This summer has been a hot one, and your landscape needs some help recovering and getting ready for fall! This time of year, you’re going to start to see your landscape come back to life thanks to the fantastic fall weather coming back. This is also an excellent time to check your trees, plants, and lawn to see if there are any issues such as damaged branches, yellowing foliage, wilted leaves, dry patches of grass, and so on. You’ll want to spot that now and help as much as you can to guarantee the best growing season for your yard.

So, how can you help your yard recover over the next few weeks? We asked our nursery professionals and compiled the top recommendations to help your trees, plants, and lawn gain back their full strength and bring your beautiful landscape back to life!

Tips to Help Your Yard Recover from Summer

Are the leaves on your trees looking a bit yellow? Has the heat gotten the better of your plant materials? The best way to help combat the heat stressors and help your trees and plants grow healthy is to use fertilizers and supplements. Our custom products help trees, palms, and other plants grow to their full potential. Healthy trees and plants will handle the changing weather much better than those still weak from heat stress.

Add Fertilizer to your Trees and Plants

Our Moon Dust fertilizer is an organic blend developed especially for tough, compact alkaline soils found in our region. Our custom fertilizer is made with the perfect ratio of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus for healthy living. Moon Dust can be used on every plant material in your yard from large trees to potted flowers!

To learn more, click here.

To purchase, click here.

Amend your Soil

Moon Valley Nurseries Soil and Water Conditioner is the perfect primer for fertilizers. Our Soil and Water Conditioner helps provide more nutrients to your trees and plants by loosening up the hardened soil in your yard. It is great for making sure your trees and plants get all the water and fertilizer it needs without wasting any of it!

To learn more, click here.

To purchase, click here.

Supplement Plant Growth

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. Moon Juice was made to help recover from seasonal stress!

To learn more, click here.

To purchase, click here.

Make your Lawn Green Again

If you have grass in your landscape, then you know how much it can struggle during the summer with full sun exposure all day long. Our Moon Royale Turf Fertilizer acts fast to restore your grass to a healthy, luxurious green while also decreasing weed growth and disease problems.

To learn more, click here.

To purchase, click here.

Adjust your Watering Schedule

Quick Watering Tips

• Water early in the morning while it is still hot
• Water deeply to saturate the entire root system
•  Allow your soil to nearly dry between watering sessions

Watering is one of the most important aspects of keeping trees and plants healthy. Soon, we will have shorter days and cooler nights; so, you want to be careful that we are not over-watering. You will also want to transition our water systems from summer to fall settings as it starts to cool down, which is where our watering guides come in handy!

Clean Up your Trees

By applying fertilizer and supplements that we talked about and watering your landscape correctly, your trees will recover from our tough Arizona summer and regain their greenness and health! Another way to help your trees out is to remove any fallen or damaged branches from the monsoon season, or that aren’t doing so well. This will pave the way for new growth to take over!

Plant New Trees for Fall

Fall is the best time to plant in our region and right now is an excellent time to check your yard and see what you might need, or want, to add to your landscape. Maybe you lost some plant material from heat stress and want to replace it, or perhaps you see a need for large shade trees to help keep your house cooler for future summers.

Planting now is best because the weather is cooler, and the ground is nice and warm from the summer. This creates the perfect conditions for planting new trees. It also gives your new trees and plants time to establish their root systems, so they flourish next spring!

Let our Tree Care do the Work for you!

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 tree or stump removal, trimming, soil fertilizer injections, or any other tree care issues you need help with – our team can do it!  

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 Nurseries location and see what we have to offer for yourself!

Now is the Best Time to Plant Trees in Arizona

The fall season has finally arrived, and as always, it's the best time to plant in the desert! Warm sunny days and cool nights create the perfect condition for trees and plants to establish strong vigorous root systems while getting a break from the sun above ground. This ideal balance encourages root growth all season and offers even more benefits to fall planting.

Benefits of Planting in the Fall

Better Root Establishment

In our region, the soil usually never freezes, which allows your newly planted trees an opportunity to establish its root system throughout the fall/winter.

Less Water Usage

Because of the shorter days and the cooler weather, newly planted trees and shrubs will require less water than they would need if they were planted during the spring.

Quality time to Grow for Spring

By the time spring hits, your tree or shrub will have a solid, better-established root system and will be able to focus its energy on top growth.

