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: It is time to transition your watering schedule from winter to spring as everything on your landscape will need more water. For existing material on your landscape click here for our recommended watering schedules for low water, water-wise, moderate, and tropical varieties. For newer trees, click here.
- Fertilize: All the material on our landscapes are 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 Nursery 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 the Western United States.
- Pruning: Right now is a great time to prune your trees for shape and shade before they experience spring growth. 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.
- Weeds: Control weeds with pre-emergent herbicides. Weeds are young and tender right now and it is a smart idea to remove them before they 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.
- Vegetable Garden: Plant beans, beets, carrots, cantaloupe, eggplant (transplant), peppers (transplant), squash, tomatoes (transplant), and watermelon.
What To Plant:
Ficus
Instant shade, privacy, and curb appeal is what makes the Ficus our #1 selling tree. These trees perform well in any landscape and as an evergreen, the Ficus will keep its dark, dense and lush foliage all year long. They handle the heat very well and can be pruned to any shape. 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. (Ficus not available in Las Vegas)
Homegrown Fruit & Citrus
Our climate is ideal for planting fruit and citrus trees and some of the best and easiest to grow are orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, apple, fig, peach, nectarine, pomegranate, and avocado (only available in California). All of the citrus 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.
Tipu
Looking to create a massive canopy of shade? Look no further than the Tipu tree. This water-wise, semi-evergreen has become a popular choice in the Western U.S. for its rapid growth and eye-catching apricot yellow flowers during the summer. 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. This tree requires little maintenance and it performs well in many soil and drought-like conditions.
Brazilian Pepper
Finding a tree that has both shade and color can be tough, but at Moon Valley Nurseries we have the Brazilian Pepper for those seeking a little something different. Tough with the an ability to adapt to many environments, the Brazilian Pepper is an eye-catching evergreen that is known for its thick foliage and shiny red berries. In the spring, it produces showy clusters of white flowers which are followed by small red peppercorns throughout the fall.
Piru Queen Palm
There are Queen Palms and then there is our one-of-a-kind Piru Queen Palm which has a thicker trunk, denser and greener fronds, and a fuller crown compared to other Queen Palms. The benchmark for durability and appearance, the Piru Queen Palm is a fantastic choice for any landscape seeking that tropical touch.
Mediterranean Fan Palm
Compact size and ability to thrive in the hot summer months and survive the cool winters has made the Mediterranean Fan Palm a popular choice for tropical landscapes. Commonly used as a stand-alone focal point around pools, the Mediterranean Fan Palm sprouts multiple trunks and is slow growing. They require minimal pruning and can be drought tolerant. As a bonus, they look great in containers.
Pygmy Date 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.
Bells of Fire
This fast-growing shrub offers abundant clusters of bright red trumpets in spring and deep orange in the summer months. Light fertilizer consistently in the spring through the fall will keep this shrub pushing lots of bright blooms.
Hibiscus
This medium to large growing shrub blooms large bright tropical flowers with dark green foliage. They thrive in pots but need well-prepared garden soil that drains well for maximum potential.
If you have any questions regarding proper maintenance or how one of these beautiful trees and shrubs would fit into your yard, be sure to contact one of our nursery pros at any of our nursery locations.
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