Having a yard filled with citrus and fruit trees is a rewarding experience for the vast majority of homeowners. Most of our citrus and fruit varieties grow at a moderate-to-fast pace, so you could be harvesting your own food in no time.
Not only are there amazing benefits to growing your own food, but our varieties also look great in any landscape style. Most fruit tree varieties also produce small, fragrant flowers for short periods throughout the year and can add more shade to your yard! Read on to discover the numerous benefits of planting citrus and fruit trees in your landscape this spring!
Plant Now for Homegrown Fruit this Year
Early spring is the perfect time to plant Moon Valley Nurseries citrus and fruit trees in California. Because of our local custom-growing process and our quality rootstock, you can plant now and enjoy the tastiest citrus and fruit by the next growing season. Keep reading to see what you should start growing next!
Citrus and Fruit Trees
Apple Trees
Apples have been a healthy part of our diet for more than 1,000 years, and these beautiful trees, alongside their gorgeous flowers in the spring, will be a welcome addition to your yard.
Apples can be used in so many ways, such as baking pies, juicing, and picking right off the tree to take a bite!
The Anna Apple is perfectly suited for nearly all temperate regions such as most of California. This variety is self-fertile with blooms setting in spring and fruit ripening in late spring to early summer.
The Fuji Apple's juiciness, sweet flavor, and crispy texture make them ideal for eating fresh off the tree. Plant a mature apple tree now, and you might even get to harvest them before the season ends!
Orange Trees
Oranges are the most popular citrus tree we offer at Moon Valley Nurseries. The origins of the orange tree can be traced back to ancient China and are now the most cultivated citrus tree in the world! Oranges are easy to grow in our climate and simple to maintain all year long.
Navel Oranges are considered early producers, typically ready for harvest between late November through February. They are easy to peel and have a tangy, sweet flavor.
The Sweet Orange is usually ready for picking during the same time frame as the Navel but can experience an extended harvest through March. These oranges are well-known for their incredibly juicy and sweet flesh.
Valencia Oranges produce large yields that are set to harvest February through July, depending on the weather. Valencia oranges have a tartness that makes them an excellent choice for use as juicing oranges.
Blood Oranges have a distinctive taste, pulp, and sweet rind, making them a favorite among many California residents. These oranges offer their fruit from December through May.
Lemon Trees
Lemon trees can be considered everbearing, as they often produce two crops per year. You can start harvesting your winter production any time between November and March, and your summer harvest between September and October.
We offer a wide selection of different varieties, and our nursery pros will help you pick out the best lemons for your area.
The Meyer Lemon variety is considered to be a cross between a lemon and an orange. They are often smaller than regular lemons and taste less tart with a mild sweetness to them.
The Lisbon Lemon is an excellent landscape tree that offers shade and fragrant blooms during a winter/spring harvest while producing a large crop of lemons with a recognizable, classic flavor.
The Eureka Lemon tree produces large, juicy lemons with very few seeds. Once matured, this variety can also bring more shade to your yard from a lush and vibrant canopy.
Benefits of Planting Your own Citrus and Fruit Garden
1. Pesticide-free & Organic
Store-bought fruit is treated with multiple pesticides and chemicals. Unless you do your research, you may have no idea what they are spraying on the fruit and citrus that are sold in our grocery stores.
Planting citrus and fruit trees give you control over how you grow your trees and what chemicals you may or may not want to use on them.
There are many pesticide-free options, and we carry a large selection of custom fertilizers and nutrients. Be sure to ask our nursery pros for their recommendations on getting the largest and healthiest crop from your trees!
2. A Garden of Fragrance & Flowers
The scent of citrus blossoms in the spring is an exquisite smell that can start drifting through your yard by late winter, depending on the weather. The beauty of the flowers themselves is also a great bonus for your landscape and your overall curb appeal.
3. You Don’t Have to Leave the House
Once you plant a few different citrus and fruit trees around your landscape, you can cut down on your grocery shopping.
All you have to do is walk out and grab what you need from your own trees! Talk about from farm to table!
4. The Fruit Simply Tastes Better
Homegrown fruit and citrus will be sweeter, juicier, and more flavorful than store-bought produce, which is picked before it's fully ripe.
Because these fruits are picked too early, they can’t develop the complex flavors and sweet, fresh taste we all love. Growing your own food allows the fruit and citrus to perfectly ripen on the tree for the ultimate taste.
Moon Valley Nurseries Custom Citrus and Fruit Varieties
Moon Valley Nurseries owner, Les Blake, has a long history with citrus and fruit trees. His grandfather began growing citrus and fruit trees more than 50 years ago. Over these years, Les and his grandfather developed custom locally-grown rootstock that is guaranteed to produce excellent tasting fruit and a plentiful harvest. We still use these custom rootstocks at our farms to this day!
Come visit one of our many nurseries and see how decades of love and attention has led Moon Valley Nurseries to have the perfect fruit and citrus trees for every homeowner seeking to have the best homegrown fruit!
More Articles for Expert Tips & Advice
We've learned a thing or two over the many decades of growing and planting the best trees in America and designing countless jaw-dropping landscapes. We've compiled all of our best tips and advice into many informative articles to answer any questions you may have about your landscape.
When is the best time to plant trees? How often should I water? How to design a beautiful landscape for incredible curb appeal? What are the best palm trees to plant around pools? Which hedges are best to plant for instant privacy? All these and more are answered by our huge collection of articles written by our nursery pros.
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