Best Landscaping Tips for Arizona

Change Watering Schedule

If there is one thing that Arizona homeowners with beautiful yards are good at, it's that you stay on top of your watering game. Now that we are in October, you must re-adjust yet again, except this time you can finally start cutting back on your water usage!

The weather change is going to help the ground retain moisture longer, therefore, permitting us to use less water going forward. Make sure that you are watering less often but still watering with the right amount of water each session. The soil should be saturated about two to three feet deep around the tree.

Remove Weeds

The first step when fighting off weeds in your yard is prevention. You will save yourself so much time if you apply pre-emergent herbicide to your yard before the weeds even start to grow!

If any weeds do get past the pre-emergent herbicide, you should try to pull them out as soon as you see them pop out of the ground. As they grow, they drop more seeds, and then you have more weeds! If you pull them early, you can terminate new growth before it even starts. Consider adding mulch to areas to reduce the number of sprouting weeds. Ask our nursery professionals what the best option might be for your landscape.

Fertilize Trees, Plants, and Lawn

We cannot stress the importance of fertilizing everything in your landscape, and we mean everything from trees, flowers, and plants to your lawn! Because fall is a prime growing season in our region, this is when your trees and plants are going to be utilizing the most nutrients from fertilizers.

Once the temperature drops, the material in your landscape will decrease its top growth and focus on root growth. This creates the best environment for your new trees to establish a healthy root system. Fertilizing now and throughout the winter will allow the plant to soak up those much-needed nutrients and store them for explosive spring top growth.

Everything should be fed with the proper fertilizer and supplements to ensure optimal growth during this crucial time.

Our Moon Dust Fertilizer is our top-selling product because it works on everything in your yard! Moon Dust can be used on all your trees and plants. It boasts larger and tastier fruit production when applied to citrus and fruit trees and significantly increases bloom cycles in flowering plants and trees.

Our custom blended Super Charged Moon Juice is a staple that should be used on all your trees, plants, flowers, vegetables and more all year round. Moon Juice helps boost growth and helps your existing trees recover faster from any heat stress it endured over the summer.

If you have a lawn in your yard, you will want to add our Moon Royale Turf Fertilizer to bring your grass back to life! Lawns can sometimes take the hardest beating from the sun, so it’s important to help give it optimal nutrients going into fall. Moon Royale will help break down the soil and quickly green up any lawn type.

At a Moon Valley Nurseries location near you, you can find fertilizers and other beneficial products for every plant in your landscape. Our fertilizers can be used on everything from turf, palms, desert trees, shade trees, palms, and more. Now is the best time to give your landscape a helpful boost!

See our full line of products here to help your yard flourish this fall.

Trim Your Trees

Making sure you have your landscape well-cared for is a vital part of keeping your yard beautiful and protecting your investment. You should trim off any dead or sun-damaged branches, cut back any excessive branches, or branches that may have been damaged by summer storms.

If you have citrus and fruit trees in your landscape, take time to examine them and remove any suckers (green branches that grow fast and steal nutrients from your tree). Once the suckers are removed, your tree will have better nutrient intake to focus more effort into growing delicious fruit. 

Moon Valley Nurseries Tree Care Division

Our Tree Care Division is available in Phoenix and surrounding areas to help with any of your tree care needs or concerns. Our ISA Certified arborists and nursery professionals can handle any job such as storm clean-up, tree trimming/pruning, tree and stump removal, and deep root fertilizer injections.

Reach out to our Tree Care Division to schedule a consultation or ask any questions you may have about your trees.

Learn More from Moon Valley Nurseries 

Click here to learn more about fall planting season and why it’s the best time to plant trees in Arizona.

Click here to find out how our nursery pros can help you design your own Hollywood-style hedge!

Click here and learn how to pick the perfect tree for your landscape.

Design a Festive Landscape

The fall season is coming up quick in Arizona.  With local schools being back in session for a few weeks now, and football season already starting, it feels like fall already!  The shift in the weather is also helping us feel the season change. It's getting colder and more beautiful outside, and now we can enjoy it again. Soon enough, our landscapes will be changing and transitioning into fall and showing off some spectacular fall colors along the process.

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. Fall is the best time to plant trees, and these fall-color trees would be perfect and just in time to WOW your neighbors all season long.

Arizona Ash

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. Native to Arizona and other southwestern states, this tree loves the sun. While traditionally very green most of the year, the canopy will start to turn into a yellow-golden color in early fall.

