Tips to Keep Your Landscape Looking Good All Summer Long

It’s summertime in Vegas, and it’s getting hot! The extreme heat may be putting a bit of a damper on our lifestyle, and our material in our landscape is likely showing heat stress, too. Moon Valley Nurseries is here to help!

Those that have been following and keeping up with our blog, likely have the best-looking landscape in the neighborhood. If it’s your first time reading our monthly landscape and garden tips, you’re in luck! This is an excellent time to read up on our expert recommended tips. Our nursery experts have covered some important tips so that taking care of our trees and other plants this summer is a breeze.

How to Water, What to Plant, and More!

It’s getting sweltering, so the best time to do any gardening is in the early morning or later in the day, after supper. The goal is to avoid the crippling heat. Do your gardening chores when the temperatures are much more comfortable, and you’ll be much happier!

Watering: Get up early this summer. We recommend watering early in the morning, between 4 am and 8 am. Early morning watering reduces the evaporation loss. We recommend deep watering as it is the best way to ensure that the entire root zone becomes saturated. When it comes to watering trees, be sure to saturate the soil at least three feet deep. When watering shrubs, drench the soil at least one foot deep. Deep water with a hose every ten to fourteen days. Water your containers twice a day. White crust buildup on containers is salt buildup; remove and water heavily to flush out salts. 

We recommend deep watering your flower beds and vegetable gardens two to three times a week.

Fertilizing: Use a slow-release fertilizer for containers. Roses should be fed during the middle of the month to encourage more flowering. Moon Valley Nurseries has developed specialized blends of fertilizers that can give the material in your landscape a helping hand during the summer. Our fertilizers are designed to help trees, palms, and shrubs recover from any heat stress. Purchase our fertilizers at all Moon Valley Nurseries locations.

Protect the Trunk of Your Tree: Trees can get sunburn. However, unlike humans, spraying them with sunscreen does no good. When the temperatures soar, protect young trees. A Protective Tree Wrap is recommended. It is a good idea to stake both young and older trees. Staking trees will provide stability, especially during high wind days in Las Vegas.

Mulching: Keep the soil moist all summer long. A great way to keep the soil wet is to apply much around the base of the tree. We recommend adding a three to four-inch layer of mulch. Doing this can retain moisture and keep the soil cool during the summer months. Keep a thick layer of mulch around the roots of trees and shrubs, too.

Pruning: Encourage new growth by removing dead or faded flowers. Remove annual flowers that have finished flowering.

Vegetable Garden: Transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers should be planted. It is also an excellent time to start seeding lima beans, squash, and pumpkins.

Tip: If you have garlic and onions, they are ready when their tops start to bend over. After they have dried for a couple of weeks, remove their tops and store in a cool place.

Lawn Care: Raising the mowing height to 2.5 to 3-inches is recommended. Be sure to water your lawn with one inch of water per week.

Our Experts Recommend Planting these Trees This Month

Tipu (Tipuana tipu): When you’re outdoors, you will want to find cover in the shade. Fast-growing Tipu trees can create a massive amount of shade! These star performers are a favorite in Las Vegas. They are water-wise and can thrive in the intense desert heat. Homeowners love the year-round beauty that these trees offer. Bright and beautiful feathery bluish-green foliage is sure to attract all the right attention. And, from late spring to early summer, the golden bloom appears, creating a show-stopping scene in your landscape. Plant them as an excellent street tree or lawn tree, or use them as a tree for the patio.

Live Oak (Quercus virginiana): Live Oak trees can live for hundreds of years. These long-lived trees have a beautiful spreading canopy that can block the harsh sunlight and create shade cover. They require little water once established, making them an excellent tree for Las Vegas. Families are sure to love mature trees. Bigger Live Oak trees provide plenty of climbing opportunities. If you want to create massive shade and a privacy screen, we recommend planting them in rows!

Chilean Mesquite (Prosopis chilensis): Bask in the beauty of this thornless Mesquite variety. The wide spreading canopy can provide light, filtered shade that can create a cool spot outdoors. They feature soft, bright green, fern-like foliage and dark, twisting branches that add visual interest to any landscape. These water-wise trees are perfect for any drought-tolerant landscape. Plant them in a dry rock garden and near pathways and patios so that they can create a comfortable spot without too much sunlight. Planting a few of them together as groves can create a privacy screen, also!

Chinese Elm ‘True Green’ (Ulmus parvifolia): Excellent shade providers! Chinese Elm trees are a favorite tree to have in your yard during summertime. They feature a wide, umbrella shape that can create a cool spot to chill when it’s too hot to do anything outside. The canopy spreads fast so that it can provide plenty of shade, even at an early age! Homeowners are always talking about its lovely dark green foliage that adds color to our arid environment. A mature True Green Elm can handle a tire swing and is begging you to climb and explore its limbs and branches.

Ficus: One of the best shade trees for our area is also one of the best for creating shade. These trees feature dense evergreen foliage and wide-spreading canopy that can create plenty of relief during the summer. Homeowners living near busy streets are sure to appreciate its natural sound barrier features. Moon Valley Nurseries offers the best varieties for our area including Indian Laurel and Rubiginosa.

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia): One of the best ways to add color to our arid environment is to plant flowering trees. And, when it comes to flowering trees in the summer, not too many can top Crape Myrtle. These small to medium trees bloom in the summertime, creating an abundance of color that paints our landscape with a variety of hues. Summertime colors range from white to red, purple and pink. They are the perfect fit for any size yard, especially smaller yards with tighter spaces. Add instant curb appeal and create drama installing nighttime landscape lighting around the tree. Visit Moon Valley Nurseries and see these colorful trees for yourself!