SPRING LANDSCAPING     

As much as it feels like the year has just barely begun, it is already halfway through February, which means the weather is getting warmer every day and the outdoors is calling your name. Now is the time of year to start taking a good look at your yard and check on how well your lawn, trees, and other plants are doing and if they need some extra help getting back to optimal health.  

Because of the stress that the winter puts our plants under, spring is an important time to make sure your landscape is ready to transition into the warmer months ahead and the even warmer months after that!

Now is the time of year when everything on your landscape will need the essential nutrients to help them thrive all year long in our native soils. It doesn't matter what types of plants or trees you have on your landscape as palm trees, tropical plants, fruit and citrus, shrubs, and evergreen trees all need these nutrients to grow healthy and strong.

MOON VALLEY NURSERIES - FERTILIZERS/SUPPLEMENTS

With so many fertilizers on the market, it can be overwhelming trying to find the right one for your landscape. Fortunately, the nursery pros at Moon Valley Nurseries have eliminated the headaches and struggle for you. We have developed highly specialized blends of fertilizer and supplements designed to trigger growth responses for our native soils.

These fertilizers have been tested time and time again. Our pros have been growing and planting trees and shrubs in our region for more than 30 years. We use all our fertilizer and supplement products on all our trees and plants in our nurseries, grow yards, and our hundreds of acres of tree farms. We have seen the amazing transformation our plants went through once we developed these products and are proud to be able to offer them to our customers at all nursery locations and online. Keep reading to see which products will work best for your yard!

Be sure to click above and get your coupon for big savings on all our fertilizing products today! 

TOP FERTILIZING PRODUCTS FOR YOUR YARD

SuperCharged Moon Juice

Our SuperCharged Moon Juice is a growth-enhancer that utilizes a patented Furst liquid technologies mixture, which includes an exclusive blend of organic enzymes and amino acids that stimulate growth signals within the plant. Environmental signals regulate plant and tree growth cycles. Applying Moon Juice will help stimulate these signals in your plants and trees – helping to boost growth at any time of the year and lending a hand to a speedy recovery from seasonal stresses caused by extreme heat, freeze, wind damage,  and transplanting.

There are other great benefits when using Moon Juice, including new root hair growth and its ability to help plants ward off diseases, and possible infestation or infections from outside sources.

Moon Juice also makes watering more effective because it helps open the plant roots to uptake more water and nutrients. This can help reduce the amount of water your plants will need making them more waterwise.

Used as directed, Supercharged Moon Juice is extremely easy to use – all you have to do is mix the appropriate water amount and apply to the root area. With Moon Juice – a little goes a long way!

When to Use:

• New transplants
• Weather stresses such as heat, freeze, wind damage

How to Use: Recommend monthly applications. At minimum, apply once per season: Spring, Summer & Fall.

TREES & PALMS - Mix 5 tablespoons per gallon of water. Saturate entire root area with mixture. (Max. 5 gals)

SHRUBS & VINES - Mix 4 tablespoons per gallon of water. Saturate entire root area with mixture. (Max. 2 gals)

BEDDING PLANTS - Mix 3 tablespoons per gallon of water. Saturate planted area with mixture. (Max. 1 gal. per sq. yard)

POTTED PLANTS -  Mix 3 tablespoons per gal. of water. Saturate potted soil until medium wet. (Do not over saturate potted soil)

Moon Dust

All trees and plants need Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium as their primary nutrients for healthy living.  Moon Dust provides the essential elements in a perfect ratio that will benefit virtually every plant in your landscape. Just spread it on top of the soil, water thoroughly and it will feed your plants for months!

Feed all your trees and plants no matter how big or small they are! Citrus and Fruit trees love Moon Dust, producing larger, juicier and tastier crops after application. It also helps flowering shrubs achieve longer and more abundant bloom cycles.

It is easy to see why this custom organic blended Moon Dust is one of our top sellers for an all-purpose fertilizer. Not only does it supply plants with needed nutrients, it also helps stabilize the soil your plants grow in. This makes sure that your trees and plants are taken care of in every way.
When to Use:

• Vigorous root growth
• Rich green leaves
• Strong new growth

Super Palm Juice

The best way to keep your tropical landscape looking lush and healthy is by using Super Palm Juice. Palms have special nutrient requirement needs compared to other trees that may be in your yard. Palms use a variety of different macro and micronutrients including Potassium, Manganese, Iron, Sulfur, Zinc, Copper & Boron.

Super Palm Juice is a super easy-to-use liquid formula containing all these essential nutrients. It can enhance the appearance of your palms, keep them healthy and able to thrive in intense summer heat and make them much cold hardier than weak, malnourished palms.

Using as directed will produce thicker, stronger trunks while maintaining the healthy, dark green appearance that results in lush, dense crowns. Just give the juice a good shake, mix the appropriate water amount (varies by palm), give the palm a good amount of water after you pour the mixture, and you are done!

When to Use:

• Transplanted palms
• Stressed or yellowing palms
• Weather stresses

How to Use: Shake well before mixing with water. Mix Super Palm Juice with water at the rate of 1 Cup (8fl. ounces) of Super Palm Juice per 1 Gallon of water. Thoroughly water each palm after applying the mixture.

