Fruit and citrus trees make a great addition to any yard and they are very easy to grow and maintain. Fruit and citrus trees can be grown almost anywhere in your yard - even in pots and containers.  Fruit and citrus trees are great for all skill levels of gardeners as they are relatively easy to get started with, but with proper care can produce more and more fruit each season.

There are many varieties that thrive here in Houston - feel free to click on one below for more information on the specific types we carry, these are just some of the many we have available:

While there are many types of trees to choose from, remember that your primary purpose for these trees is fruit production…if you’re looking for big shade trees, then it’s best to look elsewhere. Growing fruit and citrus trees is an easy task and it starts with planting them in the right location, you want an area that gets sun at least half the day.  Once you have your location picked you can than decide how many trees you want to plant. You are able to plant these trees relatively close together since they are smaller growing trees. Planting a variety of fruit and citrus trees not only gives you a wide range of fruit producing trees, but also helps with cross pollination of the trees, often resulting in greater fruit yields.

Citrus are great for Houston because they are actually pretty drought tolerant and easy to maintain. Citrus trees prefer to be watered deeply and then allowed to dry out completely before the next watering.  Citrus trees of all kinds are generally slow growing and require very little to no pruning at all. Citrus trees are designed to look like big bushes and over trimming them can actually hinder fruit production. So if you’re thinking of growing your own fruit, know that it grows easily and requires little care for them to make your back yard work for you.

Trees and plants do a lot more for us than just make our landscapes look nice, without them, our ecosystem would completely collapse. Trees and plants provide essential oxygen into the atmosphere that helps to combat the effects of carbon monoxide and other environmental footprints left by our society. 

Trees and plants have other important environmental qualities too…they help hold our foundations together by working to control soil erosion from occurring with rains and run-off. Gardening is one of the greatest ways to get back to nature and forget about the day to day hassles of our lives. Studies have shown that gardening and planting can help improve our moods and reduce stress. Once your garden is planted you can enjoy it for months to come, so not only are helping yourself relax, you’re also helping everyone around you and the earth itself. 

You do not have to have a yard to benefit from trees and plants or to do your part to help the earth. House plants are a great way to clean the air in your home and reduce carbon monoxide dangers for you and your family.  You can plant everything from palms, patio trees, and flowers indoors. When planting indoors be sure to give your plants adequate lighting so they can continue to grow strong and healthy.  Use a lightweight potting soil that drains well and place by a window or artificial light source so your plants can benefit you the most, and put them in every room of your home. 

To find out how to make your home and yard more earth friendly stop by any of our Big Tex Tree Nursery locations today! We have trees, palms, plants and flowers that will work well both in your yard, in your garden and in your home.

The tipu won out as our choice for the best flowering tree to plant right now. While it's not as well known as some of our other competitors, this is an amazing tree in its own right. They grow extremely quick, yet don't require much water to get there - it's rare to see an evergreen grow this quickly that's actually drought tolerant. The flowering displays bring a wonderful welcome to the spring season, but the tree holds a gorgeous natural green color year round. We love the Tipu because everyone who plants one loves theirs - it's a tree that people just love as soon as it's in their yard.

The Tru-Green Laurel has long been our favorite choice for hedge trees. It's extremely easy to care for, they look amazing, and the coverage they provide is incredibly thick, making this hands-down the easiest hedge to establish. It's great for the inexperienced landscaper, but because they hold to pruning so well, experienced landscapers can create their own challenges and characteristics with these trees. Planting Tru-green Laurels is the easiest way to build a true 'living wall' that provides neat and orderly evergreen coverage.

The Shumard Red Oak is the winner! Nothing beats the wonderful color that the Red Oak brings in the fall, and that's what sets it apart from some of our other low water shade tree options. While the Camphor and Sissoo are great choices for an evergreen, the Red Oak has been a Houston favorite for a long time, and with good reason. These trees are very difficult to kill, grow quickly, provide lots of shade, and look magnificent in every season of the year. You really can't go wrong with a Red Oak!

Sissoo trees are creating cooler temperatures in outside entertainment areas this summer during Texas's steamy summers. This popular tree is fast growing, durable and low water use and thrives in desert environments. This trees distinctive appearance comes from it being hardy and also having a noticeable strong thick trunk that's able to withstand high powerful Arizona monsoon winds. This large  tree produces a thick coat of green foliage and contains its leaves all year long, perfect for supplying shade to those hot areas of the house. 