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 but will also keep your home warm in the winter when the leaves drop.

Raywood Ash

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 that classic seasonal look. The leaves of the Raywood Ash drop off soon after the fall season, allowing for easy clean up just once a year.

During the summer, the Raywood Ash offers a much-needed service by adding shade to your yard! When the leaves come back in the spring, it becomes the perfect shade tree again, especially once they mature to their full height.  The Raywood produces darker foliage than most trees, which makes it stand out in landscapes and makes a great statement tree for the design.

Crape Myrtle

One of the best plant options for striking bursts of color throughout your yard is the Crape Myrtle tree. This tree blooms from the spring through the fall months and is a perfect addition to any yard, parks, and other properties. In the fall, the Crape Myrtle tree produces exquisite flowers that bloom brightly in many colors such as pink, purple, red, and white.

The Crape Myrtle can be planted nearly anywhere because it stays small-to-medium in size. They look lovely when they are planted in clusters and rows or as an accent tree full of color that will pop against green foliage or deciduous trees that share the landscape. For ultimate blooming potential, we recommend pruning in the winter while the tree is dormant.

Shumard Oak

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 the canopy during the fall season that will get you into the holiday festivities!

Flowering Pear

The Flowering Pear tree might seem like an odd choice for fall colors, but it will definitely add color to your landscape! This moderate-to-fast growing tree produces bright white flowers from winter to spring, creating a huge contrast to any evergreen plant materials or deciduous trees in the same area.

The Flowering Pear is easy to care for and can be pruned to fit your needs or grown out naturally to add more shade to your yard. With leaves that turn from dark green to vibrant purplish-red coloring in the fall, it also helps guide you into the changing of the seasons. Ask our nursery professional about the different varieties we carry, and which ones would be best for your home.

Get Started with your FREE Custom Design at our Nursery

Find a Moon Valley Nurseries location near you to see the best fall trees for your region. Our nursery professionals are always ready to start designing yards and achieving our customers' goals.

Does this sound like you when you bought your new home?

“We finished unpacking the house and set up everything the way we want it to be. We had painted the house already inside and out. Now that we finished the inside, it was time to start on the outside. Our yard was looking pretty rough. It was one issue we had upon purchasing the house. Can you help us?”

The story above is something we hear every single day. Doctors, lawyers, and, even the barista at Starbucks need trees for their house. They might want to remodel an existing yard or create the backyard they have always wanted. You can probably relate to this exact scenario. If you are, what is the next step?

How to Pick the Perfect Trees and Plants

You have probably mentally prepared for this visit because you have been researching for weeks! You’ve spent time reading all the articles you can find online about the trees you want in your yard. You have driven all over your neighborhood and talked to your community members, asking every question you can think of about the trees you like that they have.

The next thing you do is drive over to Moon Valley Nurseries. Once you get out of your car, your jaw will drop from the large size and vast amount of trees and plants on the property.

Once you come to the nursery, you will be greeted and helped by one of the nursery professionals who will walk you around the property to see the trees you are interested in for your project. Even when you think you know what you want, it can be overwhelming. Which do you pick? How do you know they are the best option? Keep reading to learn some tips from a Moon Valley Nurseries professional!

5 things to Ask Yourself When Picking Trees

When you are planning your new yard and choosing trees, think about the five questions below to make sure you pick the best tree for your yard, your situation, and your taste.

Do you want a tree which will be taller first or wider first? 

The trees which will be taller first will probably have a branching structure that goes higher more than wide, while a wider tree will be the opposite, having branches looking wider instead of taller. 

How does the branching structure look?

 Some trees and plant material grow dense from a very young age while others take more time to create a fuller canopy or branch structure.

How does the canopy look?

 The canopy should have a healthy green, or whatever color the leaves are supposed to be. Look for trees with full canopies as well. The fuller canopies usually can be an indicator that the root ball is further developed so that it is pushing out more consistent healthy growth. 

Do I understand the maintenance that this tree will require?

Trees require nutrition and “haircuts” just like people. Be sure you understand the maintenance that goes into the type of trees you are considering. If this is an issue, our nursery pros can help you find better alternatives for you.

Does this tree complete the look I want?

The tree you are looking at, does it finish everything you want? If you want shade for your home, make sure the tree will grow big enough, and the canopy will grow thick enough to create the shade you need. 

