I had not planned on buying any plants when we went to a plant sale. ( I know famous last words) that didn't last long as 5 plants came home with me. One Salvia Heatwave ‘Blaze', 2 Achillea ‘Firefly Pink' and ‘Cerise Queen', 1 pink Agastache and Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum'.

The one out of the 5 I didn't remember seeing it in all my nursery trips, was Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum', I am sure I must have and was looking for something else at the time. This plant has a common name of “Shrubby germander'.

So not knowing any more than its name and sun requirements on the tag, I had to go to the Internet to find out more. Some of what I found is that it is a member of the Lamiaceae or mint family, growing in the sun or dappled shade, will tolerate almost any type of soil, is a good drought-tolerant plant that needs only watering every 2 weeks spring through fall.

The gray-green leaves are silver-white underneath that is said to be aromatic. The flowers are dark violet to dark blue. Bees and butterflies are drawn to it. Also, it is supposed to be deer restraint, but we know if they get hungry enough, they will try anything.

It does grow large 5 to 6 feet tall and wide but can be pruned, which I will need to do to keep it in the space I have.

Recently a friend of mine asked me to look at her apricot tree and give her some advice on tree pruning.  This tree had never been pruned and it produced small apricots. It had several limbs about 1” all growing upward. She said it needed help “What should I cut?  How do I cut it?”

A little knowledge and a pair of pruners can cause a lot of damage to a tree. If you are new to pruning learn how to do it right.  Just don't cut anywhere, identify the branch collar and make the cut ¼” above the collar never, never cut the branch flush with the trunk or another limb. You can pick up a pruning guide at a Master Gardener table at a Farmers' Market or Business that sponsors the Master Gardeners' program.  Visit the UCANR website for pruning guidelines. Consult an arborist if you are thinking of doing a major pruning job. 

The best time to prune a fruit tree is when they are dormant.  If you have inherited the tree from a previous owner or caretaker. Identify what problems exist.  Ask yourself these questions: Is the fruit too small, is it hard to pick the fruit, are the limbs crossing, is the fruit too high to pick?  Your answers will dictate a pruning strategy.

If you are working on an existing never been pruned or improperly pruned tree you have to be judicious in what and how much you cut. A good rule of thumb is to never remove more than 30% of the limbs. For myself, I stay well within this guideline. Take a good look at the tree ahead of time and determine your largest cut first, the one that will give you the most benefit.  Dead or dying branches do not count towards the 30% threshold.  Diseased limbs should be handled carefully.  A good practice is to sterilize your tools after every cut with 10% bleach and discard the diseased limbs into the gray bins.  There is no guarantee that the green bin composting will reach a high enough temperature to destroy the infected material. These are the 3 Ds (dead, diseased, or dying) of pruning.

Limbs that are crossing, crowding or competing with other limbs should be considered next.  Crossing limbs should be obvious, they are actually rubbing up against another limb.  Limbs that are rubbing up against a fence or other solid object also should be removed.  A break in the bark is a possible entryway for bugs or other pathogens to enter.  Competing limbs are next.  Are the limbs basically growing in the same direction and are they fairly close together, and will they compete for the same sunlight?  How big your fruit gets is determined by how much room they have to grow.  You have to visualize your fruit; will it have enough room to grow without getting in the way of other fruit or limbs?  Crowding is similar to crossing and competition, as the word suggests the fruit and leaves are crowded, they are not getting enough sunlight or room for air to circulate.  These are the 3 Cs (crossing, competing and crowding) of pruning. 

On grafted trees you might see growth below the graft or in the ground, this is the rootstock trying to express itself as its own tree.  These can be removed anytime as they rootstock growth will divert energy away from the grafted tree. 

Over pruning, the event may produce water sprouts. These occur because the tree attempts to recover from the shock of losing foliage by producing vigorous growth.   Water sprouts are usually small diameter limbs growing together straight up.  These limbs are also candidates for removal.

On an existing tree take a picture of your tree.  Make a plan on how you want your tree to look and plan out your major cuts in advance.  Remember you cannot take more than 30% of the tree limbs in a single pruning, you must wait until the tree recovers from the pruning.  How long?  It depends on a number of factors. Consult with an arborist or a tree expert at a nursery.  Over pruning reduces the life and production of your tree. 

Back to the apricot tree.  I made a few cuts using the 3 Ds and 3 Cs as a guideline.  I also made some heading cuts to reduce the length of some of the long over fruit laden branches.   I will wait to revisit the tree later this year when it is dormant. I told my friend that she can also increase the size of the fruit by thinning out the buds when they appear. I also suggested cleaning out the area around the tree adding mulch and compost around the base.

It is well worth your time to take a tree pruning class, consult an arborist, refer to the UCANR website, and use the right tools and techniques.  Save some fruit for me!

https://ancrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf8502.pdf

Fruit and Nut Planning Guide for Arborists

https://ucanr.edu

Pruning overgrown fruit trees by Jim Gormley.   The Ten Basics of When and How to Prune Fruit Trees by Paul Vossen

Read more at Gardening Know How: Care Of Apricot Trees: Apricot Tree Growing In The Home Garden https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/apricots/apricot-tree-growing.htm

A few weeks ago, Master Gardeners of Solano County were treated to an outstanding talk about Asian Fruits and Berries given by one of our own Master Gardeners, Kathy Low.  What made the talk most exciting—besides all of the fruits and nuts that she had on hand for a delicious taste treat samples--was that it marked the launching of her new book, Asian Fruits and Berries: Growing Them, Eating Them, Appreciating Their Lore. (McFarland & Company, ISBN 978-1-4766-7595-4 print; ISBN 978-1-4766-3772-3 e-book)

The book, like Kathy's talk, reflects her great interest and passion for her subject—one that, for most, is new and fascinating.  She comes by her passion honestly, since she grew up surrounded by many of the Asian delicacies that she describes in the book growing in her own backyard.

Presenting the fruits alphabetically, from Asian Pears to Yuzu, the author presents 42 specimens.  Some, like Asian Pears, Figs and Mandarin Oranges are familiar to us all and can commonly be found in our local grocery stores.  But then, Low enters the world of rarified fruits with such wonders as Carambola, known as Star Fruit; Langsat, tasting something like a mild grapefruit; and Wampee who's taste, depending on the cultivar can be sweet, sour or acidic.

Along with a detailed description of each fruit, Kathy provides an elegant history of each along with, in many cases, plant characteristics as well as how to select and grow each of them.  She even has a section on how to consume each fruit. 

This writer's favorite section is the native lore that has grown up around each fruit.  Who wouldn't want to believe the goji berry lore which dates back to the era of the first emperor of China—about 2800 BCE.  Legend has it that the people of the Hunza in the Himalayas all live extraordinarily longs lives, well into their hundreds. Their secret, myth has it, is it's the goji berries growing near and falling into their water supply which creates a fountain of youth.  Bring on the goji berries!

Kathy's research and scholarship are deep and complete, her writing is refreshingly clear and engaging and, best of all, you feel that she is sitting right beside you offering you a taste of each of these delicious delicacies .  She ends her exceptional book with a helpful glossary and 4 appendices: 1) Fruit and Berry Food Safety; 2) USDA Plant Hardiness Zones; 3) Chilling Hours, and 4) Fertilizers. 

After reading about these Asian fruits and berries, one wants to run out and sample as many as possible.  The completeness of the book also makes it possible for the reader to actually take the next step after tasting—and try one's hand at successfully growing some of these exotic fruits.

Because this is a season of giving, I can think of no better gift to share with your favorite gardener than Kathy Low's Asian Fruits and Berries…even if that favorite gardener on your list is YOU!