Great Trees for Christmas Nuts

Nuts are a common enjoyment all year around but especially at Christmas. What are some of the traditional nuts enjoyed in America that can also be grown?

1. Almonds - The almond tree produces a fruit rather than a nut, although the almond tree's fruit is considered a nut, technically it is called a drupe. Unlike true nuts, almonds develop a leathery flesh outside of the shell, which is usually discarded. Almonds are not only tasty but high in protein, low in carbohydrates and contain many essential vitamins and minerals. Almonds bloom earlier than any other nut tree, as early as February some years and continue until March. Growers of almond trees recognize the importance of bees for pollination, especially in commercial orchards. Two varieties of almonds are necessary for cross-pollination to be successful.

2. Chestnuts - "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire", says the popular Christmas song. The Chestnut tree is a fast-growing tree. Their mature heights vary from the smallest species of chinkapins, often shrubby, to the giant of past American forests, Castanea dentata that could reach 60m. Fresh chestnut fruits have about 180 calories to 200 calories per 100 gr. of product; it is nevertheless much lower than that of walnuts, almonds, other nuts and dried fruit. Chestnuts contain no cholesterol and contain very little fat, mostly unsaturated, and no gluten. Chestnuts carbohydrate content compares with that of wheat and rice. In some areas Sweet Chestnut trees are called "the bread tree". Chestnuts are the only nuts that carry Vitamin C. Dried chestnuts have more than double that amount with 16.6 mg. for one ounce, as much as the lemon.


Chestnuts are probably one of the first foods eaten by man. The chestnut tree was first introduced to Europe via Greece. The majority of the chestnut trees currently found in America are of native European stock, but Native Americans feasted on America's own variety, Castanea dentata, long before European immigrants introduced their stock to America.


In 1904, diseased Asian chestnut trees planted on Long Island, New York carried a fungus hitchhiker that nearly devastated the American chestnut population, leaving only a few groves in California and the Pacific Northwest to escape the blight.

3. Walnuts - Walnuts are deciduous trees, which grow to about 30–130 feet. There are 21 species of Walnut around the world. Common walnut (Juglans regia) is a beautiful, slow growing tree. Walnut trees prefer cool climates and sunshine. The mature tree is quite frost hardy, but young plants and new spring growth are vulnerable to frost damage. Walnut trees prefer deep, rich, well-drained soils with regular watering through summer and plenty of light. Walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, Vitamin B, magnesium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E.  Nuts in general are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 fatty acids - the good fats) that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol. Walnuts, in particular, have significantly higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids as compared to other nuts.

4. Pecans - The pecan tree is a large deciduous tree, growing to 66–130 ft in height, rarely to 140 ft. The walnut fruit is oval to oblong that starts out green and turns brown at maturity. The pecan, at maturity will split off into four sections and then release the thin-shelled nut. Pecans, like the fruit of all other members of the hickory genus, are not true nuts but technically a drupe, (fruit with a single stone or pit). The husks are produced from the tissue of the flower while the part known as the nut develops from the endocarp.

There are a wide variety of nuts one can grow in their backyard and enjoy eating year around, but for the most popular Christmas nuts, this is a good start.


Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

A Trees Value

Trees could be considered the basis of life. Not only do they help sustain human life, but they also hold their own elegance and beauty not to mention personal value.


First of all, trees are constantly are pulling in our harmful pollutants from the air as well as carbon dioxide. Al of this is recycled back into oxygen for humans and animals alike to breathe. With today's planet inundated with more carbon dioxide than every from cars, coal processing plants and factories, having a natural way to convert this pollution into something healthy is important. Not only do we need the air to breathe but pollutants such as carbon dioxide are known to be responsible for blending with the atmosphere and creating what we know today as the green house effect. The green house effect allows more and more harmful ultraviolet rays to beat down on our earth's surface. In result, the climate gets hotter, which creates a chain reaction such as the melting of polar ice caps at an alarming rate.

As scientists look into fixing the earth's atmosphere, one of their most important cures includes the replanting of trees all around the world. This replanting has even earned its own holiday and is called Arbor Day. In the end, the planting of these seedlings has caused many green house emissions to turn into pure clean air.


If scientific reasons aren't important enough to call a tree valuable, how about its historic context? The tree has been around since the beginning of time, possibly even before humans were on the earth. A tree's value has been so important that they have been told in stories such as how the tree played a role in the biblical Garden of Eden or even how trees played roles in mythological tales. In American history, a story has been told for centuries about the famous Johnny Appleseed, who was said to have planted apple trees for miles around, possible helping the pioneers settle into new lands with the promise of the sweet fruit of the tree to guide their way.

The tree itself can also tell a story, that is one of historic droughts or floods. By examining the rings within a tree, scientists can detect whether there has been significant climate changes throughout time or even catastrophic events.

Because of a tree's value, one can often read how a tree is used metaphorically to represent life, death and growth. The term tree is used to represent one's ancestors in their family, such as the family tree.

Are trees the basis of life? If not, they certainly play a huge role.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

How Does A Tree Survive The Winter?

Have you ever wondered what happens to a tree in the winter months? Ansel Adams has made a living out of photographing the beauty of such trees; but what, truly, is going on inside these large pieces of nature?