If you want to add color, make sure you choose a tree that will bloom in the right seasons. Some trees bloom for a few weeks and some bloom off and on all year!

Moon Valley Nurseries cares about its customers and spends the time to show it in every tree and plant in the nursery. They employ professionals who are well trained and have a deep passion for making sure that you have the perfect trees for your yard, and we make it a point to pick the healthiest trees. Click here to find the location near you.

More from Moon Valley Nurseries

Click here to learn what to expect when you come in for your free consultation.

Click here to learn about our FREE in-store landscape consultations. Our design consultations are as easy as 1-2-3.

Click here to learn more about growing and harvesting fruit trees in Arizona.

One common disease that occurs in Arizona, especially during the summer, when we experience extreme heat for a few weeks, is called Gummosis.

What is Gummosis?

Gummosis is the formation of patches of a sticky, gummy substance that form on trees. It occurs when tree sap comes from a wound from the trunk or damage on the tree.

In the summer months, many customers prune their trees, which can do some damage to the trees if not properly clipped or if the tools are not entirely disinfected from previous uses. Improper care can lead to tree wounds that allow Gummosis to appear.

The majority of the customers that visit the nursery with concerns of Gummosis are usually asking about specific trees. The trees affected tend to be fruit, citrus, and mesquite trees that have already recently suffered from damage, such as bugs, disease, or severe pruning.

Treating Gummosis in your Trees

The proper way to treat this first and for most is to remove any areas that look infected. So that you don't destroy or damage your tree any further, make sure you use disinfected tools for this process.

The next step is to use a systemic Fungicide, which is available at any Moon Valley Nurseries location and typically comes in a liquid form. Apply that to the tree to help with the Gummosis disease.

You want the tree to recover rapidly for aesthetics reasons as well as for the health of your tree. We strongly recommend that you began a routine care program using Super Charged Moon Juice monthly and also using Moon Dust to fertilize the tree.

These two are a winning combination when you are trying to bring your plants back to perfect health.

Think Your Trees Might have Gummosis?

If you believe that you see this problem in your yard, make sure you call, or even better yet, visit your local Moon Valley Nurseries.

Please bring pictures or samples so we can help correctly identify what is wrong with your tree and help you get your tree on the path to recovery!

Plant and Tree Disease - Gall FAQ

One of the popular topics we get asked about at the nursery is plant diseases that could be a problem for our area. One that specific disease that can show up in Arizona is something called 'Gall.' 

Which Plants and Trees does Gall infect?

Gall is most common on plants, such as oleanders or trees such as some ash varieties. It is sometimes found on oak trees but not often. Mainly, it's caused by a bacterium that's most commonly spread by the use of landscape tools that have not been cleaned properly in between uses. 

Do my Plants and Trees have Gall? 

The signs that your plant material might be struggling with Gall disease are pretty noticeable. If your trees or plants are infected, you will see a large knot that looks a ball growing on a stem. (pictured)

How Did My Plants get Gall?

Often, Gall is brought on by landscapers who don't do a professional job and don't understand how to care for their tools or equipment properly. Make sure you hire a true professional when you have them come out to your house and take care of the significant investment you made on your property.

How do I get rid of Gall on my plants?

When you see this problem in your trees or plants, the only way to get rid of the disease to remedy the infection entirely is to remove the branch that has visual damage. If you notice that your plants or trees are showing signs of Gall, it is time to start trimming!

All you need are properly disinfected tools to remove the branches that show the visual damage of Gall. Once you remove the infected area from the stem below the area that's been affected, you should be good to go! Be sure to monitor your plants afterward for a few days for any signs of Gall returning. 

Always disinfect your Landscaping TOOLS

The easiest way to disinfect your tools is to mix half water and half bleach into a bucket. While trimming your branches, dip your yard tools into the bucket after each clip of your plants. We recommend dipping after each use so that the infection doesn't spread. Once you are done trimming your plants, immediately treat your tools and disinfect them again before you put them away.

Future Plant Care 

Make sure that you start the process of a proper care plan for those plants. Get them back to health using products like our custom-blended Moon Juice and Moon Dust help your plants recover faster.

 Talk to a Nursery Expert Today

If you think you see some damage on your plant, come into any Moon Valley Nurseries location and see a nursery professional who can give you the proper advice for your yard.

