart disease. Possibly due to their high fat content, butternuts rot rapidly when allowed to fall and sit on the ground. This means that when butternut harvesting, only harvest those nuts shaken from the tree.

When to Harvest Butternuts

Butternuts become ripe in the fall. You can tell when they are ready to harvest when you can dent the outer hull with your thumbnail.

How to Harvest Butternut Trees

There is no great secret to picking butternuts, just some physical labor. In the fall, knock the nuts from the tree (watch your head!) when the hulls begin to split. Remove the hulls as soon as you can. There are a several methods to removing the husk and all of them are challenging. You can try to pry them apart with a knife, stomp on them, roll over them with a car, or crack them between two boards. Wash the nuts to remove any clinging fibers in a bucket of water. Discard any nuts that float to the surface. These nuts are “duds” and will contain no meat. Spread the nuts in a thin layer on wire mesh trays or newspaper in a warm, ventilated area out of direct sun. This curing will take several weeks. When the nuts are done curing, you can hear them rattle in the shell. Store the cured nuts in a cool, dry, aerated area for several months or freeze shelled nuts for up to a year.

Your friends are busy boasting about their homegrown strawberries and melons, but you have much bigger plans. You want to grow nut trees. It’s a big commitment, but it can yield a big reward if you have the space and time to dedicate to nut growing. One of the many things you’ll want to learn more about is diseases that affect nut trees. Treating a sick nut tree early is important to preserving all your hard work and protecting your harvest! Read on for information on what diseases affect nut trees.

Common Nut Tree Diseases

Although we don’t have enough space to cover all possible nut tree diseases and nut tree disease symptoms, we’ve picked out some common nut tree diseases to highlight in order to get you started on your nut tree care adventure. As your trees grow and mature, keep your eyes open for these common problems: Anthracnose. Wet weather in late spring and early summer make anthracnose better able to survive on nut trees. When the fungus infects leaves, it can cause them to drop prematurely, resulting in tree defoliation, or pinkish lesions may form on the nuts themselves. You can choose to replace your trees with anthracnose resistant varieties or you can try to save the trees you have with sprays of fungicides like mancozeb or benomyl. Sanitation is really important for preventing reinfection, as is establishing a preventative spray program. Spray with a fungicide when the leaves just start to unfold, then four more times at two week intervals. Leaf spots. Various leaf spot diseases occur in nut trees, resulting in decreased ability to photosynthesize and increased stress. Leaf spots might be yellow, brown, or black, the size of the head of a pin or of a coin, but in nut trees they can all significantly influence your yield. When you notice leaf spots, start a spray program using copper fungicide (unless fruit are still very young, in which case a phytotoxic reaction is possible). Ideally, you’ll begin spraying when the leaves unfold and spray monthly until mid-summer. Oak root fungus. When small, gold-colored mushrooms appear at the base of your nut tree, it’s not a good sign. Your tree may be suffering from oak root fungus, also known as honey mushroom rot. Unfortunately, once you see the mushrooms, it’s years too late to prevent the infection or reverse it. Infected trees will show an overall decline, may experience dieback, and if you peel the bark back, you’ll find the signature white mycelial fans that are the hallmark of the disease. There’s no cure and no long-term treatment. The best you can do is remove the tree and try to prevent the fungus from spreading. Make sure all the parts of the tree have been cleaned up, including chunks of root that might be buried.

When you plant a walnut or a pecan, you’re planting more than a tree. You’re planting a food factory that has the potential to shade your home, produce abundantly, and outlive you. Nut trees are amazing plants, but along with their enormous size, they’re a large responsibility. They’re often the target of insect pests, so you should familiarize yourself with what common nut tree pests are problems. Bugs that affect nut trees are significantly easier to treat when the problem is caught early before the infestation is serious, so a keen eye is a necessity.

What are Nut Tree Pests?