FOR YOUNGER & DWARF PALMS - Apply 1 to 2 gallons of mixture evenly around the entire area where the palm gets watered.

FOR MATURE PALMS - Apply 2 to 4 gallons of mixture evenly around the entire area where the palm gets watered.

Moon Green

Our Moon Green is a liquid iron and soil acidifier. It was created as a super easy and safe solution for correcting yellowing trees and plants. Iron Chlorosis is what causes the yellowing of plants and is a problem for many homeowners in our region. Moon Green helps reduce soil alkalinity, neutralizes tight clay type soils, and promotes darker and greener leaves and grass.

Infusing Moon Green with Furst liquid brings the critical organic enzymes and amino acids to the tree and plant that helps stimulate growth signals from the roots. These nutrients help stimulate root hair growth and stronger cell development, allowing water and essential micronutrients to pass through to stems and leaves much more efficiently.

When to Use:

• Reduce soil alkalinity
• Neutralize tight clay soil
• Create fuller hedge plants
• Correct yellowing foliage

How to Use: Shake well before mixing with water. Mix Moon Green with water at a rate of 4 ounces per 1 gallon of water. Best to mix in a large bucket or watering container. Water thoroughly after applying the mixture and be sure to wash any of the mixture that may have splashed on to the foliage.

FOR SHRUBS - Apply 1 to 2 gallons of mixture to the root area.

FOR LAWN/GARDEN PREP - With sprayer, apply mixture evenly at a rate of 1 gallon per 500 sq. ft.

FOR TREES & PALMS - Apply 3 to 6 gallons of mixture to the root area.

 
Soil & Water Conditioner  

One of the most challenging aspects of growing trees and plants is trying to grow them in hard, compact soil and the high pH imbalance often found in soil and water in our region. Our Soil & Water Conditioner is used to help break up the hard clay/alkaline soil present in our area.

This conditioner contains sulfur and gypsum which counteract salt buildups and helps to loosen tough, hard soil. Sulfur can reduce the high pH and allows excess salt buildup to be flushed out of the root system, creating a soil base that converts nutrition easier. Gypsum can work its way into hard, compact clay, loosening the soil, which leads to better drainage and healthier soils! We recommend several applications per year.

When to Use:

• Reduce effects of salt present in water and soil
• Encourage deeper root growth
• Loosen the tight/heavy soil

How to Use: Spread the fertilizer evenly underneath the entire tree or plant. Do not allow fertilizer to pile up against the trunk or branches near ground level.

Water all trees and plants immediately after fertilizing. Using a hose to saturate the entire fertilized area is recommended to improve fertilizer efficiency.

FOR LAWN APPLICATION - Apply directly over the top of existing lawns or mix into soil before installing new lawns at a rate of 10 to 20 pounds per 100 square feet. Thoroughly water after application.

FOR TREES & SHRUBS - Spread over entire root area and lightly mix into the soil. Thoroughly water after application. 

• Trees – 2 to 4 cups every other month
• Shrubs – ¼ to 1 cup every other month 

Not seeing a product for your landscape needs?

For Desert landscapes, lawns, and additional palm supplements check out these products below! 

• Desert Juice – Perfect for succulents, agave, cacti, and more
• Moon Valley Palm Supplement – Best for palm trees in need of nutrients
• Moon Royale Turf Fertilizer – Great for bringing all lawn types back to health

Moon Valley Nurseries Tree Care Division

Moon Valley Nurseries is one of the biggest tree nurseries in the country and we offer many services to help you keep your Moon Valley trees in the perfect condition for years of enjoyment. Our tree care team can help you with trimming, removing, fertilizing, and more.

For a limited time, we are offering an amazing deal for our tree trimming services just for you, Phoenix residents! Contact us now to set up a free estimate on your trees today! Click the coupon above to print it out or save it to your phone!

For the best trees on Earth, go straight to the Moon

Moon Valley Nurseries does it all. You name it, we got you covered. We are the growers of thousands of varieties of tree and plants. We are the nursery with the biggest and best trees. We design landscapes and make it come to life when we deliver, plant, and set up your perfect yard! We even offer free in-store design and free planting! Come by your nearest nursery and see why we are the best on Earth!  

The Month of Love….ing to Work on Your Yard

It is officially February, and if you have lived in Arizona long enough you should be familiar with the fact that the “Arizona Spring” is right around the corner. The last month brought us some cold temperatures, even a few freezing nights, but the days are getting warmer as the sun stays out a bit longer each day.

There is no better time than now to start getting your landscape ready for spring. This is also the beginning of another great planting season for new additions to your yard. Taking care of your yard now with weeding, pruning, and fertilizing will ensure a healthy and full landscape for the rest of the year. Our nursery experts have shared a few tips, tasks, and ideas for your landscape this month. Continue reading below…

Weeding

With grass and plants starting to come back to life after a few cold months, it also means that weeds are going to start popping up. The sooner you can handle any weed infestation, the better. As weeds grow, they drop more seeds that will turn into their own weeds within days. We recommend taking care of them before they are even an issue. Using pre-emergents now will keep your yard free of weeds.  Keeping weeds from showing up is important so that you aren’t spending the next few months pulling weeds while the temperatures soar into triple digits!