Watering in the desert can be tricky 

It is essential to know when to water, how often, and even more important, how deep to water. These factors are crucial for the success of any landscape type. Here we will discuss these topics and help ensure adequate irrigation throughout the hottest months in the Phoenix area.

The best time of the day to water your trees and plants is in the early morning. The ideal time to turn your drip system on and give your plants a good drink for the day is between 4 am and 6 am. As temperatures rise in the summertime, the trees and plants in your yard will need to maintain adequate moisture to ensure proper growth and root establishment. It also helps to prevent any wilting, burning, or stress associated with higher summertime temperatures. 

Stay away from watering during mid-day, evening, or night time. Midday irrigations are often too late and can cause thirsty trees to stress more. Watering in the evening time, especially during moist or humid nights will promote mold and fungal growth that can affect your plant or your trees overall health.

Now that we know the right time of day to water, it’s necessary to understand how deep, and how often, to water. Most new trees or plants will benefit from being watered every day for the first week.

Watering Depths

For ground covers or smaller shrubs, ensure that your water is getting into the soil at least 12 inches deep.

For medium-to-large shrubs, your water should reach 12 to 18 inches deep.

For trees, the water should reach 2 to 3 feet deep.

To check the depth of the water and make sure it drenches the soil, you can use a piece of rebar, a dowel rod, or one of the two-foot planting flags that we have here at the nursery. You will want to probe the soil and several different areas around the initial planting area and ensure that the water is getting to the depths recommended.

If you are probing the soil and the rods only going down one foot into the ground, probe other areas, and if you’re still reaching a depth of one foot, then you know you are not watering long enough. You can now adjust your system to run longer and then probe again to ensure the proper depth.

Watering Schedule

Tropical varieties should be watered in the summertime when the temperatures above 100° 4 to 5 times a week.

Subtropical varieties should be watered 3 to 4 times a week.

Desert varieties can be watered about two times a week or every third or fourth day.

Making sure that the water is getting down 2 to 3 feet on the trees and saturating the entire root ball is important and will eliminate how often you need to run your system if you’re watering to the proper depth. You can also check the top of the soil. When the soil is dry to the extent of an inch or two, it’s typically time to water again. 

Lastly, you should water at the drip line (the canopies edge or tips of the canopy), which is where the feeder roots exist. As the tree or plant establishes, move the drip lines to the side of the canopy. This will ensure that your roots continue to grow in the right direction.

For more tips or any questions on watering your trees, call your closest location today or visit us at moonvalleynurseries.com!

Keep Your Landscape Healthy

Time is flying this year and the summer season is already coming to an end. Now that people are coming home from vacation, kids are going back to school, and everybody is falling back into their regular routine, it’s time to check on your yard! Follow the tips below and make sure your yard is looking great and ready for any last-minute pool parties or a family get-together.

Watering Tips

Arizona, especially Central Arizona, is now officially in the middle of monsoon season. We have had enough rainstorms come through southern Arizona and the Phoenix area that every day feels a bit more humid than we are accustomed to for this area.

The extra rain over the last few weeks has helped our landscapes through some hot temperatures. It may have also severely thrown off your watering schedule for your yard.

If you have turned off, or paused, your sprinkler system, be sure to examine your lawn, trees, and plant material. Resume your watering schedule as you have been throughout the summer months. During more rainfall, monitor your landscape in case of potential instances of overwatering of any plant material.

For more watering information and instructions for new and mature trees, click here.

Fertilizing Tips

Between the hot days and the tough storms, your lawn and landscapes could use some extra pampering and attention. This is exactly why we created, and love to use, our Super Charged Moon Juice.

Super Charged Moon Juice is a custom blend that contains a one-of-a-kind liquid technology. Moon Juice works great for all trees and plants in your landscape by boosting growth from the root system and helping plant material recover quickly from seasonal stress.

If your landscape consists mostly of palms, ask about our Super Palm Juice that was made specifically for the needs of palm tree varieties. It contains the same custom liquid technology as our Moon Juice. Palm Juice also contains a full nutrient profile perfect for all palms and other tropical varieties. This fast-acting liquid gets nutrients to the palms quickly for immediate optimization.

Tree Trunk Protection

Young trees, especially citrus, need protection from the sun during the summer months, when the sun is hotter and out longer! You can protect the trunk of a new tree from sunburn with a coat of paint or with specific protective tree wrap.

