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Ideas and inspiration for your place in the country

Trees

Crab apple crazy!

Inspired by the trees of France, this Wisconsin family invested in crab apple trees.



Creating a tree journal

With a tree journal, you can log leafing and blooming times, pruning records, growth per year, and other helpful facts.



Planting pecan trees

Georgia ranks number one in the U.S. for pecan production, but the trees flourish as far south as Mexico to as far north as Illinois.


Backfill the hole

Fruit tree pest prevention

It's not possible to have perfect fruit trees. But, you can get a little closer to that goal with some planning.


Crimson Rocket peaches in crate in front of trees

Planting 'skinny' peach trees

A new "skinny" peach tree, the "Crimson Rocket," is much more slender than traditional varieties, but still produces full-sized fruit.


Crimson Rocket peaches in crate in front of trees

What it takes to grow evergreens

Growing the perfect evergreen takes skill and a little experimentation. Loren Kruse, a tree farmer in Grundy Center, Iowa, provides a few tips for growing.


Pruning outdoor Christmas tree

Planting Christmas trees

Growing your own Christmas tree is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Trees such as Scotch pines, Douglas firs, and Blue Trees must be sheared on a yearly basis to give spruces are relatively easy to grow, but they do require a commitment to proper care and maintenance.


Picea pungens

Pine tree diseases

Like all trees, conifers can fall victim to disease, causing them to lose needles, turn brown, and even die.


Silver Korean Fir

Proper tree pruning

If you cut in the wrong spot, or prune the wrong time of year, you could be doing more harm than good.


Making the cut

Tree pruning in winter

Late winter is a good time to prune certain types of trees.


Pruning shears

Fall care for trees and shrubs

If trees and shrubs are a significant part of your home's landscaping, fall is a great time to help protect your investment.



Managing your wood lot

The payoff isn't to managing timber isn't just more firewood -- it s a healthy, thriving forest that benefits more than just the trees.


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Maple syrup magic

When the sap is running, this Minnesota couple runs with the sap.


maple syrup

Tapping trees for maple syrup

Maple trees are a beautiful addition to any acreage, and if you're lucky enough to have established maples in your grove, you may be able to make your own maple syrup.


jim syrup

10 tips for healthy trees

A property of beautiful trees doesn t take much work on your part. The biggest challenge, in fact, may be leaving them alone.


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Prudent pruning

Healthy trees are key elements in any landscape, and nothing protects a tree against disease like proper pruning.


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TLC for saplings

Establishing trees on your acreage in the fall is a good investment, both for aesthetic reasons and more practical ones, such as lowering your energy bills in summer and winter. You can keep young trees strong and healthy through the winter and beyond by avoiding some common mistakes.


Tree sapling

When to cut down a tree

Trees, like other living organisms, eventually end up dying. Unfortunately, it's not always easy for rural homeowners to tell which trees need to be put out of their misery. If your tree is dropping dead branches or full of brown leaves, that's a fairly obvious clue that something is wrong. If you catch problems early, you may be able to save the tree.



 
 
 


 

 
 
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