Fertilizing

With everything in the landscape about to enter back into growing season, this is the right time to give those trees, shrubs, palms, and other plants a boost with an all-purpose fertilizer from Moon Valley Nurseries, like our SUPERCHARGED Moon Juice.

Our fertilizers are formulated to promote vigorous growth and can help your landscape recover from any stresses that may have occurred over the winter season. You can purchase our Moon Juice and other fertilizer products, such as our Landscape Soil Conditioner and Moon Royale Turf Fertilizer at all Moon Valley Nurseries locations.

We recommend using our custom blended fertilizers for your landscape needs as they are specifically formatted for Arizona soil and weather conditions.

Watering

As the temperature starts to slowly get higher, it is important to monitor your landscape for proper water usage. In the winter, cooler temperatures and less sunlight allow the soil to stay moist for a longer period of time, so watering schedules could be stretched out by a few days. Now that the sun is out longer, your soil may dry out faster, which means you will need to update your watering schedule.

Click here for a more detailed water guide:

Good Rule of Thumb: Check the soil up to 3 inches deep. If it is dry, then it is time to water.

Planting 

Luckily, we live in an area where it is planting season all year, depending on what you indent to plant! Winter is often a slower time of year for landscapes as most things go dormant. Over this time, many homeowners start to think about how to improve their yard.

Those landscape plans you have been saving for the spring can finally become a reality. Planting just before spring season is ideal because it will give your trees and shrubs plenty of time to establish their root system before the spring and summer months!

What to Plant before Spring Arrives

Brazilian Pepper

This vibrant evergreen is certain to give any landscape year-round attractiveness. The silky, dark green leaves create a wide-spread awning that creates an abundance of shade. This is a perfect choice for the Arizona desert environment due to its love of heat and its drought tolerance. Available in both single or multi-trunk varieties, Brazilian Pepper trees are water-wise and require little water once established.  The Brazilian Pepper tree attracts butterflies and hummingbirds looking for a snack, so sit back in the shade of your Brazilian Pepper and appreciate these incredible visitors.

Ficus Columns

Indian Laurel Columns are an excellent choice for creating a living wall no matter the reason. Need privacy or shade? Look no further. These drought-tolerant Ficus Columns have dense evergreen foliage that works well for blocking unwanted sights and sounds as well keeping your yard and home cooler, thanks to these fast-growing trees. They are easy to prune, so you can keep them on the smaller side for topiary purposes or tall and majestic – whichever fits your style and landscape needs. Grown to thrive in desert environments, Ficus Nitida Columns are sure to add greenery to our arid Arizona landscapes and get attention from your neighbors.

Queen Palm

Specially grown at our tree farms, the Piru Queen Palm is unlike other Queen Palms around. Our Piru Queen Palms feature thicker and hardier 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 thick trunk which makes it ideal in tight spaces around your pool, but it does require overhead space as the palm grows to statuesque heights.

Date Palm

These palms will create a luxurious feel to any property! Not only do they look great, but they are able to handle any weather conditions without any problem. Around pools, the Date Palm provides excellent shade due to its wide large umbrella-shape, fronds and extremely minimal litter. The Date Palm looks great when planted in clusters of 3 to 5 palms and is hardy to cold, heat and drought tolerant. Date palms will add a resort-style feel wherever they are planted!

Majestic Ash

This Majestic Ash tree is an evergreen seedless variety that stays greener than other ash varieties. They feature large, glossy green leaves and its narrow, upright shape makes it an ideal shade tree for any potential planting locations. Because these trees are low-maintenance and virtually pest-free, it makes them ideal for a yard or street plantings.  If you are expecting and hoping for a large canopy of shade to provide a play area for your children or for a way to escape the afternoon sun you will not be disappointed in the Majestic Ash.

Moon Valley Difference

Moon Valley Nurseries is your one-stop shop for all your landscape needs. Our experts have decades worth of experience and they will be able to assist you with any projects or questions you may have regarding trees, shrubs, design, and more! Come by and check out the amazing trees and deals we have to offer our Arizona community.

For the best trees on Earth, Go straight to the Moon.

Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicides

Pre-emergent herbicide works by putting a chemical barrier down, in granular or liquid form, over the top of the soil. This will stop the weeds from germinating above the soil line. To reduce the number of weeds or eliminate them completely, a pre-emergent should be applied at least twice a year. We recommend applying in the beginning of spring and fall.

Applying a pre-emergent herbicide is an easy way to spend less time working in your yard and more time enjoying it! Keeping your weeds in control not only ensures an attractive landscape but creates a much healthier environment for the rest of your plants and gardens.

COUPON ALERT  

Save $$$ on all Pre-Emergent products in stock at any Moon Valley Nurseries near you! 

COUPON ALERT

Below are pre-emergent herbicides we recommend and sell at all our Moon Valley Nurseries locations. Come in and get yourself ready to fight those intrusive weeds once and for all!

