Diggin' In and Branchin' Out

Texas Mountain Laurel - A White Variety

2010-09-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Every year, a few of the Texas mountain laurels show up with pale purple or whitish blooms. They are such an oddity that they get snatched up quickly.

I happen to be a sucker for white flowers - I think it was the white roses in The Great Gatsby when I was a teenager that did it - I just relate white flowers with romance. But don't you love how white blooms almost glow in the moonlight.

Well, last spring, we had a mountain laurel that bloomed white, white, WHITE! We've marked it and will begin playing with the seeds this year. There isn't much written on white blooming Texas mountain laurels. We've heard that they cross-pollinate so there's no guarantee what color trees produced from seed will bloom. We're still deciding on the perfect isolated spot to transplant her - and since we hope she's a big part of our little nursery, we do need to find a name for her. All suggestions are welcome!

Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle

2010-08-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Below is the carcas of a Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle. Some people buy them for pets but we were lucky enough to have them just show up in some palms. In fact, 25 people 'like' the Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle facebook page! If you are a palm lover, you want to watch out for these guys.

The mature female burrows down beside her selected plant. She leaves quite a large opening as shown in the photo below. Beetle hole is on the bottom left of this palm trunk.

Once underground, the beetle will lay her egg(s). The larva then begins to feed on the roots and up the heart of the palm. At my home, we lost 5 of our 6 Windmill palms, Trachycarpus fortunii, before we clicked in to what the problem was.

The first picture below shows the initial frond damage - by the time your palm is putting out brown fronds, it is probably too late to save it.

Other palms that the rhinoceros beetle likes to feed on are small Mediterranean Fan Palms, Chamerops humilis, and young Texas Sabals, Sabal texana. Once they have noticable trunk size, they don't seem to appeal to this beetle. I would imagine they also enjoy a Florida Sabal or Cabbage Palm.

Most problems with palms can be avoided with good irrigation and fertilization practices. This just happens to be an exception to that rule.

2010-06-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

This field of Queen Palms, Syagrus romanzoffianna, (also known as Cocus Plumosa) have really grown this spring. They have 6, 8 or 10 feet of clear trunk. That means that the palms measure 12 - 16 feet tall overall.

Above is the freshly dug rootball. A queen palm doesn't need a very large rootball. See the white dots? Those are all roots that have been cut - the cut will cause them to branch 4" back and grow even more roots. If the palms you purchase are not in containers, then fresh dug are best.

Plant, stake, water, and enjoy!

Planting for the Future

2010-06-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

David Day, special ed teacher at Olmito Elementary in Los Fresnos, goes above and beyond in his job! He contacted Simmons Oak Farms about a large landscape project on his campus and we were happy to give them some small live oak trees. This piece in the Brownsville Herald is a wonderful taste of that campus.

Tree Trip

2010-06-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

Trying to share a photo, where we're loading some nice-sized queen palms. It was on the front page of the Valley Morning Star last month - but I must be technically challenged because I cannot get the "share this" to work. Anyhow, a photographer wandered around and shot a few frames of what we do around here. Maybe I can find a 12 year old to help me post this and actually show the article. . .

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2010-06-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

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Harlingen High

2010-05-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

Harlingen High Schools Beautification Committee applied to our "100 Trees for 100 Years" program. The owners of Simmons Oak Farms (along with both their wives) graduated from HHS so we were thrilled to get to send some large live oaks to that campus.

The Future Farmers of America took on the task of getting them planted. I'll bet it was a little harder work than they anticipated. Each of these trees weighs about 500 pounds! Their advisor is Jacquelyn Stevens.

Everyone did a great job in beautifying the campus!

Click here, to see pictures from more campuses and churches.

Texas Mountain Laurels

2010-03-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful central Texas native! Dark green, glossy leaves and an irresistable purple bloom in the spring. I just wish it bloomed longer. Each trees bloom period is about 2-3 weeks. The seedpods will contain a dark red, poisonous seed. The seedcoat is extremely hard; in nature it may take a few years before they sprout. Here in the nursery, we have our ways to push them along. . . .

Texas mountain laurels have become a hot commodity in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They are equally loved in the Rio Grande Valley. They tolerate many types of soil - just be sure it's well-drained. Mountain laurel do not like wet feet!

Once established this is a great Xeriscape plant. It handles underwatering better than overwatering.

Remnants of Hurricane Dolly

2010-03-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today, we're harvesting short Texas mountain laurels - ones that are 3 and 4 feet tall. Most dug really nicely, but this one pulled right out of the ground. The folliage looks healthy, doesn't it?

Turn it upside down to get a good look and the roots and you see its problem - there are virtually NO ROOTS!

Two years ago the mountain laurels in this field were an average of 6 feet tall - then Hurricane Dolly paid us a visit. Heavy winds battered the trees for hours and nearly half of this field died. The remainder looked shabby and a bit necrotic. Every time we had strong winds, the remaining trees stressed. And Harlingen has strong winds on a pretty regular basis. We decided a heavy pruning might help. It's now been 20 months since the hurricane and most of this field have recovered nicely. - but occassionally, we come across one like this. I still can't imagine how that root system has been supporting this fairly decent looking little tree. Go figure.

We were happy to see that after harvesting 40, this was the only one with this problem!