It may seem like nut trees are impervious to pest insects, but the truth is that they can succumb just like any other plant. Their relatively large size in comparison to many other plants only means that it takes a larger insect load before you notice significant nut tree pest symptoms. Regular inspection of your nut trees can keep them pest free, which is why we’ve compiled a list of the most common nut tree pests and how to treat pests on nut trees below: Aphids. These soft-bodied insects are present on almost any sort of plant you can think of and can be particularly devastating on producers like nut trees. Their sticky honeydew gives sooty mildew plenty of opportunity to obscure and block photosynthesizing leaves, reducing overall vigor and the aphids’ own feeding can cause blooms and buds to emerge disfigured, making it increasingly difficult for biological processes to continue normally. Getting rid of aphids in nut trees requires a two-pronged approach since they’re almost always being farmed by ants. You can treat the tree with one of many insecticides, or simply spray the leaves with a hard blast of water from a garden hose daily, while also maintaining a sticky barrier at the bottom of the tree and baiting the ants to eliminate the colony. Scale. Many species of scale attack nut trees, but unless your tree is suffering significantly, don’t panic if you see scale. First, verify that the new bump or fuzzy spot is actually a scale insect by gently separating the protective covering from the tree with a thin blade. If a soft-bodied insect is inside, plan to spray your tree with a three percent concentrate of superior oil during the dormant season. Reducing pesticide applications can actually help reduce scale numbers by encouraging the number of beneficial insects that will readily feed on these insects. Mites. Mites can cause various types of damage to nut trees. The most obvious is bronze-colored stippling to leaves and fine webbing, in the case of spider mites. If the situation is very localized, you can wait and watch to see if natural predators will take care of the situation, but if there’s widespread damage, you’ll need to intervene. You can apply superior oil during the dormant season at a three percent concentration or at one percent during late spring or summer. Applications of abamectin can also be applied but be sure to observe a 21 day pre-harvest interval. Codling moth. Since these pest caterpillars crawl into nuts early in their lifecycle, it’s vital that you monitor them throughout the season. They overwinter behind bark or in the soil in cocoons, then emerge as adults to lay eggs on nearby fruit and nut trees. Once a population of codling moths has started breeding on your nut trees, it’s very difficult to get rid of them. Choosing late-leafing nut trees can help avoid them, but if your trees are already in place, removing any nuts that appear to have been tunneled into or have frass coming out of the end immediately can slow the spread. Bagging nuts four weeks after bloom provides excellent control but is also highly intensive work. Utilizing sticky traps can help thin adult codling moth populations, as well as inform your timing of safer insecticides like Bacillus thuringiensis. Other possible pests of nut trees include weevils, though these insects are rarely a problem unless found in significant numbers.

Native to the Mediterranean and Middle East, almond trees have become a popular nut tree for home gardens around the world. With most cultivars only growing to a height of 10 to 15 feet (3-5 m.), young almond trees can easily be trained as espaliers. Almond trees bear light pink to white flowers in early spring before they leaf out. In cooler climates, it’s common for these flowers to bloom while the rest of the garden still lies asleep beneath the snow. Almond trees can be purchased from garden centers and nurseries or propagated at home from an existing almond tree. Let’s take a look at how to propagate an almond tree.

Almond Propagation Methods

Most almond cultivars cannot be propagated by seed. The seeds of some hybrids are sterile, while other almond cultivar seeds may be viable but will not produce true to type plants. The plants that result from seed may revert to an original parent plant, which though related, might not even be an almond plant. Therefore, the most common almond propagation methods are softwood cuttings or bud grafting.

Propagating Almond Trees with Cuttings

Softwood cuttings is a propagation method in which young shoots of a woody plant are cut off and forced to root. In spring, after the almond tree has leafed out and produced new shoots, select a few young, pliable offshoots for softwood cuttings. Be sure that these are new shoots growing above the tree’s graft union and not suckers from below the graft. Before cutting off the shoots for softwood cuttings, prepare a seeding tray or small pots with a good blend of compost or potting medium. Poke holes in the potting medium for the cuttings with a pencil or dowel. Also, be sure to have a rooting hormone handy. With a sharp, sterile knife, cut the young offshoots that you selected for almond tree propagation just below a leaf node. The selected shoots should be approximately 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm.) long. Remove any leaf buds or leaves from the lower half of the cutting. Following the instructions on the rooting hormone that you are using, apply this to the bottom of the cuttings, then place them in the potting medium. Tamp the soil down firmly around the cuttings and gently but thoroughly water them. It usually takes five or six weeks for softwood cuttings to root. During this time, it is very important to keep the compost or potting mix moist, but not too soggy. Placing the cutting in a greenhouse or clear plastic bag can help retain consistent moisture.