AMAZE Grass & Weed Preventer

Recommended as our top choice for granular grass & weed prevention. It's easy to apply and extremely effective against the common unwanted weeds and grasses in Southwestern gardens. Easy-to-follow instructions are found on the bag.

Weed Impede - RTU

This RTU (Ready-to-use) herbicide is a pre-mixed concentrate that can be applied straight from the bottle through the attached nozzle. Weed Impede is our top choice for liquid herbicides, as they work great against common weeds and grasses.

Weed Impede Concentrate

This is the concentrated form of the Weed Impede RTU - this contains a full-strength concentrate. So, while it's not ready to use right out of the bottle, you will get a more potent concentration of herbicide. We recommend the concentrated form for large yards with a massive weeds issue.

Weed Impede 2 in 1

Unlike other pre-emergent, this not only kills existing weeds, it prevents new ones from forming for up to 6 months. This means you can apply this product before having to pull out the weeds yourself and is by far the easiest solution to weed control.

Come in to your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location and save up to 20% on all pre-emergent herbicide products. Bring in the coupon below for this amazing in-store only savings!

Remove Existing Weeds

Every second you let a weed stay in your yard, is a second that more seeds could be falling into the ground, ready to become its own weed and take up more space in your yard. So, what’s the best way to gain control of your landscape? Spray regularly at peak growing times to be pro-active against the infestation.

This is never how you want to spend a weekend morning (or the full weekend, depending on how many weeds have crept in). However, it does need to get done and the sooner you do it the better. Each day allows the weeds root system to grow deeper and stronger, while the flowers have more time to pollinate and spread EVEN MORE weeds around the yard.

All you need is a pair of gloves, a bin/bucket for all the weeds you pull, some knee pads/towel to give your knees a bit of protection, and, if you ask nicely, a friend to help you out!  Remember to remove the entire root from the ground. For additional assistance, a hoe or shovel can help remove the roots that have gone deep enough to withstand being pulled by hand.

Additional Ways to Keep Weeds Far, Far Away

Mulching

Weeds, like every other plant, need sunlight to survive. The mulch acts as a barrier to keep the weeds seeds from getting any sunlight, essentially smothering them. If using mulch to suppress weed growth, be sure that the mulch is at least 2 inches deep. Replenish the mulch, as needed. For added protection, cover the ground with newspaper or cardboard before adding the mulch. 

Close Planting

Close planting is exactly what it sounds like - It’s the concept of planting shrubs, ground cover, or grass materials close to each other. Some people enjoy close planting due to the overall aesthetic. This is also a great way to keep weeds from growing since they will not have the space or sunlight to succeed.

Moon Valley Nurseries Weed Prevention

Weed prevention with pre-emergent herbicides will keep your landscape looking healthy and beautiful and may inspire you to plant more things that can add more beauty to your landscape! Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nurseries location. We have got you covered for all your landscape needs!

What a Lovely Thing a Rose is...

...And with the weather changing yet again, it is time to see how well our roses survived the winter and help them get back to prime shape for the fullest blooms in 2019! At Moon Valley Nurseries, we support our roses-loving community in Arizona and make sure to always have the best, and most variety of, roses. Now is the time to start getting ready to plant new roses and getting your existing roses ready to start producing in abundance any time now!

January Rose Care Guide  

Pruning

Make sure to prune all the roses back about one half of its current growth and remove foliage. Clean up all debris, including leaves and petals and discard them in the trash. If you have roses that are the climbing variety, pruning will not be needed.

Watering

While this might vary depending on what type of weather we are experiencing this month, we recommend deep watering your roses at least once a week. Continue to monitor the temperature and pay attention to your plants.

Weeding

Examine the area where your roses are planted, or will be planted, to make sure there are no weeds around the roses. Remove all weeds that you can see, no matter how small they might be.

Planting

Because we live in a warmer region than the rest of the country, we can start planting roses as early as January. Be sure to keep newly planted roses moist while they are transitioning into their new location.

Moon Valley Nurseries Roses Selection

We take roses seriously because we know how serious our customers are about their roses. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we make sure to have a large selection at every location. We carry 100’s of different varieties of roses for customers to choose from whether you are looking for a unique informal hedge, plants to climb all over trellis’, or just to have a beautiful section of roses to enjoy in your yard, we can help you!

Build Your Private Oasis Before it’s Too Late to Plant 

Hedges are one of the best ways to add value to your home and create a classic look to your landscape. With so many options to choose from, it gives you the opportunity to decide between a formal or informal look that could vary in height, size, color, and shape!

Some of the biggest reasons for a homeowner to want to add hedges into their landscape include:

• Making a sound and weather barrier
• Creating a dramatic entryway
• Adding a wall of color
• Forming a living border

The number one reason should be no surprise (hint: it’s in the title!) to anybody. The biggest reason most people decide to add hedges in their yard is for the amazing privacy it creates around their home. We have compiled some of our favorite hedges to plant for our current fall season. Keep reading and see which hedge is right for you and your yard!