Click here to watch a Moon Valley Nurseries expert demonstrate both options properly.

Mulching Tips

Adding mulch to your trees and plants is perhaps the easiest thing you can do right now to give them a little help through the heat. If done right, a layer of mulch can even add to the curb appeal of your yard. Adding a few inches of mulch can help keep your soil cool during the warmer summer months and warm during the cooler days. Mulch is available at any Moon Valley Nurseries location. 

August Landscape Design Tips

Crape Myrtle Tree

At Moon Valley Nurseries, we offer many varieties of Crape Myrtle trees that come in a single-trunk or multi-trunk form. The Crape Myrtle trees grown at Moon Valley Nurseries are superior thanks to mildew resistance, which you will not find anywhere else outside of our nursery.

In addition, the Crape Myrtle's foliage will turn a showy bright orange during the fall season. The flowers bloom throughout the entire summer with color options from red, white, purple, and pink ready to fill your yard.

Tipu Tree

The Tipu tree is one of the most popular trees we offer at Moon Valley Nurseries, and it is everywhere around the Phoenix Valley, from Chandler/Queen Creek to Glendale/Peoria. Tipus are fast-growing trees that have an upright growth pattern creating a large shaded area to the surrounding landscape or home.

These trees are also drought-tolerant, once established. They can handle even the hottest summer days. It produces a unique show of golden blooms from late spring and into early summer that contrasts beautifully with its feathery green foliage. If you are looking for shade, color, and a tree that needs minimal assistance to flourish, the Tipu is your tree!

More Moon Valley Nurseries…

Click here to learn more about some of our favorite desert trees to plant and which ones are exclusive to Moon Valley Nurseries.

Click here to find out which hedges might be perfect for your home for ultimate privacy.

Click here to find out how Moon Valley Nurseries can help with any Monsoon damage.

Desert Trees are the Best Trees to Plant this Summer

Our Trees are Acclimated to the Desert Regions

It’s a common misconception that you are not able to plant trees in your yard during the summer. With the scorching Arizona heat, it’s a rational assumption to make but we are here to tell you that it is absolutely not true! Moon Valley Nurseries custom-grows all our trees, including our desert trees, to adapt to similar climates that they will be planted in, which means while our competitors might not be excited to plant anything in the summer, we are! 

(Fruitless Olive Pictured)

In nature, our native trees such as Palo Verdes, Mesquites, Ironwoods, Joshua Trees and Ocotillo are already accustomed to our dry heat year-round. They will even repopulate all summer long because they have adapted to our environment and can handle the high temperatures and little water that the desert provides them. When grown at Moon Valley Nurseries farms, our desert trees grow under the exact same conditions but with custom fertilizer and advanced care that helps to enhance plant health, as it matures.

Overall, desert trees love the heat, need less water than most trees, and grow quickly with supplemental water (hose, irrigation, etc.) since they’re naturally used to low-water environments. Do not feel like you are nailed down to the native trees though! Moon Valley Nurseries has TONS of awesome desert trees to choose from such as:  

Fruitless Olive – Gorgeous evergreen shade tree that thrives in the desert sun and blooms cream-colored flowers from spring to fall.

Jacaranda – Exotic flowering tree with vibrant purple blossoms and fern-like foliage.

Vitex – Usually grown in multi-trunk form, this smaller-sized tree offers show-stopping bluish-purple blooms.

Sissoo – Fast-growing tree that creates tons of shade and loves growing in full sun and hot conditions.

Mulga Acacia – An evergreen that can be used as a small tree or a large bush, offering fern-style foliage and occasional yellow flowers.

Texas Ebony - Desert tree with unique twisting branches that add dramatic shadows throughout a landscape.

African Sumac – An evergreen that provides vigorous green growth all year and is easy to prune. Extremely durable to all weather conditions, once established.

These are trees that grow naturally in environments very similar to ours here in the Southwest. Since we grow all our trees here in the Southwest, they have lived their whole lives in the desert, which has acclimated them to our weather and made them even more resilient.

(Vitex)

Our Desert Trees are Cleaner than our Competitors

Something that makes people shy away from these beautiful desert trees is the tendency for these trees to produce thorns or seed pods. Luckily, Moon Valley Nurseries offers hybrid forms of popular desert trees such as the Chilean Mesquite and Desert Museum Palo Verde.