Trees may look as if they are inactive going into winter, but they continue to regulate their metabolism. Early dormancy involves a number of factors: active growth, formation of buds, losing leaves and development of cold resistance. The buds of some trees have a winter chilling requirement for winter survival. Evidence from some experiments proves that chemical treatments immediately prior to the first frost may break winter rest for trees. So it is recommended that weed or growth killers for trees not be applied a few weeks prior to the temperature dropping to low levels.

As trees begin to lose their leaves, they are already preparing for the cold season. Leaves are a main source of light absorption, so trees must start building up a food and fertilization supply within the roots and branches to last throughout winter. This dormancy is triggered, in trees, by a number of factors: temperatures dropping, minimal nutrition gatherings and water supply.

Along with the naturally cold temperatures, excessive winds and ice that is all produced during the winter season, there are other variables that can determine a tree’s heath for next spring. As the temperature begins to drop, small animals such as snakes and rodents, are actively seeking winter shelters. Mass quantities of these animals within a tree can damage and even hollow a tree completely. Deer are also dependent on tree bark as a food source during the winter months. Paint-on repellents and mesh fencing can deter some of this activity, but trees may take an unhealthy turn when animals are consistently wearing on them.

Pruning a tree during late Fall can protect it from major branch breakage. As ice begins to build up on tree branches, the weight can often snap branches in half. Pruning dead or overlapping branches can strengthen a tree for winter. Even deadwood and ill branches should be removed and discarded of, for the health of a tree.

There are several dormant sprays that are available to protect your tree from Jack Frost. These sprays often contain copper, lime and sulfur. These protectants, with a nice top layer of mulch around the tree, may stop microorganisms from entering the tree. If sprays aren’t for you, there are several organic options to getting lime into the tree’s roots and base.

When it comes to your evergreens, be sure to keep them properly watered throughout the winter to reduce winter injury.. Never stress plants by under - or overwatering. Decrease watering slightly in September to encourage hardening off, and then water thoroughly in October until freeze-up. Watering only in late fall does not help reduce injury. If an evergreen has suffered winter injury, wait until mid-spring before pruning out injured foliage. Brown foliage is most likely dead and will not green up, but the buds, which are more cold hardy than foliage, will often grow and fill in areas where brown foliage was removed. If the buds have not survived, prune dead branches back to living tissue. Fertilize injured plants in early spring and water them well throughout the season. Provide appropriate protection the following winter.

Even though trees respond differently to winter stress and each winter provides a different set of stressful conditions, trees possess a remarkable ability to withstand extremely severe winter conditions.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

The Makings of a Tree

Most learn about trees in grade school, but how many remember its anatomy and the fascinating complexity of what contributes to a tree's health. For those of you who can't remember, here they are:

Branches - Most know what a branch is, but did you know they are attached to the tree by interlocking branch and trunk tissue? Each year, a new layer of interlocking tissue is produced covering the previous year's layers. A woody branch collar, produced by the trunk, holds the branch base. A branch will grow in diameter until it runs out of room. Leaves on every branch must produce enough food to feed itself. Food does not move from roots or other branches to supply a starving branch. Branches unable to support themselves are sealed off. Branches on the interior of a shade tree that do not receive adequate light will die and eventually fall.

Roots - A tree's roots are important and to keep the tree healthy roots need an adequate amount of oxygen and moisture. Most active tree roots are in the top 3 feet of soil; the majority is in the top 12 inches. The more compacted or poorly drained the soil the closer the roots are to the soil surface. A tree's roots will grow most of the year, stopping only when soil temperatures are cold. A tree has perennial woody roots and annual absorbing roots. Woody roots become thicker each year. The absorbing roots die but are replaced by new absorbing roots. Annual absorbing roots form shallow, horizontal fans that take-up water and nutrients. A few woody support roots grow downward and outward to anchor the tree in place. Most trees do not have a deep taproot. While a taproot may develop on trees growing in the woods in well-drained soils, they generally do not develop on trees transplanted into the landscape or on trees grown in compacted or poorly drained soil.

Roots can grow outward to about three times the width of the branch spread but only 50 percent of the root system occurs between the trunk and the dripline. The foliage of a tree is supplied by the roots on the same side. If a tree begins to wither on one side, it can often be due to the roots on that same side being injured. With some trees, such as maple, the effect may develop anywhere in the tree canopy.

Tree roots tend to avoid each other when young, but as they grow they may be forced together and from a graft union. These grafts can conduct diseases from one tree to another.


Leaves - Leaves are the food factories of the tree. Sunlight creates chlorophyll within the leaves. This along with carbon dioxide and water produce life-sustaining carbohydrates through a process called photosynthesis. Leaves are also responsible for respiration and transpiration. The lobes, leaflets and jagged edges of many broad leaves have their uses, too. They help evaporate the water used in food-building, reduce wind resistance and even provide "drip tips" to shed rain that, left standing, could decay the leaf. Besides its branches, roots, and leaves, a mature tree grows another important structure - the flower (or cone, in the case of evergreens). These are the reproductive structures from which the seeds are produced.

While a tree's components may seem basic, its anatomy is actually quite complex and an amazing illustration of nature at its best.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.