Their name
doesn’t paint the right picture of what they do in the landscaping, it’s just
the opposite, A crabby person bring a frown to one’s face; the red, pink or white
flowers the tree produces in the spring bring smiles. To step on a crab by the
ocean could send you hobbling back to the car in pain; to see a crab in full
bloom from your car could distract you into the rear end of the car ahead of
you. (so I guess pain could be associated with both in this case).
Crab Trees
come in many shapes and sizes. You’ve got short Dwarf Sergeant Crabs that only
get to eight feet tall. Tall thin Baron Crabs that reach 20 feet in height, but
only 5 to 6 feet in width. Some grow fat and flat, other are more rounded. Some
have small apples, some produce larger ones. Some apples stay on throughout the
winter as bird snacks; others drop off in the fall.
Those of us
who have had one knows of the jungle that seems to sprout up next to the trunk;
those suckers that just never go away. This will be a yearly pruning job. Cut
them off as deeply as you can; to leave a nub above the ground will encourage
side growth off this bit of stem.
Fungus is
more of a plight for the reds and pinks; the white flowering crabs don’t seem
to suffer as bad. I have found it wise to just spray the red and pinks before
you see a problem; once it’s visible the damage is done, and you’re behind the
eight ball the rest of the season.
When buying
one make sure you have the space for it. Look at the info tag, check the
finished height and width. This little tree that fits in your shopping cart
will scratch the dickens out of your siding when it becomes of age, if you
plant it too close to the house.
If you have any
questions feel free to e-mail me at NiemeyerLandscaping@Gmail.com or post a comment on this Blog.
And like us on Facebook at Niemeyer Landscaping. For more Landscape and garden
info check us out at www.NiemeyerLandscaping.com
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