Lessons from Arbor Day Celebrations

2010-03-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

On February 12th, the city of San Benito hosted an Arbor Day celebration at the Cameron County Fairgrounds. Jr. Master Gardening students from one of the elementary schools participated - and learned a little bit along the way. They learned that when planting a tree, you should dig a hole the same depth and 2-3 times as wide as the rootball. The planting hole should not be smooth - new roots will not always penetrate a smooth surface, but instead turn and circle its "earthen pot". One of our customers likes to dig a square hole. You can always use your shovel to make a jagged surface.

The RootMaker bag is being removed from the rootball. Now all those fibrous roots will really take off!

You can see that this tree will be planted too deep! After this picture, the tree was removed and more dirt placed in the planting hole. To cover a tree's root flare with even a couple of inches of dirt will cause it to eventually die.

The city of San Benito was awarded a number of live oaks from our "100 Trees for 100 Years" program. They are placing two on either side of the entrance to the Cameron County Fairgrounds. What a welcoming sight they will be in a few years!

Thanks to the city of San Benito along with all the city, chamber and school officials who attended!

Wilson Elementary GT Students Catch Centennial Fever

2010-02-25T06:04:00.000-08:00

The GT (Gifted and Talented) students at Wilson Elementary in Harlingen recently planted a live oak tree from our 100 Trees for 100 Years program. This program is in celebration of the 100th anniversaries of Harlingen and San Benito. Their teacher, Adriana Davalos, wrote that it "encouraged the students to research Harlingen's history and learn more about our community".

We expected the students to learn about the benefits of trees and how to care for them - for them to learn more about their town and its history is an added bonus!

These students are responsible for the care of this tree and will be monitoring its progress weekly.

Valley Proud Envirnmental Council has designated February as All Valley Arbor Month.

Plant a Tree; Plant a Memory

For more pictures of Wilson Elementary and many of the other organizations participating in 100 Trees for 100 Years, check out this web album.

A Fistfull of Mighty Acorns!

2010-02-24T06:15:00.000-08:00

Cadets and this year’s summer campers will be the first to enjoy shade from the Academy’s newest mighty oaks, compliments of Simmons Oak Farms of Harlingen, Texas!

Simmons Oak Farms Texas recently gifted live oak trees to Marine Military Academy Campus. The generous gift was part of Simmons’ recognition of the 100th year anniversaries of the cities of Harlingen and San Benito. A grand total of 100 live oak trees were gifted to schools, churches, not-for-profits and government agencies within the two cities

The live oak trees, Quercus virginiana, are 5 inches caliper and at least 18 feet tall. Marine Military Academy pulled out the heavy equipment to install these gems. All that’s left to do is add water and enjoy!

- Debbie Wieland, Public Affairs Officer, Marine Military Academy

Rodriguez Elementary Students Help Beautify Their Campus

2010-02-23T08:43:00.000-08:00

The ACE (afterschool program) students at Rodriguez Elementary School in Harlingen held a tree planting ceremony on February 10th. Here they are preparing to plant the two trees they received from our "100 Trees for 100 Years" program. Their club sponsors are Petty Salinas and Rosie Barajas. The ACE coordinator for Dr. Rodriguez Elementary is Robert Lerma.

Before the work began, one of the students read a poem about trees.

The shovels you see in the first photo are not just for show. ALL of the students pitched in and got their hands dirty!

Principal Traci Muir Gonzalez, pictured here with two students, has much to be proud of.

For more photos, check out this album.

Segunda Iglesia Presbiteriana - Harlingen

2010-02-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

The men of Segunda Iglesia Presbiteriana in Harlingen spent a recent Saturday morning planting a couple of live oaks on the church grounds. Rodolfo Garcia applied to our 100 Trees for a 100 Years program on the church's behalf and they were awarded two of the trees.

Some of the congregatiion posed for a photo while admiring the latest addition to their landscape.

Segunda Iglesia Presbyteriana is located on West Lincoln Street in Harlingen.

Miller Jordan Middle School in San Benito

2010-02-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

With a little help from the school staff, a group of 8th grade students at Miller Jordan Middle School in San Benito planted 2 live oak trees. They were awarded these trees from our "100 Trees for 100 Years" program. The staff did most of the digging. When planting a tree, the planting hole should be the same depth and twice as wide as the rootball. Remember, it is better to plant a tree too high than to plant it too low. Covering the rootflare (that's the bottom part of the trunk which flares out to the roots) with dirt will eventually kill a tree. Another thing to consider when you are preparing a planting hole - roots will have an easier time penetrating a rough wall than a smooth one.

Above, they prepare to cut away the inground bag. All of our shade trees are field grown in RootMaker bags - a fabric "pot". These bags are plastic on the bottom to prevent the tree from putting roots down too deep. The sides are made of a mesh which prunes the roots when they reach it. This process makes for a denser root system.

The 8th grade science students will will be taking care of the trees. Mr. Felix Gonzalez & Mr. Jose Luis Lira, their science teachers plan to incorporate nature studies into their lessons.

We hope they enhance the science classes for these students and give them some nice shade to enjoy.

