Bryophyllum. Although many plants sometimes can sprout a new plant from a well-planted leaf, bryophyllum, or Kalanchoe, can do so while the leaves still are attached to the branch. The leaves of this plant begin the process of mitosis and asexually reproduce in the form of plantlets that cover the edges of each leaf.

When spring arrives, we rejoice as leaves begin to unfold on trees and flowers boom. For some trees, however, this normal sequence is reversed and they produce flowers before their leaves have developed.

The blossom appears before the leaves. The tree is short with smooth dark brown bark and found in hedgerows and scrub in full sun. The straight side shoots develop into sharp thorns and the bush will produce sloes in autumn.

Even while they’re seemingly inactive, apple trees are preparing their buds for the burst of leaf and bud growth to come. When the first hints of warm weather arrive, the leaves emerge from their buds, followed by the apple’s colorful and fragrant blooms.

Pear trees begin blooming about two weeks before orchard cherry, peach and nectarine trees and about a month before apple trees. For the most part their flowering occurs before they produce leaves.

They are often at their peak for only a very short period of time. However, there are many plants that develop without the process of fertilization, and they also will not produce seeds. The ovary of the flower develops into a fruit, and the result is a seedless fruit.

Most apples are harvested by hand, primarily in September and October. The flowers have many parts that are crucial to the formation of apples: Sepals – five green, leaf-like structures that make up a flower’s calyx. Petals – the part of a flower that attracts insects by their color and scent.

The third most common reason for failure of the trees to bear fruit is lack of, or poor, pollination. All flowers must be pollinated in order to form fruit consistently. Apples and pears must be cross pollinated. Therefore, you must plant two different varieties if you want to produce fruit.

As with most fruit, apples produce best when grown in full sun, which means six or more hours of direct summer Sun daily. The best exposure for apples is a north side of a house, tree line, or rise rather than the south.

Apple trees prefer morning light. If you selected a planting location that receives mainly morning light, target 8-10 hours of sunlight. A location that receives mainly the stronger afternoon sun can get away with 6 hours of sunlight per day.

In general, for an established tree, you won’t need to water it unless you are not getting much rain or there is a particularly dry spell or even drought. About an inch (2.5 cm.) or so of rainfall every week to ten days is adequate for most apple trees.

Fruit trees do not expect to be growing in perpetually wet soil. Over-watering can be just as harmful as lack of watering. As mentioned in our fruit tree planting guide, applying a thick mulch around the base of the tree is one of the most useful things you can do.

If it’s sopping wet, you’re overwatering. If your soil isn’t drenched or sandy, roll into a ball. If it crumbles, your tree needs more water. Poke the soil ball a few times.

Yellowing leaves or brittle leaves can indicate that your citrus tree has had too much water. If the leaves begin drooping or seem to be growing in unusual configurations, this can be another indicator of too much water. If your citrus tree is already bearing fruit, examine the fruit.