How to Propagate an Almond by Budding

Another common method for almond tree propagation is budding, or bud grafting. With this form of tree grafting, buds from the almond tree you wish to grow are grafted onto rootstock of a compatible tree. Rootstock of other almonds can be used for budding almond trees as well as peaches, plums, or apricots. Budding is usually done in late summer. Using careful cuts with a grafting knife, almond buds are grafted onto the selected rootstock by one of two methods, either T-budding or chip/shield budding. In T-budding, a T-shaped cut is made in the rootstock and an almond bud is placed under the bark of the cut, then it is secured in place by grafting tape or a thick rubber band. In shield or chip budding, a shield-shaped chip is cut out of the rootstock and replaced by a properly fitting shield-shaped chip containing an almond bud. This chip bud is then secured in place by grafting tape.

Do you have an almond tree that for one reason or other needs to be moved to another location? Then you’re probably wondering if you can transplant an almond. If so, what are some helpful almond transplant tips? Keep reading to find out how to transplant almond trees and other information on moving an almond tree.

Can You Transplant an Almond?

Almond trees are related to plums and peaches, and, in fact, the growth habit of an almond is similar to that of a peach. Almonds thrive in areas of hot summers and cool winters. Trees are usually sold when they are one to three years of age for the simple reason that they are easier to handle at that size, but sometimes transplanting a more mature almond might be in order.

Almond Transplanting Tips

Generally, transplanting mature trees isn’t recommended. This is because the larger the tree, the greater proportion of root system will be lost or damaged when dug from the ground. An imbalance between the roots and the aerial portions of the tree may mean that the leafy areas of the tree may be clamoring for water that a disturbed root area can’t handle. The tree then suffers drought stress that may even result in death. If you absolutely do have to transplant a mature almond, there are some almond transplant tips that can help alleviate any potential problems down the road. First off, never try moving an almond tree during its growing season. Only move it in the early spring when the tree is still dormant, but the ground is workable. Even so, don’t expect a transplanted almond to grow or set fruit in the year following transplanting.

How to Transplant Almond Trees

To foster a healthy balance between root and shoots, prune all of the main branches back about 20% of their length. Soak the ground around the almond deeply for a day or so prior to transplanting to make the root mass easier to dig up. Break up the soil and dig a planting hole for the tree that is at least two times wider that its root ball diameter and at least as deep. Choose a site with full sun, and moist but well-draining soil. If the soil lacks nutrients, amend it with an organic rotted compost or aged manure so that the amendment makes up no more than 50% of the prepared soil. With a sharp spade or shovel, dig a circle around the tree. Sever or cut large roots with a lopper. Once the roots are severed, dig a larger space around and under the root ball until it is accessible, and you are able to lever the root ball out of the hole. If you need to move the almond some distance to its new home, secure the root ball with burlap and twine. Ideally, this is a very temporary measure, and you will plant the tree immediately. Set the root ball in the prepared planting hole at the same level it was in its prior location. If need be, add or remove soil. Back fill the planting hole, firming the soil around the root ball to prevent air pockets. Water the soil deeply. If the soil settles, add more soil to the hole and water again. Lay a 3 inch (8 cm.) layer of mulch around the tree, leaving a few inches (8 cm.) between the trunk and the placement of the mulch to conserve water, retard weeds, and regulate soil temps. Continue to water the tree consistently. Lastly, transplanted trees may be unstable and should be staked or supported to give the roots a chance to establish themselves firmly which can take more than a year.