Live Oak Tree Recipients

2010-01-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize how fun it would be to notify all the organizations that have been awarded our 100 free live oaks. Thanks everyone for applying! And the recipients of our 100 Trees for 100 Years are:
Austin Elementary
Ben Milam Elementary

Bonham Elementary

Bonita Park Head Start

Borderland Calvary Chapel

Boys & Girls Club of San Benito

Bowie Elementary

Cameron County Irrigation District #2

City of San Benito

Food Bank of the RGV
Har-Tex 4-H Club
Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum
Harlingen C.I.S.D.
Harlingen Chamber of Commerce
Harlingen Economic Development Corporation
Harlingen High School
Harlingen Proud
Hispanic Genealogy Group/Tip-O-Tex Genealogy Society
Iglesia Christiana Emmanuel
Keys Academy
La Nueva Jerusalem
Lamar Elementary
Marine Military Academy
Memorial Middle School
Miller Jordan Middle School
Rangerville Baptist Church
Rodriguez Elementary
Sam Houston Elementary
San Benito C.I.S.D.
Secunda Iglesia Presbiteriana
St. Anthony Catholic Church
Sunny Glen Children's Home
Texas State Technical College
The Saint Paul Academy
Treasure Hills Elementary
Wesley United Methodist Church
Wilson Elementary

How great to have these 100 trees added to the landscapes of our schools, churches, and parks next month!

Tree Care for the First Two Years

2010-01-25T06:47:00.000-08:00

Your trees will need extra care for the first two years while they are establishing a healthy root system. Below is an explanation of our planting procedure and your care instructions.

PLANTING DIRECTIONS:

1. Dig a hole twice as wide and the same depth as the root ball. If you have heavy clay soil, mix your dirt and a planting mix ½ and ½.

2. Cut and completely remove the bag from oak trees. For mountain laurels, if you cannot remove the bag entirely, remove the bottom and cut the sides of the Rootmaker bag carefully in many places for the roots to grow through.

3. Plant the tree so that the top of the root ball is at or slightly above the surrounding soil level. DO NOT COVER THE CROWN OF YOUR TREE’S TRUNK WITH DIRT.

4. TAMP THE SOIL MIX FIRMLY around the root ball, eliminating all air pockets.

5. Make a deep basin of soil to retain water. WATER DEEPLY & THOROUGHLY.

6. MULCH (but the mulch should not touch your tree’s trunk)

7. DO NOT FERTILIZE your newly planted tree for at least one year.

STAKING YOUR TREE:

A large tree probably needs to be staked for the first year. This will keep the tree stable in our high springs winds, allowing it to establish a good root system in its new home. We stake with 3 or 4 posts placed at an angle around the planting bed. Twine is used to attach major branches to the posts. Before tying, thread a cut piece of garden hose. Place the hose beside the bark to protect it. Do not forget to remove your stakes after the first season!

WATERING DIRECTIONS:

Newly planted trees must be watered thoroughly for the first five (5) days after planting. This settles the soil and removes air pockets in the soil and from around the tree.

Supplemental watering is extremely important during the first two years, especially during times of high winds, high temperatures, and low rainfall. If your tree does not get enough water, the overall health of the tree will be adversely affected.

The biggest problem facing your tree is the lack of water. Your tree will exhibit certain signs when it has been under or over waters.

Symptoms of Under-watering: Leaves are dry and crumble; they could be borwn or light green. Leaves voluntarily fall off.

Symptoms of Over-watering: Leaves discolor but do not drop or come off easily. Leaves do not crumble and will fold in your hand.

When does a tree need water?
Whenever the rootball is dry. You can determine this by feeling the soil around the rootball to a depth of 3’ – 6’. I dig a shovel deep and feel the soil. If it is dry, then thoroughly water the entire root ball.

How much water is needed?
Your tree will require a thorough soaking at least once a week depending on the weather conditions. Your tree is thoroughly soaked when the water has absorbed and starts to puddle around the root ball. Let the soil dry between waterings, especially clay soil.

How should I water the tree?

Trees prefer to be watered slowly and deeply. The water should be about the width of a pencil when it leaves the hose. Use a hand-held hose or a soaker hose and water directly onto the root ball. The easiest method is to lay a water hose 1-2 feet from the trunk. Move the hose around the root ball as it becomes thoroughly soaked. You can also purchase slow-release watering bags, such as Tree Gators.

If I use automatic sprinklers, how long should it be set?
During hot months, sprinklers with pop-up heads should be set for at least 20 minutes; rotary heads for 1 hour. During cooler months, pop-up heads should be set for 15 minutes; rotary heads for 45 minutes. Do not rely on your sprinkler system alone to provide adequate water, especially during our hot summer months.

GENERAL WATERING GUIDELINES

IN SANDY SOILS:
When first planted, water every other day for 3 months. Water twice a week for the next 3 months, then once a week or as needed.

IN CLAY SOILS:
The first 3 months, water deeply twice a week from June to September and once a week the rest of the year. After 3 months, water once every 2 weeks or as needed. Clay soils tend to hold water so be careful of letting your live oak stand in water. If you’re unsure, dig in the tree’s bed to see whether or not the dirt is wet.

