Colorful flowers are blooming on trees and shrubs, the weather is slowly warming up, and the intoxicating aromas of citrus blossoms are starting to fill the air. Yes, you guessed it spring is here which marks one of the best times to plant everything. Preparation and better care now will ensure a healthy and full landscape throughout and spring. Our nursery pros have compiled a few tips and tasks for your landscape this month.
To Do List:
- Watering: Now that we are transitioning from the winter season to spring season, we need to adjust our watering schedules for the material on our landscapes. We cannot stress how important it is to look at the temperatures. We have just a few weeks left before the temperature ramps up and when it does you may have to add another day of watering. When watering, allow the hose or drip system to very slowly apply the water over a longer period of time. This allows the water to penetrate deeper and reach all areas of the roots. For more information, check out our watering guide.
- Fertilize: Ok, we will admit that we may sound like a broken record, but we cannot stress enough how important it is to fertilize right now. All the material on our landscapes is experiencing spring growth. Fertilize the material in your landscape to give your trees and shrubs a boost and capitalize on the prime growing season. Moon Valley Nurseries has developed highly specialized blends of fertilizer like Super Charged Moon Juice and Super Palm Juice which are designed to trigger growth responses and supplement the essential micro and macro nutrients that plants need to thrive in our climate.
- Pruning: You will want to give your trees and plants a haircut before it gets too hot out. Pruning not only helps develop strong crowns but also promotes strong root growth. After pruning, be sure to fertilize with Moon Juice to get much-needed nutrients into the tree. Because when you prune, you're essentially wounding the tree. Feeding it with fertilizer is a great way for the tree to perform better after a pruning.
- Weeds: Time is running out when it comes to controlling those weeds with pre-emergent herbicides. The longer you wait, the more time they will have to become established. No one wants to pull weeds in the summer once it's hot outside. Using pre-emergent now will keep your yard weed free. Moon Valley Nursery stocks all of the things you will need for your weed prevention plan at our locations.
- Mulch: Winter has come and gone and mulching around your landscape is a great way to discourage weeds and to keep roots cool while conserving moisture. Plus, remove old mulch as it could contain insects and spores. Moon Valley Nurseries has a great selection of mulch to choose from.
- Vegetable Garden: Plant cantaloupe, eggplant, peppers, pumpkin, summer squash, and watermelon.
What To Plant:
Ficus
Instant shade, privacy, and curb appeal is what makes the Ficus our #1 selling tree. These evergreen trees perform well in any landscape. They create a very dense canopy of thick, rounded green leaves all year that create a very thick shade that can keep your cooling costs down in the summer. They handle the heat very well and can be pruned to any shape. When it comes to clean-up and maintenance, you can go ahead and put your rake away, because Ficus are just about the cleanest tree you’ll ever purchase. We offer three different variations of Ficus: Single-trunk, multi-trunk, and column, which are a great choice as a barrier for blocking sun, noise, wind, and those pesky neighbors.
Evergreen Elm
The Evergreen Elm, sometimes called the Chinese Elm, performs very well in the toughest soil, needing fewer nutrients to thrive then other Elm varieties. The Evergreen Elm will almost always escape winters without losing leaves, but occasionally have brief deciduous periods. Evergreen Elms prosper in the poorest environments and soils, which is why there are so many of them still standing around the country. Ideal for the Western United States' tough growing climate, you can plant an Evergreen Elm just about anywhere and you can rest assured you have a tough and tolerant shade tree that will be with you for years.
Tipu
Looking to create a massive canopy of shade? Look no further than the Tipu tree. This semi-evergreen has become a popular choice for its rapid growth and eye-catching apricot yellow flowers during the summer. Tipu Trees require modest amounts of water for optimal performance, so they react well to droughts and landscapes desiring less water usage. Landscapers find many uses for the Tipu not just because they’re fast growers, but also for their golden blooms during the spring. In just a few years, the Tipu can reach heights of 25 feet quickly creating massive canopies of shade for your home, patio, home playground, or to protect the other plants in your yard from the summer sun.
Sissoo
The Sissoo tree is one of the fastest growing trees on this list and is extremely well adapted to the warm climate of the Western United States. Native to the hotter areas of India, the Sissoo tree looks like a classic shade tree and is very durable. The Sissoo has quickly become an area favorite for landscapers and homeowners because of their extremely fast growth rate and huge amounts of shade. Take advantage of the Sissoo’s favorite time of year by planting now and fertilizing to allow the Sissoo to become the feature piece of your yard!
Fruit & Citrus
Our climate is ideal for planting fruit and citrus trees and some of the best and easiest to grow are orange, lemon, grapefruit, peach, nectarine, and apple. All of the citrus and fruit trees we sell have been adapted to our climate. There are a lot of benefits to growing your own homegrown food. The fruit and citrus taste better, no pesticides, scented citrus blossoms, shade, and you don’t have to leave your house for fruit or citrus.
Piru Queen Palm
Queen palms are the height of tropical beauty and appeal in just about any landscape. Moon Valley Nurseries’ Piru Queen Palm variety is custom grown to be the benchmark for both durability and appearance for tougher growing climates. Grown from specific Argentine seedlings with superior genetic traits, Piru Queen Palms feature wider trunks, thicker crowns, and greener fronds then other queen palms. Our Piru Queen Palms are exposed to hot summers, cold winters, and dry climates to promote drought tolerance and water retention. The result of these growing conditions produces a palm that is better conditioned to extreme weather cycles, frost periods, and drought situations.
Mediterranean Fan Palm
Compact size with an ability to thrive in the hot summer months and survive the cool winters has made the Mediterranean Fan Palm a popular choice for an outdoor oasis. Commonly used as a stand-alone focal point around pools, the Mediterranean Fan Palm sprouts multiple trunks and is slow growing. Aside from their wonderful looks, Mediterranean Fan Palms are some of the more durable palm trees grown in the Western United States. They thrive in hot locations and require minimal amounts of water compared to most palm trees. They’re also able to survive the typical frost season with little or no freeze damage.
Mexican Fan Palm
A classic resort style palm tree, the Mexican Fan Palm features a single trunk and is desired for its ease of growth. It can handle cold weather and thrives in the sun. Our cigar-cut Mexican Fan Palms give a smooth texture around the trunk that highlights the deep green and unique colors of this palm tree. Mexican Fan Palms are a stately addition to any landscape, and mix well with both large and pygmy sized palm trees. We carry all sizes from the small starter palms to the giant, instant resort palms for any desired landscape appearance.
Date Palm
The ultimate palm for your pool, the Date Palm are usually found at most resorts and shopping centers. Around pools the Date Palm provides excellent shade due to its wide fronds and it has practically no litter. The Date Palm looks great when planted in clusters of 3 to 5 palms and is hardy to cold, heat and drought tolerant. While usually tough to find because of the time and care needed to grow such majestic specimens from seedlings…Moon Valley Nursery has the quantity and quality to fill any sized order.
Pygmy Palm
This statuesque palm features many trunks of varying height or it can be grown with just a single trunk. Great for small spaces and accent locations near your pool, the Pygmy Date Palm is a slow grower and adapts well to sun and shade. Moon Valley Nurseries Pygmy Date Palms have been custom grown at our farms to ensure that the palm generates thicker trunks, fuller crowns, and more robust roots.
Submit a Comment