Indian Laurel Columns (Ficus nitida columns)

One of the most ideal, and best, hedges you will find anywhere is our Indian Laurel Columns, sometimes known as the Ficus Nitida. We like to plant the Indian Laurel Columns to create a living wall of privacy- the ultimate Hollywood-Style Hedge. These evergreen trees can create an immediate privacy screen for your landscape and are the ideal choice to create a perfect yard with a classic look. They thrive in desert environments and are require little water, so they are well-suited for our Arizona weather and landscapes. As a bonus, we love them for the massive amount of shade that they can add! Relax, unwind, have fun, and do it in the shade, without nosy neighbors getting into your business. Plant these Indian Laurel Columns in your yard and take in the dense green foliage that adds some nice colors to our desert surroundings.

Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus)

It is easy to see why these hedges are a common sight throughout the Valley. They can bloom showy bottlebrush-like flower spikes that can paint a landscape with bright red and blue-green colors. The Bottlebrush plant can easily add a splash of color to our arid environment, and attract hummingbirds and butterflies, too. These evergreen shrubs are a great way to create a colorful privacy screen when several are lined up along a property border. Another hedge option idea for the Bottlebrush shrub is to create small hedges around a backyard garden or a focal point in the yard. The Bottlebrush blooms in spring with some off-season blooms in the fall.  This shrub does fine in partial to full sun. We recommend fertilizing consistently from spring through fall to gain the darkest green foliage and reddest flowers from our Bottlebrush.

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

Hopseed (Dedonea)

The Hopseed bush is a perfect shrub to add to any Arizona yard. While not the most traditional looking plant to be considered hedge material, it does the job perfectly. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we offer both the Green Hopseed and the Purple Hopseed bush for you to choose from based on your landscaping needs. Both varieties are quite similar except for one major difference – their coloring. When creating a privacy hedge, the Purple Hopseed will create a unique wall of color that contrasts well with surrounding foliage. These fast-growing shrubs grow upright, which makes them easy to install in almost any location.

Feel free to stop by your local Moon Valley Nurseries, speak with our nursery professionals, and schedule a landscape design consultation. Let us do the work for you from planning, designing, delivering, and #freeplanting.

Get to Planting Now for Some Delicious Fruit Right in Your Yard

If you couldn’t tell, we love the fall season! Not only is it finally cool enough to enjoy the weather in Arizona, but it’s the best time of year to plant new trees and shrubs in your yard. Some of the best trees we love planting right now are fruit trees. These trees can grow beautiful fragrant flowers, create great summer shade, and bring you tasty fruit right in your yard!

Pomegranate

The first tree on this list is one of the best and easiest to grow in our Arizona climate. The deciduous Pomegranate tree is just as amazing once it is established due to how low maintenance it is compared to other trees. It only requires low to moderate water, is drought tolerant, and flourishes in full and partial sun. Since it only grows to be a small tree, the Pomegranate tree can be planted anywhere.

Plum

Fruit trees are a great choice for the Phoenix-area and Plum trees are a popular addition for local yards. Like other fruit trees, this one is easy to grow in our area too! It should be planted somewhere that gets full or partial sun and benefits from fertilizer right before the new growth starts in Spring. Another cool feature of this tree that shows up in the spring time is the abundance of white flowers that appear. On top of growing your own food, Plum trees can be used as a stunning focal point in a large yard or small garden.

Peach

Just the idea of having a Peach tree in your yard should cause you to start craving one. If you don’t, then maybe you don’t like peaches at all (and that’s okay- kind of weird, but totally okay, no judgement). This is an easy growing, deciduous tree that grows small with a wide-spread canopy of dense foliage. It also produces colorful showy flowers throughout the spring season creating an attractive landscape. The beauty of this tree makes it perfect for any sized yard!

Five Fall Tips for Tree Care

Now that we have an idea of what we are going to plant, it is time to prepare ourselves for what we should be doing to make sure we have the best tree. Tree care is especially important when it comes to fruit trees because you will literally be able to taste the work and effort you put in to it.

For specific questions or concerns, please reach out to our Tree Care team and one of our I.S.A. Certified Arborists will be ready to help!

Plant New Trees

We’re quite lucky to be living in Phoenix as we have two amazing planting seasons. Even though the spring season is a good time to plant, the fall season creates the perfect growing environment to plant new trees and shrubs. In the colder months, newly planted trees and shrubs convert their energy to root growth. Planting in the fall allows up to five months of root development.

Once spring arrives, the tree or shrub that was planted in the fall will have a very established root system and be better prepared for the incoming heat. With the root system established, the tree or shrub will focus its energy on top growth to bring back healthy foliage. Trees and shrubs planted now in Phoenix will have plenty of time to grow a shade canopy before the summer high temps arrives next year. 

Add Fall Annual Colors

While the rest of the country is not looking forward to the cold winter days, residents in Phoenix are spending more time outside working hard on their landscape. Fall annuals are a fantastic and easy way to add striking color to accent areas, garden beds, and eye-catching borders. For more abundant bloom cycles this fall, pick up a bag of our Moon Dust Organic Blend which creates great results because it was developed especially for our tough, compact, and alkaline soils. 

