Fruit Trees
Air layering: root a branch before separating it
Air layering encourages roots on a branch while it is still attached to the parent plant. It can be useful for suitable woody plants, especially when ordinary cuttings ar…
Living Earth topic
orchard
Fruit and nut trees, planted and cared for.
Fruit Trees
Mulberry cuttings: turn a local success into a repeatable method
Mulberries can be propagated from cuttings, allowing a useful fruiting tree to be copied. The method’s success varies with species, variety, wood condition and nursery ca…
Fruit Trees
Fruit-tree rootstocks: ask what is beneath the graft
A grafted fruit tree combines a fruiting variety with a rootstock. The rootstock may be grown from seed or propagated clonally. Knowing both parts helps explain size, com…
Citrus
Cottony cushion scale: inspect citrus before spraying again
White cottony material on citrus deserves a closer look. Cottony cushion scale is one possibility, but identifying the insect and its stage is more useful than repeatedly…
Fruit Trees
Baobab: choose a warm site and think in generations
An African baobab, Adansonia digitata, can become a remarkable long-lived tree. It is a landscape commitment with eventual food and habitat value, not a quick solution fo…
Fruit Trees
Mongongo or manketti: a long-term tree for suitable sandy landscapes
Mongongo, also called manketti, is Schinziophyton rautanenii. Its fruit and kernels have longstanding food value in parts of southern Africa. Growing it is a long-term la…
Fruit Trees
Corky-bark monkey-orange: identification comes before harvest
Corky-bark monkey-orange, Strychnos cocculoides, is a fruit-bearing tree of parts of tropical and southern Africa, including northern Namibia. Its hard-shelled fruit attr…
Fruit Trees
Wild medlar: document and grow a locally useful fruit tree
Wild medlar, Vangueria infausta, is an indigenous African shrub or small tree with edible ripe fruit. It can be part of a diverse food landscape where the site suits it.…
Fruit Trees
African mangosteen: try a warm, protected fruit-tree site
African mangosteen, Garcinia livingstonei, is an African fruit tree distinct from the tropical supermarket mangosteen. Its orange fruit and attractive form make it worth…
Fruit Trees
Jackalberry: plan for a large tree and a suitable microclimate
Jackalberry, Diospyros mespiliformis, is a substantial indigenous African tree with shade and fruit value. It belongs in a long-term landscape plan. A sheltered, adequate…
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