Almonds are not only delicious but extremely nutritious as well. They grow in USDA zone 5 to 8 with California being the largest commercial producer. Although commercial growers propagate via grafting, growing almonds from seed is also possible. It isn’t simply a matter of planting cracked almond nuts, however. Although almond germination does take a little know how, propagating your own seed grown almond trees is definitely a fun project for the novice or avid home gardener. Keep reading to find out how to grow an almond from seed.

About Planting Almond Nuts

A little nugget of information that you may not know; almonds, although referred to as nuts, are actually a type of stone fruit. Almond trees bloom in February or March, leaf out and produce a greenish fruit that looks quite a bit like a peach, only green. The fruit hardens and splits, revealing the almond shell in the core of the fruit hull. If you want to try almond germination from seed, steer clear of processed almonds. As a result of a couple of Salmonella outbreaks in the early 2000's, the USDA began requiring all almonds to be sanitized via pasteurization as of 2007, even those labeled “raw.” Pasteurized nuts are duds. They won’t result in trees. You must use fresh, unpasteurized, unshelled, and unroasted nuts when growing almonds from seed. The only way to get such nuts is to get truly raw seeds from a farmer or overseas.

How to Grow an Almond from Seed

Fill a container with tap water and put at least a dozen almonds into it. Allow them to soak for at least eight hours and then drain them. Why so many nuts if you only want one tree? It is because of their uncertain germination rate and to account for any that may mold. Using a nutcracker, partially crack the almond shell to expose the interior nut. Don’t remove the shell. Arrange the nuts in a container lined with damp paper towel or sphagnum moss and cover the container with plastic wrap to retain moisture. Place the container of nuts into the refrigerator for two to three months, checking each week to be sure is still moist inside. This process is called stratification. Stratification just means you are tricking the almond seeds into believing they have gone through winter. It boosts the germination rate of seeds which usually germinate within a few days of planting. Seeds can also be “field stratified” by soaking them overnight and then planting outside in the fall. The seeds will not grow until spring, but the stratification process will increase their rate of germination. Once the seeds have been stratified, fill a container with potting soil. Press each seed down into the soil and inch (2.5 cm.) or so. Water the seeds and place the container in a warm, sunny area. Water once a week or when the soil feels dry 1 ½ inches (4 cm.) down into the soil. Transplant the plants when they are 18 inches (46 cm.) in height.

Almonds are not only delicious but nutritious, so many folks are trying their hand at growing their own nuts. Unfortunately, humans aren’t the only ones that enjoy almonds; there are lots of bugs that eat almonds or the tree’s foliage. When treating pests on almond trees, it’s important to recognize almond tree pest symptoms. The following article contains information on almond tree insects and almond pest treatments.

Almond Tree Insects

There are quite a few bugs that eat almonds, or rather more commonly the tree’s foliage. Ants, specifically southern fire ants and pavement ants, love almonds as much as you do. Large colonies of these can decimate a nut harvest but are not usually a huge problem. Aphids and scales, tiny sap sucking vampires, feed in colonies and cause yellow leaf spots and deformity in leaves and flowers. The presence of either of these insects leads to a higher incidence of ants. Why? These insects exude honeydew upon which sooty mold grows, but it also attracts ants. The ants, in return for the honeydew, act as protectors from predatory insects to the scales and aphids. To rid the tree of scales and aphids, try a hard spray from the garden hose to dislodge them. Prune out and destroy areas of heavy infestation and spray the tree with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Tent caterpillars feed from April to June, skeletonizing foliage. When there are only a few of these on the tree, treating these pests on almond trees simply requires handpicking and disposing of them. For larger infestations, prune out heavily infested twigs and branches and destroy them. An insecticide might be necessary in the case of large numbers of tent caterpillars. Leafroller larvae have green bodies with black heads. They feed on almond tree buds just as they are opening. Usually, the population of leafrollers is small and can be left alone, but if there is a large population, Bacillus thuringiensis is often helpful. Several types of borers may afflict an almond tree. All of them tunnel through the outer layer of bark and into the cambia, or inner wood. Borers are difficult to treat since they are beneath a layer of bark. If the tree is healthy, it will likely not incur any lasting damage from the borers. Heavy infestations may need to be controlled with pesticides. This depends on the type of borer your tree has, so check with your local extension office for information on identifying the borers and insecticide referrals. Pacific, two-spotted, or strawberry spider mites are very tiny insects that spin minute webs. They also suck on the leaves of the tree, resulting in yellowing and premature leaf drop. Spider mites thrive in dry, dusty conditions. To thwart spider mites, keep the tree consistently watered and the surrounding area damp. Also, wash the spider mites off the foliage. For heavy infestations, use an insecticidal soap of horticultural oil during the dormant season. Leaf footed bugs wear camouflage, leaf-like spurs on their hind legs to protect from predators. Like the almond loving ants, leaf footed bugs also feed on the nuts of the tree as they develop. This can kill the developing seed. They also lay their eggs inside the nut hull which in turn develop abnormally. Leaf footed bugs are most active in early spring but don’t usually infiltrate almond trees. If they do, an application of insecticide might be in order. Even so, this may not kill the eggs residing inside the nut and they may continue to drop from the tree for up to a week post application. For the most part, almonds are resilient and partially pest resistant. Even the insects listed above have fairly minor almond tree pest symptoms and almond pest treatments are usually of the more benign variety, such as a steady stream of water or the application of horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.

