The weather is starting to warm up, colorful flowers are blooming on trees and shrubs, and the intoxicating aromas of citrus blossoms are starting to fill the air. Yes, you guessed it. The spring season 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, waterwise, 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 our soils.
Systemic Insecticide: Protect your trees and plants from insects and fungus with systemic pesticide, which is taken up by the tree or plant and transported throughout the tree. Big Tex Trees carries systemic insecticide at our nursery locations.
Pruning: Right now is a great time to prune deciduous 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.
What To Plant
Japanese Blueberry
The Japanese Blueberry is a visually appealing evergreen due to its dense, lush foliage and striking leaf color throughout the year which provides a fantastic backdrop for contrasting flowers and shrubs. It thrives in full sun and handle the cold extremely well. It has become one of Houston’s most planted hedge variety and is an excellent choice for just about any landscape.
Eastern Redbud
The Eastern Redbud, also known as the Judas tree and Redbud, this easily identifiable around the Houston area for its early spring blooms of beautiful, rosy pink blossoms that are quite a sight to see. This low-maintenance flowering tree is sure to add color to any landscape and in the fall, the the leaves turn a striking golden yellow color.
Live Oak
One of the most stunning trees on display, the Live Oak is a great choice for Houston plating because of its adaptability, performance in the hot summer months and its ability to grow in tough soil conditions. Its name is derived from its ability to “live” throughout the winter when other oaks are dormant or leafless. It has a wide canopy of dark green leaves and when planted in rows it can give your landscape a privacy wall or shade barrier that provides immense protection and beauty.
Piru Queen Palm
Specially grown at our farms, the Piru Queen Palm is unlike other Queen Palms. Our Piru Queen Palms feature thicker and harder trunks, denser and greener fronds, and produce fuller crowns. Our Queen Palms can handle hot summers, cold winters, and windy days. The palm is supported by a narrow trunk which makes it ideal in tight spaces around your pool, but it does require overhead space as the palm grows to statuesque heights.
Magnolia
Looking to add classic beauty with tons of variety to your landscape this spring? Look no further than the always popular Magnolia. A symbol of the South, the Magnolia is an eye-catching tree with its striking foliage, spreading and large canopy, creamy white fragrant blooms, and elegant evergreen appearance. The Magnolia is mostly known for its showy white blossoms and beautiful fragrant smell that comes with them. Magnolias are easy to grow and they thrive in our long summers.
Carolina Cherry
Native to the Southeastern United States, the Carolina Cherry has become a popular choice for its minimal maintenance, natural upright conical shape, and ability to tolerate heat, drought, and wind. The Carolina Cherry is a small to medium-sized evergreen with dark green, lustrous wavy-edged foliage on brown thornless stems. They can be easily sheared into a tall screen or sound barrier which make them a near-perfect option for many homes.
Bottlebrush
Named after its bright crimson bottlebrush shaped plumes, this evergreen works as colorful hedge that makes for a fantastic addition to any landscape. The Bottlebrush blooms in spring with some off-season blooms in the fall that attract pollinating insects and hummingbirds. Shape into nearly any size desirable and enjoy its beauty year-round.
Fruit and Citrus
Our climate is ideal for planting fruit and citrus trees and some of the best and easiest to grow are apple, peaches, plums, apricot, pears, figs, orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit. 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.