Knowledge Base
The Tree Care Wiki
Practical, desert-tested answers to your tree and palm questions, written by certified arborists who care for the West Valley's trees every day. Free to read, no quote required.
Trees & Species
Know what's growing in your yard. The trees and palms that thrive, and struggle, in Arizona's West Valley.
Common Trees of Arizona's West Valley
A field guide to the desert and desert-adapted trees you'll find across Litchfield Park, Goodyear, Surprise, and the wider West Valley, and what each one needs to thrive.
7 min readPalm Trees in Arizona: Care Basics
Palms aren't trees, they're giant monocots with a single growing point, which changes everything about how you care for them. Here's what every Arizona palm owner should know.
6 min readTree Care Basics
Watering, planting, and feeding trees the desert way. The fundamentals that keep a tree alive through a Sonoran summer.
How to Water Trees in the Arizona Desert
Deep and infrequent beats shallow and often. The single most important skill in desert tree care, how deep, how often, and where to put the water.
7 min readPlanting a Tree in the Arizona Desert
Plant in fall, dig wide not deep, skip the soil amendments, and stake only if you must. The desert rules for giving a new tree the best possible start.
6 min readPruning & Maintenance
When to prune, how much to cut, and how to ready your trees for monsoon season, without the mistakes that weaken them.
Pruning Desert Trees: When and How
Good pruning shapes a tree for a strong, safe life. Bad pruning, topping, lion-tailing, over-thinning, does damage that lasts for years. Here's the difference.
7 min readMonsoon & Storm Prep for Arizona Trees
Monsoon microbursts topple thousands of Valley trees every summer, and most of those failures are preventable. How to prepare, and what to do when a tree comes down.
6 min readProblems & Diagnosis
Yellow leaves, peeling bark, sudden wilt. Spot common Arizona tree problems early and know when to call a pro.
Common Tree Problems in Arizona
Yellow leaves, peeling bark, sudden summer wilt, sawdust at the base. A field guide to the tree problems we diagnose most often in the low desert, and what causes them.
8 min readSigns You Need a Certified Arborist
Some tree care is a weekend job. Some of it can kill you or cost you a tree. Here's how to tell the difference, and what 'ISA Certified' actually means.
5 min readGet In Touch
Still Have a Tree Question?
Our certified arborists have cared for West Valley trees since 1986. Get a straight answer and a real plan for your property.