If you are planting almond trees, you will have to select among many different almond trees and almond tree cultivars. Your choice will have to take into account a variety of factors. Read on for information about types of almond trees.

Varieties of Almond

For those growing almond tree varieties commercially, the considerations for selecting trees include the size and quality of the nut harvest. As a home gardener, you may be more interested in obtaining easy-care almond tree cultivars that will thrive in your climate. Although a few self-fertile varieties of almonds are available, they are not problem free. You are better off selecting compatible combinations of almond tree cultivars than individual trees. If you do research about different almond tree varieties, you’ll find dozens of types of almond trees available. They differ in aspects that are important to a gardener: time of bloom, mature size, pollen compatibility, and disease and pest resistance.

Bloom Time

Bloom time is important if you live in a cooler area. If you live on the low end of the almond tree’s hardiness range, you may want to select varieties of almond that bloom later rather than earlier. This prevents loss of flowers to late frost. Late-blooming almonds include:

• Livingston
• Mission
• Mono
• Padre
• Ruby
• Thompson
• Planada
• Ripon

Generally, almond trees thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. However, this is not true of all almond tree cultivars, so carefully check the zones of whichever almond tree cultivars you select.

Pollen Compatibility

Assuming you plan to get two almond tree varieties to pollinate each other, you need to be sure that their pollen is compatible. Not all are. When you buy two or more trees, you want to be sure that their blooming period overlaps. Otherwise, they cannot pollinate each other if they don’t bloom at the same time even if the pollen is compatible.

Sizes of Different Almond Trees

Size of almond trees can be a critical consideration in a small garden. The mature size of trees can range from 12 feet (4 m.) to 20 feet (6 m.) high and wide, depending on the type of almond grown. Carmel is one of the smaller varieties and doesn’t spread as wide as it is tall. Monterey is short but spreading.

Almonds are not only beautiful deciduous trees, but also nutritious and delicious, leading many gardeners to grow their own. Even with the best care, however, almonds are susceptible to their share of almond tree diseases. When treating sick almond trees, it’s important to recognize almond disease symptoms in order to identify which of the diseases of almond are afflicting the tree. Read on to learn how to treat and prevent almond diseases.

Common Diseases of Almond Trees

Most of the diseases that afflict almonds are fungal diseases, such as Botryosphaeria canker and Ceratocystis canker. Botryosphaeria canker - Botryosphaeria canker, or band canker, is a fungal disease that used to be fairly uncommon. Today, it hits commercial growers especially hard, showing its almond disease symptoms in natural openings on the tree and in pruning wounds on scaffold branches. These are most frequently seen after a rainfall when spores are spread not only on the wind, but through rain splash. Additionally, some varieties of almond are more susceptible to this disease, like that of Padre. It is also seen in overfertilized young trees. If the tree does get band canker, unfortunately, the entire tree needs to be destroyed. The best method of attack is to prevent the tree from getting this Botryosphaeria canker. This means not pruning when rain is imminent and when almond pruning is necessary, do so with great care to avoid injuring the tree. Ceratocystis canker - Ceratocystis canker is more likely to afflict commercial almond growers. It is also called “shaker’s disease” because it is often introduced into injuries caused by a harvest shaker. This fungal disease is transmitted via fruit flies and beetles that are attracted to the tree’s wound. It is the most common disease of the scaffold and trunk and significantly reduces the fruit yield by causing scaffold loss.

