General Questions
Where is Nate's Nursery located?
We are located in a residential area at the end of Tulsa Rd which is a cross street with Mandan Rd. Access these roads by using Apple Valley Rd. until you meet Mandan and then turn west towards the river bottom. Our address is 14265 Tulsa Rd. Apple Valley, CA 92307
What are your hours?
We are open from 8am – 4pm Monday – Saturday. We prefer that you call to make an appointment beforehand.
Do you ship?
We currently are not shipping, but will do so for large orders. We do not usually ship out of state but will do so for significant orders.
Do you offer planting services?
We offer planting services for large orders, but not for just a few plants or trees.
Do you sell soil amendments, garden soil, rock, sand, or mulch?
We do not sell any of the items listed above.
Do you sell cactus, houseplants, or vegetables?
We occasionally sell cactus, but do not hold it in stock. We do not sell vegetables or houseplants.
Plant and Tree Care
How do I plant my tree?
To learn the proper way to plant a tree refer to the video below:
What type of soil should I use to plant my tree?
Native soil only, no amendments. Sounds crazy I know, but selling soil to “amend” the planting hole is a gimmick and is either suggested out of ignorance or a desire to sell you more things. Here is some research snippets from various studies:
“This outdated practice is still required in the specifications of architects, landscapers, and other groups associated with landscape installation. It is still recommended by garden centers and gardening articles. And there is a multi-million dollar soil amendment industry that has little interest in debunking this myth. As responsible green industry professionals, we need to recognize and avoid non-sustainable management practices.” – Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D. “The Myth of Soil Amendments” Link: https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/soil-amendments.pdf
“Fill the hole with the original native soil – this is the soil the tree must ultimately move its roots into to survive. Large rocks can be removed when backfilling. Polyacrylamide gels (water absorbing polymers) added to the backfill at planting time have been shown to have no significant effect on tree survival or growth.” – Kuhns, Michael R. and Rupp, Larry, “Selecting and Planting Landscape Trees” (2000). Link: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2219&context=extension_curall
“The American Forestry Association has drawn up new guidelines for how to plant a tree, and unless you’ve been reading a lot of research information lately, you will
find many surprises such as don’t dig a planting pit and don’t add soil amendments to the planting hole.” – Akbari, Hashem. “Cooling our communities. A guidebook on tree planting and light-colored surfacing.” (2009). Link: https://escholarship.org/content/qt98z8p10x/qt98z8p10x.pdf
How do I water my plants and trees?
This is a question with no easy one size fits all answer. I would suggest that you check your soil before and after you water and use that as a barometer for when and how to water. Watering your plants is a great resources for those of you wondering “How do I water my trees and plants?”
How should I prune my fruit trees?
For information about how to care for and prune fruit trees refer to our fruit tree page that describes how to prune fruit trees.
High Desert Plant Care
Which fruit trees grow best in the high desert?
Any stone fruits do wonderfully here, and that includes peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, any combo fruit like Pluot, Plerry, Aprium, etc., pomegranates, and cherries. Apples and pears do well, but are susceptible to fireblight (especially pears) and I frequently see people have that problem and need to remove them. This susceptibility can be managed to successfully grow these fruit if desired.
Other options that do well in the high desert are: almonds, pecans, walnuts, mulberries, jujubes, persimmons, olives, pineapple guava, and quince.
Borderline options include: loquat, cold hardy varieties of lemon/mandarin/avocado/banana, and figs. These fall under the category of “This can grow here, but may need specific microclimates and/or cold protection during winter.” Figs are an odd addition to this list as they are almost always listed as hardy in zones 8 and 9, but frequently take cold damage and die over winter.
Does citrus trees, avocado, trpoical fruits, or bananas grow here?
Citrus, avocadoes, and other tropical fruits do not survive the cold here in the high desert. In specific instances with certain varieties there might be a few that survive, but protection and microclimates would be required. Some banana varieties can be cold hardy down to zone 4, and they will grow here without protection.
ow can I take care of my mature tree?
My plant or tree has a problem, what should I do?
How should I water my newly planted tree or shrub?
What plants are poisonous to animals (dogs, horses, goats, chickens, etc.)?
Do mature trees need to be watered?
When is the best time to plant a tree/SOD/plants?
How do I keep weeds down?
What is the best fastest (drought tolerant, evergreen) growing privacy hedge or tree?
What are bee and butterfly attracting plants?