YELLOW LEAVES – too much water
BROWN LEAVES – not enough water
OVERWATERING AND UNDERWATERING will kill a tree

RGV Urban Forestry Conference

2010-01-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Our 4th annual Urban Forestry Conference is right around the corner. Held at the McAllen Convention Center on January 21st, this looks to be a day filled with great information for tree professionals and gardeners alike. The cost is $40 per person (lunch included) and pre-registration is due this Thursday. Topics range from Palm Tree & Broadleaf Trimming to Bugs in the Urban Forest to Tree Species Selection for the Urban Forest. A flyer can be downloaded here. Presenters are experts in their field and this promises to be a very interesting event.

Freeze Damage?

2010-01-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

I have always considered Queen palms, Syagrus romanzoffiana, to be a little bit cold-sensitive. But last nights 25 degree temps didn't seem to affect them very much. The row on the right are all 2 year old Queen Palms - but even the one year old Queens seemed to do okay last night. Notice how toasted the Royal palms, Roystonea, in the left row are! And most of the large specimens around town are already sporting toasted-brown leaves. Time will tell whether they they are a loss or not.

And if you look closely at the picture on the right, you see the burned leaves of the Clustering fishtail palms, Caryota mitis.

Today was clear and beautiful and that bodes poorly for tonights temps. We've been hoping some cloud cover would roll back in from the Gulf of Mexico. That not only lessens the chance for frost but raised the overnight lows a few degrees. Tonight is supposed to get down to 28 or 29. At least we had that cold snap in early December to help harden the plants a bit.

Bigger IS Better

2009-12-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

We haven't harvested any Mediterranean Fan Palms, Chamerops humilis, for a month or six weeks. What a happy surprise we had, when we saw how they have grown during their period of neglect! Each has a heavy main trunk with 3 feet or more of clear trunk. Most have one or two other trunks with substantial size. Overall height is somewhere between 5 and 6 feet. Still just $75 each - well, at least until January.

We have 24 on the yard. They'd make a great Christmas gift, don't you think? Give us a call if you need some!

Time for Trimming

2009-12-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

We've gotten some great rain the past few weeks - downside is that it limits what we can do in the fields. One thing we can do is trim up some of the palms.

Here is a row of Date Palms that have never been trimmed. They have long, sharp spines so trimming can be a bit treacherous.

The palm to the left has been trimmed to about 3 feet off the ground. We left a large amount of petiole to protect the trunk through the winter. At harvest, a little more will be removed and the canopy will be tied up to protect the growing point.

This is a Silver Date or Toddy Date, Phoenix sylvestris that has been in the field for three years. I'll say it again - it's my favorite palm tree! I mean, look at the number of leaves in that canopy!

100 Trees for 100 Years

2009-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of the centennial celebrations in the cities of San Benito and Harlingen, Simmons Oak Farms will donate 100 live oak trees to deserving local public and private organizations.

Cecil Simmons, M.D. and Leonard Simmons, III, the owners of Simmons Oak Farms, decided that 100 trees for 100 years would be a fitting tribute to these two towns. The centennial celebrations are particularly meaningful to the owners. Their family first moved to this area in 1919. Cecil raised his family in San Benito where he practices medicine, and Leonard, a 4th generation local farmer, raised his family in Harlingen.

When we first began talking about 100 Trees for 100 Years, Cecil noted, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if these 100 trees are still around when San Benito and Harlingen celebrate their bi-centennial anniversaries.”

Schools, churches, public entities, and not-for-profit organizations in the Harlingen/San Benito area are eligible to apply. The donated trees will range from 12 to 18 feet tall. They will be available for installation in February, the month designated as All Valley Arbor Month by the Valley Proud Environmental Council. Donation recipients are expected to install, stake and maintain the tree(s) they receive. Interested parties can download an application at the company website. For more information or to have an application mailed to you, contact us either by email or phone (956) 425-5859.

Harvest Time

2009-11-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

I loved arriving to work after a few days on the road to see the Texas Mountain Laurel harvest well under way! This is about a third of December's orders.

The field is a little bit wetter than we would like - but everyone is being extra careful not to break a rootball. So far, so good! These will get cured for 3-4 weeks before they are ready to be loaded on trucks and head out - mainly to the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Rain is in the forecast for this evening and tomorrow - I can't believe I'm saying this, but I sure hope it misses us!

November is for Planting

2009-11-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

November is a terrific month to plant shade trees - so this week we're putting in a couple thousand. It's been two years since these acorns were first planted. These well-rooted Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, are goind from #5 pots into 24" in-ground Rootmaker bags. We expect our trees to grow about 1" of caliper each year and will probably begin harvesting this field in 2013.

This little oak has both good genetics and training. It has a strong main trunk. Lots of green all up and down the main stem will add thickness to the trunk.

A New Favorite Palm Combination

2009-11-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

A visit to the Alamo has given me a new favorite palm combination - a Windmill Palm, Trachycarpus fortuneii, flanked on both sides by Mediterranean Fan Palms, Chamerops humilis. This side of the Alamo is landscaped with beautiful tropicals - and the Windmill/Med Fan combination is repeated periodically across the planting bed.

I had not been to the Alamo in many years and was so very impressed with the grounds. Absolutely gorgeous!