These desert trees are seedless and thornless varieties that are only found in our nurseries. Being seedless AND thornless makes them a much cleaner tree than older varieties of Palo Verdes and native mesquites, so you don’t have to worry about poking yourself with any thorns anymore. In addition, some of our trees such as the Fruitless Olive, Mulga Acacia , and Willow Acacia are naturally clean trees!

Desert Plants for your Yard

Want to add to your landscape but just don’t have the room for a tree? We have TONS of cacti, agave, aloe, and desert shrubs that are just waiting to be planted this summer! We have all the typical favorites such as Golden Barrels, Saguaros, Century Plants, Mexican Birds of Paradise, and Aloe Vera.

We also have more unique desert plants such as Yucca Pendula, Sticks on Fire (pictured above), and Gopher Plants! Want a cactus but don’t want the thorns? Try a Totem Pole!

Create a Colorful Xeriscape Landscape

Do you like the xeriscape look and a waterwise yard but worried it might be too bland? If you’re not a desert native, you might be surprised to hear that most cacti do actually flower, bringing that needed pop of color!

Make sure to check out Arizona’s crown jewel, the Saguaro (pictured below), which gets a beautiful crown of flowers around the late spring through early summer every year. That flower is the official state flower of Arizona and an awesome addition to any Arizona landscape.

Visit Moon Valley Nurseries

If you’re looking to get the yard of your dreams, don’t wait until the fall, come in now! My name is Patrick Freytag, and I’m a landscape designer with years of experience helping customers in the West Valley at our Peoria location, just off 83^rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak.

I have a passion for plants, and I love helping people find the perfect designs to suit their needs. If you live in the area, come see me and I’d love to help you design your dream yard! If you’re on the other side of town, head down to your nearest Moon Valley Nursery and ask for one of our very knowledgeable landscape designers to help you find the perfect plants for your landscape this summer!

Homeowners know that owning a home means that there is always something to do! Sometimes those projects are not fun, like replacing gutters or upgrading the washer and dryer, and sometimes they are, like upgrading your television sound system.

Just like the rest of the house, projects outside can range all over the “FUN ‘O’ METER”, but it doesn’t make any of them less important than the others.

We put together a list five projects for you to think about this time of year to increase your landscapes overall health, such as fertilizing and watering properly. We also have some awesome suggestions for how to upgrade parts of your yard, such as planting some of our favorite trees, adding privacy, and much more!

Our favorite part about all these project suggestions is that they all get you outside and running around! The weather is perfect for you to get some sun and fresh air while improving your yard.

Let’s start with one of our favorite things to do at Moon Valley Nurseries – Planting!

There is still plenty of time to plant Moon Valley trees

It is essential to take care of what you have in your existing yard, but it is also fun to start thinking about new trees that you can add to your existing yard. We love helping our customers figure out the best trees and plants that fit into their yard AND make it better. Right now, we have some favorites that we cannot stop talking about to our customers that come visit us.

The gorgeous Museum Palo Verde can produce a dazzling display of color thanks to their thornless green trunks and large yellow blossoms that appear in spring. Homeowners looking for a low maintenance and waterwise tree will love the Museum Palo Verde! (pictured above)

The Jacaranda tree is one of our best-selling flowering trees, and it is easy to see why. These colorful trees have outstanding features – exotic, trumpet-shaped purple blooms and soft-feathery, fern-like foliage. These are fast-growing trees that can provide filtered shade. We like to plant them near patios, courtyards, and decks. These are stunning specimen trees, whether we plant them in a waterwise yard or urban garden. They are also excellent street trees and front-yard flowering trees that can add instant curb appeal.

The Arizona Ash is a beautiful deciduous shade tree with attractive velvety, gray-green leaves that turn to a bright yellow color later in the year. They are cold-hardy and heat-resistant, so they look lush and full, even in adverse conditions. This seedless variety is an ideal tree with a spreading canopy that casts the right amount of shade.

Our Evergreen Ash tree is a favorite throughout Arizona, and the Southwest, where they are known for growing a large canopy that can cast a considerable amount of shade. They have a fast growth rate, so you won’t have to wait too long to enjoy the benefits of a mature Evergreen Ash.

Add some privacy to your home

We all want to be able to fully enjoy our homes, and that includes our yards! One way to transform your yard and create privacy between you and your neighbors is to block unwanted views with trees and hedges.