Check Watering Systems

Whenever the seasons change, you need to check your watering system and most likely, readjust some or all the settings. At this time of the year, the biggest change will probably need to be how often you water certain areas of your yard. Make sure that you check each sprinkler head and any emitters you have installed are still working properly and replace any that are not. Now that the temperatures are cooler, less water is needed but make sure you adjust properly for each individual plant. Your Peach tree and shrubs probably won’t survive on the same schedule!

Trim Your Trees

Now that the monsoon season is over, it’s time to check on the status and health of the trees in your landscape. Staking your trees after the strong winds and heavy rain during the monsoon season is extremely important as the adverse weather conditions may have damaged the foundation of your tree. After planting, the single stake will be enough for three to six months of growth. We recommend switching to double stake harness for the next year. If your tree was planted in the spring, we highly recommend double staking this fall. 

You can safely prune a tree in the fall, and you’re going to want to do it before the winter cold sets in. If the temperature shows early indications of cold weather, be careful when pruning your tree. You do not want to hack your tree as this will affect the health of your tree, and it will leave it exposed and susceptible to any potential frost damage. 

Reach out to our Tree Care team for any questions or assistance!

Fertilize, Fertilize, Fertilize

The best and most ideal time to fertilize your landscape is in the fall because trees and shrubs are still growing underneath the soil. Colder temperatures are a signal to trees that they should stop top growth and focus on root development. Fertilizing with Moon Valley Nurseries’ Super Charged Moon Juice and Moon Dust Organic Blend allows organic enzymes and amino acids to stimulate new root system growth and stronger cell development while helping the tree grow faster and recover quicker from stressful events (such as an Arizona summer).

These essential nutrients will be absorbed by the root system of your tree. Your tree will then use these nutrients to grow its root system and ward off any disease in the fall. Excess nutrients are then stored in the roots and will be available for vital top growth once spring arrives.

For questions about watering, trimming, and fertilizing, feel free to ask any of Nursery Professionals! Call your nearest Nursery today!

Fall is here and it's time to plant some trees! 

The fall season is here, school is back in session, football is back on Sundays, and your excuses for working out in the yard are quickly fading away! It's getting cooler and nature is slowly but surely turning bright and in a variety of colors! Many of our trees at Moon Valley Nurseries have the outstanding fall reds, purples, yellows, and oranges that we have come to expect and love this time of year. Not only is this the best time to add some fall color to your yard but the cooler weather is an excellent time to plant new trees and plants (for you and your plants!)

A popular choice when landscaping your yard in the Arizona desert is the Raywood Ash Tree. It is known for its extraordinary display of dark red to deep reddish-purple foliage in the fall that gives any landscape a unique look for the season. The leaves of the Raywood Ash drop off soon after the fall season, allowing for an easy clean up just once a year. During the summer, the Raywood Ash offers a much-needed service with the shade that it brings to a yard! When the leaves come back, it becomes a perfect shade tree that grows upright more than it grows wide. It has dark green foliage that provides a sharp distinction to any landscape and looks great when it is planted as a single specimen, such as a focal point for a yard, where it's brilliant beauty and color can be admired.

Arizona Ash (Fraxinus velutina)

The Arizona Ash is a deciduous tree that has striking, smooth bright green leaves and can cover a lot of area in your yard with shade in the summer. Once winter shows up, the leaves drop and lets in the warmth of the sun! Native to Arizona and other southwestern states, this tree loves the sun. It is cold hardy and heat resistant, so they are ideal for planting in our desert climate. If you’re looking for a fast-growing shade tree, you’ll love the Arizona Ash Tree. We find the Arizona Ash to be very adaptable for all uses such as being planted for shade, which keeps your house cool in the summer. Because it is a deciduous tree and the leaves drop by late fall, it will also help keep your house warm in the winter!

Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii)

Another awesome fall choice to include in your landscape for ultimate shade is the Shumard Oak Tree. This oak tree is a medium to large sized tree and grows into a canopy with a wide spreading reach, which creates a large area of shade all around it. This tree is a fast-growing species of oak that is very tough and long-living, so it will be part of the family for generations! This tree is known for its antique look with large dark green leaves that can grow up to eight inches long. Another benefit of having the Shumard Oak is the beautiful vibrant red orange colors that take over tree during the fall season that will get you into the holiday festivities!

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)

Adding some splash of color to their landscapes is a common reason our customers start looking for new plants and trees. With so many choices of plants and varieties of each plant to choose from, preparation can be difficult! One of the best choices for striking bursts of color throughout your yard is the Crape Myrtle Tree. These trees bloom from the spring through the fall months and are the perfect addition to any front or back yard. In the fall season, the Crape Myrtle Tree produces exquisite flowers that come out in many colors such as pink, purple, red, and white. The colorful flowers contrast with the fall foliage. Because the Crape Myrtle stays small to medium in size, they can be planted almost anywhere. They will look lovely if they are planted in clusters or in an accent location in your yard. For ultimate blooming potential, we recommend pruning in the winter while the tree is dormant.  

What do you think of our favorite trees of fall? Share your favorite with us below!