Desert Willow 'Bubba'

2009-10-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

One of the trees that is highly sought after right now is Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis. Native to west Texas and the Edwards Plateau this small deciduous tree looks like a willow, but is not. Dr. David Creech of the Stephen F Austin Mast Arboretum, lists 20 different Desert Willow cultivars. Discovered by Paul Cox of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, 'Bubba' is the one that is making a name in the nursery trade. Propagated from cuttings, 'Bubba' has darker green leaves and large purple bloom. It also tends to have a more upright growth habit. One website also makes the claim that 'Bubba' is deer resistant! How great is that! Desert Willows propogated from seed may not be true to the characteristics of the mother plant - lots of cross pollination going on . . . And now a few more descriptions: Small tree (20 feet tall x 20 feet wide), likes full sun, very high heat tolerance, low water needs, summer and fall bloomer, deciduous, adaptable to most soils, hardy to zone 7.

You'd think we'd be writing about one of our products - but this one is one we wish we planted five years ago! We hope to get some in the ground this season; we'll keep you posted on what we learn as we grow them here at the nursery.

And the lucky winners are . . .

2009-10-27T06:46:00.000-07:00

The winners of the drawing at First Community Bank are Bill Greer, Maria Garza, Manuel Soria III, and Elizabeth Padilla. They will each receive a 5" caliper Live Oak tree compliments of the bank. Congratulations!

Bill Greer with the Stuart Place staff

Texas Mountain Laurels

2009-10-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Simmons Oak Farms can't wait to begin harvesting this year's crop of Texas Mountain Laurels, Sophora secundaflora. They are still putting on fresh growth so we'll wait another couple of weeks. This years crop looks great - full trees with lots of bloom stems. Most should bloom heavily this spring. Your customers will love that! Imagine how stunning this tree will look when all these stems are covered with clusters of purple flowers.

These are the bloom stems

If you haven't placed your order yet, give us a call!

Wordless Wednesday - Dreaming of Spring

2009-10-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

First Community Bank's 30th Anniversary

2009-10-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

We started the week with deliveries - Large Southern Live Oaks to three more First Community Bank locations. The bank is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week. Watch the Valley Morning Star for the special events at the different locations - and then stop by and sign up to win one of these trees! October is a great month to celebrate 30 years of service to the local communities.

Here's the tree to be given away by the Los Fresnos Location.

Clumping Date Palms

2009-10-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

When I said it yesterday, I knew I would have to eat my words - My statement that "Phoenix reclinata (Senegal Date Palm) is the only clumping date I know of " is so very wrong - Case in point, Phoenix theophrasti (Cretan date palm) and Phoenix loureiri.

I do have a little to share re: Phoenix reclinata hybrids. This is from Betrock's Cold Hardy Palms.

"Senegal date palm, or rather what appears to be this species, is often seen growing in USDA Hardiness Zone 9B or even 9A. The pure species is not hardy abaove Zone 10A, but much of what is sold as this species in U.S. nursery trade is of a hybrid origin. Hybrids with P. canariensis, P. dactylifera and P sylvestris are not uncommon, and are hardier than the pure P reclinata. They are almost always identified as P reclinata. Specimens sold as P. reclinata with bluish or grayish-green leaves are assuredly hybrids. Like the species, the hybrids are cliustering palms that can achieve 25-30' of height."

Our seed was harvested from P. sylvestris so you can count on it to be a cold hardy palm.

Senegal Date Palm, Phoenix reclinata

2009-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Have you been looking for a tropical focal point with a low cost? This Senegal Date Palm, Phoenix reclinata, may be just what you are looking for.

You can see that the main trunk has just over a foot of clear trunk - but its overall height is between 7 and 8 feet. Even freshly trimmed up for harvest, it is an attention grabber. It is the only clumping Date palm that I know of.

Originally from India, Senegal Dates are hardy to zone 9. It has a moderate growth rate; this one was in a one gallon container less than three years ago. Senegal date is drought tolerant and not picky about its soil. Ours have been growing in a nice sandy loam, but we will shortly transplant one to an area with a higher clay content. We'll keep you posted on that.

Senegal Dates do have long sharp spines on the petiole.

According to Betrock's Guide to Landscape Palms, "Senegal date palm suckers vigorously and a single plant can consist of more than 20 stems if left unpruned. It hybridizes readily with other date species, and a fair amount of the material in teh nursery trade is probably of mixed parentage. It is valued as a specimen plant for accent, but sufficient room is necessary to allow for its natural spread. Senegal date looks best if trimmed up to reveal the slender, matted trunks."

Our parent plant was a Phoenix sylvestris so our hybrids are Phoenix sylvestris x reclinata. We've priced them at $65 each.

Mystery Date

2009-10-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you think you have planted a couple of rows of this medium-sized, solitary trunked, stately palm, Phoenix sylvestris . . . .

. . . . and as the palms mature they show the characteristics of this much larger, clumping trunked palm with vicious spines on the leaf margins? We fear that our Phoenix sylvestris (also known as Silver Date or Toddy Palms) are actually Phoenix reclinata (Cliff Date) - or a cross between the two.

Yes, this is a stately and extremely striking palm - but we just don't have any first hand experience with it.

So this morning, we'll be harvesting a couple and bringing one to the nursery to grow in our sandy loam. Another will be planted in good old Harlingen clay.

In the field, their 'pups' are still small and somewhat easy to work around.

Don't you just love the fronds of a Date Palm?