Additional Almond Tree Diseases

Hull rot is a big problem with the commercial industries star almond variety, the Nonpareil. Another fungal disease that is spread on the wind, hull rot most often afflicts tree that are overwatered and/or overfertilized. For commercial growers, the disease is most often the result of improper harvest or shaking too soon after rain or irrigating. Shot hole disease appears as small, dark lesions on the leaves and infects the almond late in the growing season. Nuts may also be afflicted with lesions and although they are unsightly, they will not affect the flavor. As the spots grow, the centers rot out, creating a hole that looks like a target peppered with buckshot. Prevent shot hole disease by watering with a drip hose at the base of the tree. If the tree becomes infected, remove affected foliage with sterile pruning shear. Dispose of infected material in a sealed garbage bag. Brown rot blossom and twig blight are both caused by the fungus, Monolina fructicola. In this case, the first almond disease symptoms are that the blooms wither and drop. This is followed by twig death. Over time, this disease not only weakens the tree, but also decreases the crop yield. If the tree is infected, remove all infected parts of the almond with sterile pruning shears. Also, remove any debris from beneath the tree, as this fungus overwinters in such detritus. Anthracnose is another fungal infection that spreads during rainy periods of the early, cool spring. It kills both blossoms and developing nuts. Anthracnose can also cause whole branches to defoliate and die. Again, remove any infected foliage and debris from beneath the tree using sanitary practices. Dispose of the above in a sealed garbage bag. Water the tree with a drip hose at the base of the tree.

How to Prevent Almond Disease

Treating sick almond trees is sometimes not an option; sometimes it’s too late. The best offense, as they say, is a good defense.

• Practice good sanitation in the garden.
• Always water at the base of the tree, never overhead.
• If you must prune, do so after harvest in fall. Remember that any pruning you do is disturbing the cambium layer and raising the risk of infection, especially if done before or after a rainfall.
• Fungicide applications may help prevent some almond tree diseases. Consult with your local extension office for recommendations and help regarding the use of any fungicides.

Can you grow almonds in containers? Almond trees prefer to grow outside, where they are easy to get along with and require minimal care. However, they are easily damaged if temperatures drop below 50 degrees F. (10 C.). If you live in a fairly cool climate, you may have success growing an almond tree in a pot. You may even harvest a few nuts after about three years. Read on to learn more about container-grown almond trees.

How to Grow an Almond in a Container

To grow an almond tree in a pot, start with a container that holds at least 10 to 20 gallons (38-75 L.) of potting soil. Be sure the pot has at least one good drainage hole. Consider a rolling platform or container because your container-grown almond tree will be very heavy and difficult to move. Mix in a generous amount of sand; a container-grown almond tree needs coarse soil. The following tips on growing an almond tree in a pot may be helpful as you’re starting out: An almond tree in a pot is happiest with temperatures between 75 and 80 degrees F. (24-27 C.). Place container-grown almond trees safely away from drafty windows and air-conditioning vents when indoors. Once cooler temps approach, you’ll have to bring your tree inside. Place the almond tree in a window where it receives afternoon sunlight. Almond trees require lots of light, so provide artificial light if natural light is insufficient. Water your almond tree deeply until water trickles through the drainage hole, then don’t water again until the top 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) of soil feels dry to the touch – usually about once a week depending on temperature. Never allow the pot to stand in water. Keep in mind that the tree will tolerate lower light and decreased water when it enters dormancy during the winter months. Prune container-grown almond trees yearly during the dormant period. Almond trees can reach 35 feet (11 m.) outdoors, but they can be maintained at about 4 to 5 feet (1-1.5 m.) in containers. Fertilize your almond tree in spring and fall after the first full year using a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Almond trees offer showy, fragrant flowers and, with proper care, a harvest of nuts. If you are considering planting these trees in your garden, you should be aware of almond tree issues that might come up. Potential problems with almond trees include both almond diseases and pests. To learn more about almond tree problems, read on. We’ll also give you tips for managing issues in almonds.