Find a Moon Valley Nurseries location near you and come check these trees out soon and you will see the colors in full vibrant action! Our trees come with #freeplanting, so you don't have to do all the hard work! So, check out these fall favorites and one of our experts will help you get the perfect plants in your yard!

The growing season is upon us! We are finally starting to come out of the hot summer and into cooler fall. We will greatly appreciate the cooler weather and our landscapes will, too. Fall is the time when our trees and plants can effectively establish themselves into their environment. With the changing of the season, there are a few things we need to remember so that our landscapes and gardens can thrive.

Watering: With the cooler nights and days, it’s important to change our watering routine. For fall, we need to water less often than we do during the hot summer. Typically, once our daytime temperatures reach 85-100 degrees, we move away from our summer watering schedule. There are factors that play into how much you need to water; those factors are the type of tree or plant, and the planting location. Check out our watering guide to see what we recommend. If you would like more help, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our nursery pros at your nearest Moon Valley Nursery location. Now’s a great time to help cut the amount of water we use by reducing the frequency that we water our lawns. With cooler weather, our lawns will retain more moisture longer, cutting back on our usage. So, we need to cut back on the frequency of watering, not the actual amount used when watering.

Fertilizing: It’s time to fertilize! Fertilizing will help your trees, palms, and other plants grow to their full potential. Now is the perfect time for giving additional help with the growing process, fertilizers allow trees and plants to intake more nutrients and water along with making nutrients more readily available. Moon Valley Nurseries has a line of custom developed fertilizers that can be used on a variety of landscape materials – turf, grass, palms, desert trees, shade trees, and so much more. Click here to see our fertilizers.

Tree Care: Make way for new growth! That’s right. Trim off the dead or damaged branches so that new growth has room to bloom. Proper tree care is vital for strong growth in this fall season. Were the monsoons rough on your landscape? No need to worry. Our professional tree care team is here to help. They can remove any dead, damaged, or overgrown branches. Let us clean up your landscape!

What to Plant

Crape Myrtle – If you want color, this is the tree for you! Blooming large clusters of flowers throughout all seasons, the Crape Myrtle will deliver year-round interest. We custom grow our Crape Myrtles to be mildew resistant, making them the strongest Crape Myrtle you can find. With low maintenance needs, low water use, and the variety of colors of flowers, it is easy to see why the Crape Myrtle is one of the most popular flowering trees for any yard. This drought tolerant tree grows in a vase shape, with vibrant flowers popping against shiny, bright green leaves. The multi-trunk looks impressive with nighttime lighting, adding even more interest to a landscape.

Tipu – This fast-growing shade tree is the solution for adding shade and beauty to any yard. Its large canopy is created with feathery, bright bluish-green foliage. The Tipu tree features a fissured bark texture and, in late spring, lovely golden blooms appear. Tipus are water-wise, drought tolerant, and grows well in many soil conditions. These trees require little maintenance. And, as a bonus, the nectar of the Tipu attracts butterflies and other pollinators to your yard or garden.

Chinese Elm – The Chinese Elm is also known as the “Evergreen Elm”. In very mild winters, Chinese Elms can retain their leaves throughout the season. The foliage is dark green and creates an umbrella-shaped canopy that produces mass amounts of shade. The Chinese Elm is ideal for use as a picnic spot, for climbing, or for attaching a tire swing for the kids to enjoy. This tree thrives in full sun and is very tolerant of poor soil and poor weather. Moon Valley Nurseries carries the ‘True Green’ strain which does not weep.

Ficus Columns – Indian Laurel Columns are an excellent choice for creating a living wall. Need privacy? Look no further. These Ficus Columns have dense evergreen foliage that works well for blocking unwanted sights and noises. They even create shady areas. Once established, Indian Laurel Columns are drought tolerant and water-wise. They are easy to prune, so you can keep them small and topiary or tall and majestic – whichever fits your style. Grown to thrive in desert environments, Ficus Nitida Columns are sure to add greenery to our arid Arizona landscapes.

Piru Queen Palm – Our Piru Queen Palms feature thicker and harder trunks, denser and greener fronds, and fuller crowns.  These evergreen palms thrive in full sun and can handle heat or cold exposure. Very low water requirements make this a perfect palm for desert landscapes. Our Piru Queen palms will bring the feel of the tropics and resort living straight to your yard. These beautiful palms can grow up to heights of 35 feet and can have 10-15-foot fronds. Plant in your front yard for a focal point and use nighttime lighting to bring the wow factor!

Pygmy Date Palm – It can be grown in shade, is slow growing, and its roots are non-invasive. This allows the pygmy Date palm to be a fantastic option for planting under larger palms or trees, in between palms, or in a cluster. Its versatility and dwarf growth pattern allow the Pygmy Date palm to be planted in tight spaces; perfect around pools, patios, courtyards, and in pots. This stunning palm features multiple trunks of varying height or it can be grown with just a single trunk; depending on your need. Moon Valley Nurseries has custom grown our Pygmy Date Palms at our farms to ensure that the palms generate thicker trunks and fuller crowns.