Landscaping for Businesses - My Little Rant

2009-10-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

This is the kind of business that I love to see come into our towns. This company installed an attractive (and full) landscape and then actually took good care of it. In small towns, the chain stores often do as little as they can get by with. One of the big box stores here in Harlingen planted one lone hibiscus in a number of their parking lot beds - and they have a landscape department! My thought is if they can't bother to landscape their store, I can't bother to buy plants from them for my home. Call me a plant snob, but I'd rather spend my nickels and dimes with a store or restaurant that has an attractive landscape. Landscaping is an outward sign of a company that cares about its customers!

Live Oak Planting

2009-09-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

This week, Simmons Oak Farms added a Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, to the Cameron County Master Gardener Arboretum. The planting bed is surrounded by sidewalk that leads up to the outdoor classroom. What a pleasant stroll it will be up that sidewalk when it's shaded by oak branches.

We have a new tool that removes the RootMaker bag from the rootball. Attached to a power drill, it rips the bag right off, disturbing the roots much less than removing it by hand. This is the first time that we ever used a Treegator. This tree has a 5" caliper trunk so we zipped two together. They each will hold 20 gallons of water. The "gator" then emits the water over the next 8 hours - slowly soaking the rootball - RIGHT where it's needed. According to the instructions, a once weekly irrigation is all you need to get your shade tree well established.

We did purchase a box of these Treegators and will have them available for customers who might need one or two. One of the best things is that it is re-usable (and guaranteed for two years).

Where you can find our products!

2009-09-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Simmons Oak Farms is strictly wholesale to the nursery trade. Since we get lots of calls from homeowners about our products, we are compiling a list of our retail nursery and landscaper customers. We sure don't want to leave anyone out - if you want to be listed (including a link to your website), please contact us to make sure your information is up-to-date.

Remind your customers that fall is tree planting time in Texas!

Anniversary Specials

2009-09-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

The month of October, Simmons Oak Farms celebrates its anniversary. As thanks to our terrific customers, we are offering some specials on our most popular products. Special prices are good through October 31st

Southern Live Oak (Grown in 24" RootMaker bags)

5" caliper - $225.00

4" caliper - $160.00

Southern Live Oak (Grown in 18" RootMaker bags)

3" caliper - $75.00

Washingtonia Palms (B&B)
4'-10' clear trunk - $15.00 CT foot

To place an order 956.425.5859
or catch us on our cells
Tony (956.873.3631)
Mary Beth (956.245.9682)

Wholesale to the Trade

Good Morning World

2009-09-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

I love to drive onto the loading yard first thing in the morning to be greeted with this bunch of cured Live Oaks. This is the group that is being containerized. First, they are cured for 3 weeks and then they go into #95 pots. The canopies have been left open. They look so awsome that we end up selling a bunch before we have a chance to pot them up.

Making Cents: What a difference a value proposition makes!

2009-09-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

Making Cents: What a difference a value proposition makes!

Why Oak Trees are not Houseplants

2009-09-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

For their 30th Anniversary, the Stuart Place location of First Community Bank is displaying a Southern Live Oak in their lobby. Here at the nursery, we took great lengths to pick out a big one for 'em. Maybe we overdid it a bit . . . .

Ricky, Clara, Linda and Melissa give a bit of perspective to the size.

Congrats to First Community Bank and all its employees!

30th Anniversary for First Community Bank

2009-09-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

First Community Bank is about to celebrate its 30th anniversary. Their logo is an oak tree and motto is "Other Banks Have Branches, We Have Roots". For the celebration, the Stuart Place branch is decorating their lobby with a Live Oak.

Here's the one we'll be taking over to them later today.

Congratulations to First Community Bank and all its employees!

Palms for containers

2009-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

My home landscape has been grossly neglected this past month. Things planted in the ground can usually take some abuse - but potted items depend on fairly regular care. Last night I realized that two large pots on the patio now only contain compost fodder. I hit the garden center this morning to find something fun to place in those pots. Not a thing really jumped out at me - They've always held blooming plants but it got me to wonder what palms might do well in them.

Here's a very incomplete list of palms we think do well in pots.

Clustering Fishtail Palm, Caryota mitis

Bamboo Palm, Chamaedorea seifrizii (given enough time, a four inch pot will grow 12 feet tall)

Pindo Palm, Butia capitata

Mediterranean Fan Palm, Chamaerops humilis

Pygmy Date Palm, Phoenix roebellinii

Lady Palm, Rhapis excelsa

Windmill Palm, Trachycarpus fortunei (in top photo)

These potted Phoenix roebellinii look good as singles, doubles and triples.

Ordering Your Texas Mountain Laurels

2009-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

Simmons Oak Farms sells our Texas Mountain Laurels (Sophora secundaflora) by the foot in overall height. At the EXPO last week-end, a few people people wanted to know whether there is much difference in the fullness of the trees at different heights. That led us out into the field this morning to take a few pictures. You will have to judge for yourself what your customers want - me, I'm all about the big material!

The first picture shows Tony with a 7' Mountain Laurel. The pole is flagged at 5', 6', and 7'. You may need to double click the shot, in order to see the flags clearly. Anyhow, there are multiple branches that measure 7' - not just one or two. We sure don't want our customers to feel that we "fudged" on measuring.