Cultural Almond Tree Issues

Some almond tree issues are related to improper cultural care, like irrigation. To keep these trees healthy and productive, they require regular water, but not too much. Insufficient watering causes problems with almond trees not just in the year the drought occurs, but in following seasons as well. Almond tree problems are most serious if the trees have inadequate irrigation in the early months of bud and leaf development. On the other hand, overwatering has its own dangers. Trees getting excess water and fertilizer are susceptible to hull rot, a windborne fungal disease. To prevent hull rot, give the tree less water about the time the hulls split.

Almond Diseases and Pests

Unfortunately, many different almond tree problems can arise that require you to step in to help the tree. Possible almond tree diseases and pests are numerous and can be deadly. Which insect pests can cause problems with almond trees? The trees can be attacked by different kinds of mites, including spider mites. Other almond pests may include:

• Ants (especially the red imported fire ant)
• Forest tent caterpillars
• Leaf-footed bugs
• Leafrollers
• Stink bugs
• Borers
• Scale

The best way of managing issues in almonds related to mites or insects is to ask your local university extension or garden center. They will recommend the appropriate action to take or product to apply. Many different problems can be attributed to diseases, and these trees are susceptible to many of them. These include fungal diseases as well as bacterial. Circumstances like the tree’s planting location and weather are partially responsible for determining which almond tree issues your tree faces. Whenever possible, purchase disease-resistant trees for lower maintenance. Proper cultural care also reduces the chance of almond diseases and pests. Select the best possible site, provide adequate irrigation and fertilizer, keep weeds down, and prune the tree as needed. These tasks will go a long way toward reducing future issues. Pay particular attention to preventing pruning or weed-whacker wounds on the trees. These are a prime source of infection of the fungal disease botryosphaeria canker, also known as band canker. If your tree does catch it, you’ll have to remove it, stump and all.

Almond trees are wonderful assets to have in the garden or orchard. Store bought nuts don’t come cheap, and having your own personal tree is a fantastic way to always have almonds on hand without breaking the bank. What do you do if your beloved tree isn’t flowering, let alone producing nuts? Keep reading to learn more about what to do when your almond tree won’t bloom.

Reasons for an Almond Tree Not Blooming

There are a few possible causes for no flowers on almond trees. One very simple one is that your tree is having an off year. If you experienced a bumper crop last year, this means your tree put more energy into producing fruit than setting new buds. This is perfectly natural and fine, and it shouldn’t be a problem next year. Another common reason is improper pruning. Almonds bloom on the previous year’s growth. This means that almonds benefit from pruning just after they’re finished blooming, when the new growth hasn’t set buds yet. If you prune your almond tree in fall, winter, or early spring, there’s a good chance you’ll be removing flower buds that have already formed, and you’ll see fewer blossoms in the spring. It’s possible that an almond tree won’t bloom because of disease. Both fire blight and blossom blight are diseases that result in blossom death, so you’ll have no almond blossoms should either of these be affecting your tree. The flowers will form, but will then brown, wilt, and die. These diseases can be controlled by removal of infected areas and, in the case of blossom wilt, the application of wettable sulfur. If you have an almond tree not flowering, a lack of water could be to blame. Almonds take a huge amount of water to thrive. If your tree hasn’t received enough water (a common problem, especially in California), it will put more energy into searching for water than flower or fruit production.

Almonds are one of the most valuable bee-pollinated crops. Every February, about 40 billion bees are trucked to almond orchards in California to help produce the world’s largest almond harvest. With the decline in honeybee populations, home almond growers may wonder, “Can you pollinate almonds by hand?”. Hand pollinating almond trees is possible, but it is a slow process, so it’s only a possibility on a small scale.