This summer has been a hot one and your plants need some help recovering and getting ready for fall! After many 100+ days and monsoons, our landscapes needs a little loving. How can we help our yards recover? We have asked our nursery professionals and have compiled the top three ways to help our trees and plants while also getting ready for fall.

1. Moon Juice and Soil & Water Conditioner

Are your plants looking a bit yellow? Has the heat gotten the better of your landscape materials? That is what happens here in Arizona. The best way to help combat the heat stressors and help your trees and plants grow healthy is to use fertilizers. Fertilizers help trees, palms, and other plants grow to their full potential and to grow healthy – healthy trees and plants will handle the changing weather much better than those still weak from heat stress. In Arizona, the soil is higher in salt, by using Moon Valley Nursery’s Soil & Water Conditioner, you can help prime your soil to provide more water to your plants. This conditioner is a great help in making sure your trees and plants get as much nutrients possible. Our Super Charged Moon Juice is specially formulated with Furst liquid technology including a blend of organic enzymes and amino acids that help stimulate the growth of trees and plants, along with new root hair growth which helps plants increase moisture intake. Create a thriving, healthy landscape – fertilize your trees, palms, and plants.

2. Watering

Watering is one of the most important aspects of keeping trees and plants healthy. You want to make sure you are watering the proper amount. As we transition from summer to fall, the weather will change. Soon, we will have shorter days and cooler nights; so, we want to be careful that we are not over-watering. We will want to also transition our water systems from summer to fall settings as it starts to cool down. While it is still hot, early mornings or late evenings are the best times for watering. How much you should water and how often depends on the size and age of the tree, palm, or plant. Click here to see our watering chart for mature trees (2+ years since planting); or, click here for our watering chart for newly planted trees. Don’t forget that proper watering is the deep and thorough saturation of the entire root system and allowing it to dry between waterings.

3. Tree Care

Monsoon season can be a rough time on our trees, palms, and plants. Now that monsoon season is almost to a close, it’s a perfect time to clean up the damaged trees and make way for new growth. Our Tree Care team of professionals is ready to help you! Our team is staffed with ISA Certified Arborists and Certified Nursery Professionals. They guarantee the highest quality of services for your trees and landscapes. Whether you need safe tree or stump removal, trimming, or other tree care, we can do it. Let us do all the work of cleaning up the monsoon mess and clearing space for the new growth of the fall season. For an removal estimate, click here.

Even though we still have warm weather, it’s time to get ready for fall. By applying fertilizer and watering correctly, your trees and plants will recover from our tough Arizona summer – they will regain their greenness. Our Tree Care team is ready to help you clean up from the summer; you can remove any fallen or damage trees from the monsoon season, you can clear the way for new growth. Now is the time to plan for fall – bring some more color to your landscape. At Moon Valley Nurseries, we offer a variety of trees and plants that will bring a lovely variety of colors and textures to your home, perfect for fall. Take advantage of our current Labor Day deal and get your yard looking great again.

No matter how hard your landscape was affected by the hot Arizona summer, Moon Valley Nurseries is here to help. Visit your nearest Moon Valley Nursery location and see what we have to offer for yourself!

The perfect yard starts with the perfect plan. Let’s think about this for a second. No one wants to have an ugly or inadequate landscape. It makes your home, your most valued possession, look bad; it certainly won’t help you with home value and forget about curb appeal! So, let’s go back to that first statement again – the perfect yard starts with the perfect plan!

Completing a landscaping project can be overwhelming without doubt, especially doing it by yourself. Where to start? What to do first? Who to call? These are the most common questions nursery pros get in the landscape industry. We’ll break these down for you and get you started on that perfect yard.

The first thing you should do to get started with your perfect yard is to take some photos and general measurements of the area you are needing to have landscaped. If this is the backyard, front yard, side yard, around a patio or a pool, or anywhere else, you need to have a starting point for the plans; measurements and photos are crucial for this. Once you have done some homework, now it is time to contact a nursery pro.

Using a reputable nursery pro like those found at Moon Valley Nurseries is a great place to start. All our nursery pros have gone through extensive training to be able to provide our customers with the best service and trees available. Using a nursery pro that understands proper placement and who works with you to accomplish your goals is the first step to success.

The next step is to start thinking of what you want the finished product to look like and, more importantly, how you want your landscape to function. Are you trying to create privacy from a nosey neighbor, creating a tropical backyard for resort-style staycations, do you need to reduce the cooling cost of your home in the summer, or are you just trying to add some pop and curb appeal?

Once this is figured out, speak with your nursery pro and they will begin to get your dreams working into a reality. Nursery pros at Moon Valley Nurseries are trained experts in design and are extremely capable of taking your landscape to the next level. They will help with choosing the perfect trees and shrubs for your landscape and putting the correct tree in the correct space. Once your nursery pro has gotten everything figured out for you with creating a design and selected the perfect trees for their new homes in your landscape, the next step is to schedule a time to have expert planters come out and install everything perfectly.

Our expertly trained staff of nursery pros and installation experts will give you the exclusive Moon Valley Nurseries VIP experience. From the moment you step into the store or make that first call, you’ll notice the Moon Valley Difference.