This second picture shows a Texas Mountain Laurel that is just below the 5' mark. That makes is not yet ready for the market.

But these trees are still putting on new growth - they'll look even better when we begin to harvest in November.

To see all the pictures we took this morning (including examples of our 6' and 8' Texas Mountain Laurels), click here.

EXPO '09 is a done deal

2009-08-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Nursery and Landscape EXPO '09 is in the books and our sales team have all headed home to Harlingen and Austin. What a fun week-end! We met lots of new folks in The Green Industry - and had a chance to get caught up with old friends!

This show is going to help us service our mid-sized customers better with delivery trucks stopping at multiple nurseries.

We're already looking forward to San Antonio next August, 20, 21, and 22nd.

Opening Day

2009-08-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Nursery and Landscape Expo opened today at the Dallas Convention Center - lots of great looking booths! More from out of state than we have noticed before.

We're excited about everyone who stopped by our booth today! Hope we have the opportunity to do business with you.

We brought Texas Mountain Laurels, Mediterranean Fan Palms, Windmill Palms and Chinese Fan Palms for our booth. All are cold hardy to the Dallas area - Med Fans and Windmills are hardy to zone 7.

Audrey and Matt arrived just after noon to assist Juana and I. They handle our central Texas customers. Ironically, in the afternoon we met lots of people from the Austin area. Leonard and Cecil were a little later getting to Dallas. But we will have a full staff to serve you on Saturday and Sunday!

We'll be here on Saturday from 10 - 5 and Sunday from 10 - 3. Stop by if you're in the area! Remember we're in booth 1720.

Green Industry Show

2009-08-13T23:16:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning was a flurry of last-minute preparations for the Nursery and Landscape Expo. Thankfully, everything ran like clockwork. Here, we're loading a Windmill Palm, Thracycarpus fortunii.

Everything was well secured for the drive to Dallas. And it arrived in great condition!

Today Juana and I got the booth put togethers. The front end loader driver assigned to our truck was precise and exact with his placement. That made our job MUCH easier.

There seem to be more great looking booths at this year's show than ever. Just walking through a few aisles made me want to get home and attack parts of my garden.

If you are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you need to come by the Dallas Convention Center and see what's new in the Green Industry!

Ready for the EXPO

2009-08-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Everyone's busy getting ready for the Nursery and Landscape Expo this weekend. The truck arrives in the morning to pick up our plant material.

Here we're placing a B&B (balled and burlapped) Chinese Fan Palm, Livistona chinesis, into a container for the show.

When Chinese Fans are harvested their leaves are usually pruned severely - entire branches removed and the remaining leaves are trimmed by 1/3 or 1/2. They do look prettier with all their leaves though - just hope it doesn't put too much stress on the plant.

And this little beauty is a Windmill Palm, Trachycarpus fortunii. My husband and I planted six of them at our home last spring - They have a smaller leaf and a slender trunk so look good in a bed planting. It's a slow grower that only gets to 15 or 20 feet tall. The best thing about Windmills is their cold tolerance - they are hardy to zone 7! That makes them the most cold hardy palm.

Here, a Texas Mountain Laurel, Sophora secundaflora, is being "shrink wrapped". These trees are field-grown in RootMaker bags (a soft in-ground pot). Shrink wrapping will help protect the rootball during transit.

Here are a few of the Texas Mountain Laurels and Mediterranean Fan Palms, Chamerops humilis that we are taking. We've donated two of each to the Parks & Patio project. That means volunteers will use them in a display where EXPO visitors can sit and relax - and then after the show, they'll be donated to parks in the Dallas area.

If you're in the Dallas area this weekend, drop by the Dallas Convention Center and see us. We're in booth 1720.

Phoenix roebellinii

2009-08-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Phoenix roebellini or Pygmy Date Palms are fast growing and easy to care for. That must be why you see so many when driving around Deep South Texas. Landscape designers include them in both commercial and residential projects.

Simmons Oak Farms is growing triples, doubles and a few singles for the wholesale market. Planted, these roebellini will stand between 4 and 5 feet tall. I love to use them at a buildings corners or to frame a window or doorway. They are also good potted patio palms. In fact, if you live north of zone 9, plant them in a location protected from the cold - pots that can be moved indoors during freezing weather is another good option.

This family has used Phoenix roebellini in this mixed bed in front of their home. Its drooping leaves gives it a shrubby look in this planting.

But I really love how these mature roebellini tower over the split leaf philidendrons.

Water Water Everywhere!

2009-08-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

With July's triple digit temperatures, there's lots of irrigating going on here at Simmons Oak Farms. This week, all the field grown trees will receive an irrigation.

This field of Southern Live Oaks, Quercus virginiana, was planted last January - the fields that are just one or two years old need more frequent waterings.

2009-07-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

I love that my desk faces the window - how else would I have gotten to watch this pair of Northern Cardinals playing in the water.

Another benefit to working at a tree farm - lots of wildlife . . . I mean, how much fun is this guy having?

Fishtail Palms

2009-07-25T01:40:00.000-07:00

Clustering Fishtail Palms, Caryota mitis, are now ready for the market! They range from 6' to 8', have lots of clustering branches and a nice heavy main trunk. I've been eyeing the one at the left for my yard.

