Bigger IS Better

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

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

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

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

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

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'

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.