Sissoo trees have been known to make a perfect privacy hedge to keep out unwanted views and add additional security to your home. These trees are especially convenient to have during the year to block out the sun from creating hotter temperatures inside and keep costs down from your electricity bill. Sissoo trees get its positive reputation from its natural way of completing any type of landscape arrangement.  

Additional Websites for Sissoo Trees
Big Tex Tree Nurseries - Sissoo Tree
Arizona State University - Sissoo Tree 
eHow - Sissoo Tree Care 

1. Aphids
2. Birch Leaf Miners
3. Colorado Potato Beetle
4. Crucifer Flea Beatle
5. Gypsy Moth
6. Japanese Beetle
7. Red Lily Leaf Beetle
8. Scale Insects
9. Spruce Budworm
10. Spider Mite

Gardens naturally have a valuable relationship with insects, they rely on them to provide cross pollination and to also protect them from harmful insects. Garden owners must recognize the harmful bugs and from good bugs and react to harmful bugs before the insects lay eggs and overrun the plant or garden arrangement.

Aphids have the number are at the top of the list because they are very common in Texas. Aphids are soft-bodied insects with long, slender mouth parts that they use to pierce stems, leaves, and other tender plant parts and suck out the plant fluids. Groups of these pests can decimate gardens.  The solution to protecting your plants from Aphids or any other harmful insects on the list is to learn to identify which types of insects helpful insects from harmful ones.  Big Tex Tree Nurseries have a variety of insecticides to help to treat all your garden infestation problems accordingly.

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to check back with us next week. As always, we encourage you to please write any questions or comments and we will respond to them in a short timely manner.

Additional websites featuring Bad Bug tips:
About.com - Identiying Garden Insects
MamaKnows - Top 10 Bad Bug for Your Garden
The Garden Bug Book - A Garden Field Guide

Knockout Roses are a Texas native flower and are successfully transforming gardens and landscapes all across the Lone Star state into more dazzling arrangements than they already are with their hardy disease resistant bodacious blooms! These roses can grow in any part of the United States. From the hot deserts of the southwest to the bitter cold northern east coast you will find luscious Knock Out Roses improving varieties of landscapes and communities.

Knock Out Roses grow up to be an average size of 3-4 feet wide and 3-4 feet tall. Knock Out Roses are self-cleaning and have no need for pruning their deadheads because they naturally do the chore themselves. They fit into any landscape and flourish in any condition you may plant these AARS (All American Rose Selection) winning flowers. Pretty much, you can leave them alone and they will appear outstanding consistently blooming new groups of roses every five weeks to six weeks and are perfect for anyone who is seeking to have a garden that can almost take care of itself.

Thank you for stopping by and reading our blog. Make sure to check back with us soon for more advice. As always, we encourage you to please write any questions or comments and we will respond to them in a short and timely manner.

Additional websites featuring Knockout Roses:
Big Tex Tree Nurseries
P. Allen Smith Garden and Home
eHow

Oleander Trees are in full bloom and are making afternoon drives around town a lot more enjoyable. Oleander trees break out in dazzling, fragrant bloom most of the year, even through the hot summer months. You may have a problem with the seasonal heat, however Oleander trees can't get enough of it, welcoming it with open arms. Oleander trees bloom an assortment of colors that add vibrancy to any landscape. This tree species is very cold hardy, bouncing back from even the coldest Houston winters.

If you are pondering the idea of adding a subtropical medium-sized tree that can help cool down the temperature inside your home this summer, then look no further than the Oleander tree. They preserve their fresh green leaves year round creating an additional privacy for your home. Make sure to come see us at your nearest Big Tex Nurseries location to learn more about all of our Oleander trees we have ready for your upcoming Fourth of July holiday.

Big Tex Nurseries would like to wish all of you and its friends on the online community a safe and Happy Fourth of July. Thanks for stopping by and make sure to check back with us soon for more garden advice. As always, we encourage you to please write any questions or comments and we will respond to them in a short and timely manner.

Additional websites featuring Oleander Trees:
Big Tex Nurseries
Garden.org
Home and Garden Ideas