How to Hand Pollinate Almonds

When almond flowers open in the early spring, the flowers should be pollinated as quickly as possible to ensure a good yield. Each almond flower has many stamens (the flower’s male parts) and one pistil (the flower’s female part). When the flowers are ready, the yellow, dusty pollen will be visible on the anthers, the kidney-shaped structures on the ends of the stamens. To achieve pollination, a pollen grain must come to rest on the stigma, the surface at the end of the pistil, of a compatible flower. Most almond varieties produce flowers that are self-incompatible. For genetic reasons, pollen from each tree cannot effectively pollinate flowers on the same tree. You’ll need two trees of different varieties. Before planting, make sure the two varieties are compatible and that they will be in bloom at the same time. To pollinate almonds, transfer pollen from flowers on one tree into a jar, and immediately bring the pollen to another tree. Then, use a piece of cotton or a paintbrush to lift some of the pollen and brush it onto the stigma of another tree. Or, remove several flowers laden with pollen from one tree and touch the pollen-bearing anthers to the stigmas of flowers on the other tree. Almond tree hand pollination is easier if you have a self-fertile variety, such as All-in-One, Tuono, or Independence®. In that case, you can transfer pollen from one flower onto another flower on the same tree, or even from an anther to the stigma within the same flower. The wind can also help these trees self-pollinate.

Alternatives to Hand Pollinating Almond Trees

Hand pollination is necessary where bees are not available. And hand pollination may allow an even higher percentage of flowers to develop into mature nuts than bee pollination does – if you can reach all the flowers, that is. However, hand pollination is quite labor intensive, and you might have difficulty reaching flowers high in the tree. If you have more than a few almond trees, renting a hive is the best way to ensure pollination. Attract bumblebees and other wild bees to your property by providing a source of water and planting other bee-pollinated flowers. Avoid using insecticides on your property, especially during the almonds’ flowering time, to prevent harm to the bees.

Almonds are beautiful trees that bloom in very early spring, when most other plants are dormant. In California, the world’s largest almond producer, the bloom lasts for about two weeks in early February. If you plan to grow almond trees and you want them to produce nuts, you’ll need to think about how to pollinate almond trees before you even plant. You’ll need to choose the correct combination of varieties and consider your source of pollinators.

How are Almond Trees Pollinated?

Almonds are among the most economically valuable bee-pollinated crops. In fact, almonds are nearly 100% dependent on bees for pollination. If enough bees are present, 90 to 100% of almond flowers per tree can develop into nutlets (the first stage in nut development), but none will develop if no bees at all visit the tree. It’s not just honeybees that pollinate almonds. Almond pollinators also include bumblebees, blue orchard bees, and various other wild bees, and almonds serve as a valuable food source for these insects at a time when other flowers are scarce. Commercial growers in California pay to rent hives during the almond bloom. Attracting a mixture of bee species may increase nut production, especially in bad weather, according to experts at UC Berkeley. Growing several types of flowering plants and avoiding pesticides may help you attract wild bees to your almonds.

Does Almond Tree Pollination Require Two Trees?

Most almond varieties are self-incompatible, meaning they cannot pollinate themselves. You will need at least two trees, and they’ll need to be of two different varieties that are compatible and have overlapping bloom times. For example, “Price” is a good pollinator for the popular “Nonpareil” variety because the two bloom at approximately the same time. Plant the two trees about 15 to 25 feet (5-8 m.) apart so that bees will be likely to visit flowers on both trees. In commercial orchards, different varieties are planted in alternating rows. If you only have room for one tree, choose a self-fertile one like All-in-One, Tuono, or Independence®. Since the wind can help pollinate these trees, self-fertile varieties require fewer bees per acre to achieve good pollination rates. Successfully pollinating almonds is very important, but it’s not the only factor in good nut yield. Nutrient deficiencies and lack of adequate water can cause an excessive number of nutlets to fall off the tree before they develop. Making sure your trees are in good health will help them weather any environmental challenges they encounter.