You can build a fence or make your existing fence taller, but none of those ideas sound as fun, or pretty, as building a “living wall”! One of our favorite ways to create privacy for our customers is planting a row of Ficus Nitida Columns.

Ficus Nitida Columns look their best when planted close together to create an instant privacy screen. You can see these low-maintenance trees lined up in yards throughout the Southwest. They not only act as a living privacy fence, but they also create vast amounts of shade and can work as a windbreak to protect from those high blowing winds.

Do a quick check-up on your yard

Continue to fertilize your landscape

To keep your yard as healthy as it can be, you should focus on important things such as fertilizing and proper water irrigation. These areas are the foundation to your healthy yard, so we want to make sure you know the benefits of our top products.

Right now, Moon Valley Nurseries is currently offering a deal on ALL fertilizer products. Find out how much you can save on the products that are best for your yard below. 

Supercharged Moon Juice

Supercharged Moon Juice increases nutrient uptake, promotes new growth, helps improve fertilizer efficiency, and enhances the ability to ward off disease for your plants and trees. Supercharged Moon Juice also contains the three most essential micro-nutrients required by nearly every tree and plant - Iron, Manganese, and Zinc.

Moon Dust

Moon Dust provides vital nutrients to your plants like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. These are essential elements in the perfect horticultural ratio that will benefit all the trees and plants in your landscape.

Moon Royale

Moon Royale has a super concentrated formula that lasts long, and we like to use it for greening up all types of lawns quickly. Easily apply this turf fertilizer to your lawn using either a drop or broadcast type fertilizer spreader. For best results, apply every four to six weeks!

Check your watering system

This is a piece of advice that should always be mentioned! The transition between early spring and into the summer happens during a wide temperature range, so it is important to check your irrigation system.

Make sure that your automatic sprinklers are working without issue. If you see any problems, such as a broken sprinkler head, fix them now before they become a headache!

Also, be sure to keep adjusting your water schedule, so your plants and lawn continue getting the right amount of water. Going into the summer, it’s good to get into a routine of checking your landscape weekly to see if adjustments are needed.

Now for the fun projects to upgrade your home!

Add a tropical twist to your backyard

Everyone enjoys a nice refreshing dip in the pool during our Arizona summers. And we can help make that pool area even more enjoyable! By adding trees around a swimming pool, you can create much-needed shade, privacy, and a beautiful view. 

We usually recommend planting palms near pools to create an instant tropical backyard. Our nursery pros also love planting a mixture of different palms to add height, depth, and texture – all in one space!

Our Moon Valley Exclusive tree, the Piru Queen Palm, is one of our favorite palms that we grow ourselves IN Arizona. Our Queen Palm variety has a thicker crown, greener fronds, and a thicker trunk than older varieties of Queen Palms found in other nurseries. (pictured above)

The Pygmy Date Palm is a dwarf palm that grows in single and multi-trunk varieties. This palm is ideal for smaller areas and tight spaces. We often plant these under taller palms, such as the Queen Palm trees, to fill out empty space or to add more greenery to a bland area. 

Update your front yard with new pottery and plants

The front yard can sometimes be overlooked by homeowners when they consider adding small upgrades to their home. Since you are probably spending more time in the privacy and tranquility of your backyard, you might not be paying enough attention to the front of your home. After all, your front yard is the first impression.

The front yard is an integral part of your home that would benefit from some type of focal point such as an ornamental tree or large flowering bushes.

Our nursery professionals especially love seeing eye-catching plant material in front yards, especially when they are planted in eye-catching pottery or containers. Some of our favorite designs often incorporate plants and trees planted in pottery of every size!

Potted plants and small trees can be used as a unique way to create a barrier around your yard or to create a dramatic entrance into your home as they line up your driveway or entryway.

One of our favorite plants to plant in pots and containers are our oleanders. The intense color of the oleander bush will stay in bloom from spring through fall, which means the flowering show has just begun!

Learn more about our pottery and current deals here.

MOON VALLEY NURSERIES 

FREE PLANTING ON ALL SPECIMEN TREES

Not only do we have the best trees on Earth, we can deliver them to your home and plant them for you too. We offer every service that you might need when designing a new yard or redesigning an existing landscape, whether its two trees or 200, Moon Valley Nurseries has you covered!

Make sure to ask us about free planting when you stop by your nearest location.