Lucky to live in a semi-tropical climate, I am able to grow this palm outdoors. It is hardy to zone 9b or about 25 degrees Farenheit. Clustering Fishtails also do well in large pots where they can be moved inside or otherwise protected during the winter. Since they grow well in part sun or full shade, Fishtails are also grown successfully indoors.

All fishtail palms have triangular shaped leaves (like a fish's tail) with a jagged edge. They can become tattered in high winds. Simmons Oak Farms grows them out in the open and these look pretty darn great! When they were smaller, they tended to look a little bit wind-whipped!

Fishtails like consistant moisture. Their seeds are irritating to the skin so be sure to wear gloves when handling them and when trimming this palm.

This is a myocarpic plant - that means that, like a century plant, it dies after it blooms. The good news it that Fishtail Palms don't bloom for about 15 years - and only the branch that actually bloomed dies. The other suckering branches keep on growing. The branches are fairly thin, so trimming them is easy for the homeowner.

A mature clump of Caryota mitis will be about 15' wide by 20-25' tall.

Uses: Houseplants, potted outdoors, planted in a group as screening, or singularly as a focal point. Plant it close enough to pathways that the unique leaves can be admired.

Remembering Dolly - One Year Later

2009-07-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

This time last year we were amidst a "Hurricane Party". We'd prepared for a small, weak hurricane - it was a category 1 and the forecast was that she may build to a category 2. No one was too concerned. After all, spring winds around here can reach near-hurricane strength. Mainly, at the nursery, we'd secured things and prepared for the possibility of no electricity for a while. But Dolly had something else in mind for us. Although she didn't have much strength, Dolly stalled over Harlingen for three hours. Those three hours of constant relentless winds took their toll. With the exception of a few that broke, the small trees fared the best. It was easy to go into a young field, pull them upright and tie them to a new stake.

Big trees were another story - Since their in-ground bags were fully rooted , the big uns laid over just as if they'd been harvested. Some could be saved but most were a total lost or became "Dolly Specials".

Flooded fields, mosquitoes, and weed seed like we've never seen were some of the other fun effects of Hurricane Dolly. For a small storm, she sure caused alot of trouble!

Protection from the Heat

2009-07-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

Do you feel like you are just melting in this heat? This morning, I got onto Weather.com to check out our forecast, just hoping that there might be a little relief in sight. No such luck.

2009 has seen more field irrigations at Simmons Oak Farms than ever before! Driving around the Valley, we notice lots of trees and palms under stress. Just like people and pets, our plants need more water to get them through these 100 degree temperatures - especially anything that is newly planted (with trees, newly planted means in the last couple of years)

Do your watering during the early morning or evening hours- and be sure to water deeply. I like to turn a hose on so the water is about finger-width. Leave it there for 30 minutes to an hour before you move on to the next tree. If you have an underground sprinkler system, increase the length of time for the stations that irrigate your trees.

I know what an investment large trees and palms are. It doesn't make sense not to spent the time and money to take protect that investment!

Containerized Live Oaks

2009-07-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

We've only got about half a row planted so far - and I LOVE how great these Southern Live Oaks look! They all fork well above my head - yeh, yeh, yeh, I know it's because their rootballs are now above ground . . .

. . . . anyhow, Simmons Oak Farms is excited to be able to supply our customers with larger Southern Live Oaks, Quercus virginiana. I mean we are all about the oaks . . . .

More room for big trees

2009-07-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

This is our new holding yard - tomorrow we begin harvesting Southern Live Oaks that are 5" to 6" caliper and containerizing them. The diameter of their rootball will go from 24" to 40". The original plan was to put 4" oaks in the 95 gallon pots - but by the time we were ready to plant, we just had bigger trees. Yep, you do the math as to how long it took us to get in gear . . .

. . . in reality, we like to sell our shade trees at no bigger than 4". They're somewhere between 14 and 18 feet tall then and a lot of plant to handle. A 5 or 6 inch tree will transplant better with a bigger rootball than the 24" RootMaker bags they're growing in.

At the left are some Southern Live Oaks that are being cured. We can keep them on the yard for months and months like this, if needed.

Here's a close-up of the in-ground container we use. The material it's made of prunes the trees roots. In a plastic pot, roots hit the side of the pot, turn and begin circling. We don't have that problem with this process. I mean, just look at the number of small fibrous roots - when this tree is transplanted, the root system should really take off - well, provided it is given lots of water - but that's altogether another subject.

Welcome to our little experiment

2009-07-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our little experiment - a blog based on the wholesale nursery (or tree farm) business - there's a big difference between what we do and what a greenhouse operation does. We grow large landscape trees and palm trees - so that's what I'll be writing about - well, mainly. You can count on me getting on a rant every now and again. I have wondered who will want to read this (besides my sister, Betsy, that is). But whoever you are, I hope you will be free with your comments.

Simmons Oak Farms (that's us) grows Live Oaks (surprise?), Cedar Elm, Anacua, and Texas Mountain Laurel trees along with a large selection of palm trees. Palms are our newest venture; and it's been a bit of trial by error so far. We've killed them with herbicide, let them drown, and a few winters ago the deer decided they were a tasty addition to their diet! But now we have some that are actually large enough to sell!

I'm glad you stopped by and hope you drop in often!