Shade trees are fantastic way to cool down your yard and home, as well as generating wonderful curb appeal. Moon Valley Nurseries is here to provide you with the best practices and helpful tips on caring for your new shade tree/trees. Our nursery pros wrote the book on shade tree maintenance to set you up for success on the exciting journey of owning your own trees.
Before you plant, you will want to make sure to choose a location for your trees that will provide shade to the areas of your home that need cooling. As your shade tree grows, ensure it is able to fulfill its task in your landscape of providing a lush, shady canopy over the warmer areas of your home. For any questions you may have, our nursery pros are always present to help advise you on the best positioning for your specific trees and the goals you are looking to accomplish in your landscape.
1. WATERING
The first step in properly caring for your new shade trees is to follow correct watering practices for the current season. Shade trees can vary from tropical, subtropical, and desert varieties in terms of water requirements. Generally, most varieties will need watering once to twice a week in the winter, two to three times a week in the spring and fall, and three to five times a week in the summer. You can always find the complete care information for your specific shade tree varieties by speaking with our nursery pros or you can find a care guide for your trees on our website.
2. FERTILIZING
A key part of keeping your trees looking happy and healthy is fertilizing. Shade trees can be either evergreen meaning they will have a coat of foliage throughout the year, or they can be deciduous, which means they will drop their leaves in the colder months to make way for new growth. For most species of shade trees a monthly dose of nitrogen-based fertilizer -such as our Moon Dust™ - in the spring and fall months is ideal. Many tree varieties will also greatly benefit from monthly applications of our Landscape Soil Conditioner during the summer months. This will tailor the soil to maximize performance and appearance of your trees.
You can also use our Supercharged Moon Juice™ through out the year to provide a substantial boost to your trees’ root effectiveness, ensuring they soak up all the necessary nutrients and minerals available!
3. TRIMMING
Knowing how to correctly trim your shade trees is another essential part of owning beautiful, shady trees. Trimming should be done to shape your trees’ canopies to your liking as well as keep them thick and full. This can be done by following a few simple guidelines. You can trim the sides of the canopy for more upward growth, or gently trim the top of the canopy for a wider umbrella shape. Be careful when trimming to never cut back more than two thirds of the overall foliage of your trees.
As always when it comes to any trees, palms, or plants in your yard, you can always call our nursery pros with any design, planting, or care questions you have. Our knowledgeable experts are here to set you up for success in owning your own trees and plants. Our website also has care guides for many of our top selling tree and palm varieties.
You can find the care guide for your trees here!
A huge aspect of having the yard of your dreams is designing your yard to ensure your trees, palms, and plants are well-placed for proper style, sun exposure, water needs, and growth patterns. Our professional landscape designers are happy to consult you in designing your yard for the best results and a landscape you will enjoy for years!
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