Comments regarding Trees that Please Nursery and Tree Farm

Huge nursery right outside of Albuquerque. It was actually a nice drive and not too far from town. I recommend this place over nursery's in Alb. The vibe is very gentle and more comfortable to be around. They had soft music playing in the background, and the staff was not only friendly with us, but with each other; they seemed like one big happy family. We came during the winter holidays after Thanksgiving, so they were only open during the weekend. But if you get a chance and like mini road trips I recommend grabbing some hot chocolate and touring this adorable nursery.

My daughter and I love Trees that Please. My daughter purchased a house on the east mesa above Los Lunas about two years ago. We decided to dedicate most outdoor watering to fruit trees and a year ago, following the advice of a neighbor, we went to Trees that Please and purchased a peach tree. We also purchased a bucket of Earth Magic because, face it, sand doesn't have much in the way of nutrients and biological activity.
The peach tree survived my initial overwatering and is doing beautifully this year. This spring we went back and purchased a cherry tree which is also doing great. I got another bucket of Earth Magic and used it on our patch of bermuda grass that I had started from plugs I brought from Gallup. It was obviously what the grass need since the places that had been scraggly and barely growing got a new lease on life.
The sales people are great and not only knowledgeable, but honest about the conditions we may experience up here that would hinder fruit production during a given year. We will definitely be returning to Trees that Please and, like our neighbors, will pass the good word.

I have been a serious student or organics since 1977. I must know the 'whys' behind whatever I try. Most of my education has been through ACRES USA (voice of eco-agriculture) and the people they have led me to, some of which were Phd's. I just had the best first year start-up garden of my gardening life (33 yrs) and I owe it to Soil Secrets. Before using their products I did some serious research and liked what I found. I am near Willcox, Az. in saline soil of ph 8.9. Michael Melendrez's products are second to none, his moral integrity and commitment are TOP SHELF. I have never seen products that work like this. I have talked to Michael over half a dozen times in the past year and found him to be caring and always eager to share information. The flavor of my vegetables was outstanding - rave reviews from people I sold to or shared with. An excellent education can be had at Michael's Soil Secrets website. Integrity in today's world is becoming more rare and I don't appreciate people who badmouth dedicated people who are trying to help us all repair Mother Earth.

Posted on June 17, 2010, updated June 18, 2010
Bought a Stella Cherry from Trees that Please in mid-March. After a few weeks the buds at top would not bloom. Took photos down there and found out they had received a bad batch of said trees and asked me to wait a couple of more weeks. This went on for weeks, same story.

Finally, the top of the tree died & I cut it off. Took photo's down there yesterday (6-14-2010) and this kid gave me a big run around.

Now I need to contact Earth Magic and find their product else where.

HIGHLY suggest steering clear of this company, especially if that young blond haired kid is working.

jb_tx

I would just like to say, that I may well have been that employee of Michael's, and I was not very well during my employment with him, and I may have caused many problems. I don't remember specifically who LovesTrees2 was, but I know that I made many errors. This was not the fault of Michael's, and I greatly apologize for any problems I may have caused. However, I will say that working for Michael was one of the best experiences of my career, and that if I could return to work for him, I definitely would.

The products and advise by "Trees That Please" has worked well for us.
The "Soil Secrets" products make the wife and I happy with the results.
When we switched to Michael's products, our pets stay healthy and without the commercial fertilizer products' effects of burning the pads of their feet.
Great lawns & gardens, but unhealthy pets with high vet bills.
We feel no skin, eye, nose or mouth irritation when doing hand work in our vegetable & flower gardens when using Soil Secret products.
Unlike the commercial fertilizers we have used in the past.
The homeopathic healing of the soils is the same as the homeopathic medical pratices that we use for our bodies.
Unlike the commercial MD's and commercial fertilizers for soils, that destroy the host but fix only a symptom.
It is our opinion, that the products & services offered by Michael Martin Melendrez, are top shelf, if one does not practice selective hearing & memory.

I was shocked to see the negative response on the business of Trees That Please and the owner of Trees That Please - Mr. Michael Martin Melendrez. I've been doing business with him for over 30 years and know many many people who also do business with him. He's a first class person and the most honest person I've ever had the pleasure of working with and for. I’m a soil microbiologist – retired from NASA and a University Professorship and I’ve done contract research for Michael’s business Soil Secrets and I can vouch that Soil Secrets is an exemplary business of cutting edge soil science. I can also tell you that this person called LovesTrees2 who has made these negative comments must have an agenda or is possibly a competitor of Trees That Please and is just trying to hurt a very fine business for their own gain. Michael and his two businesses that LovesTrees2 seems intent on hurting were both honored at our State Capital in Santa Fe during our Legislative session by Governor Richardson as the New Mexico business of the year in 2007. LovesTrees2 claims that Michael’s Soil Secrets business is making snake oil and that other area nurseries are saying the same but the fact is that every independent nursery of quality in Albuquerque and in Santa Fe carry the products of Soil Secrets and all have great praise for them. LovesTrees2 is simply off base with his remarks. In addition to the success in getting Soil Secrets into every nursery of merit in those two cities, the largest and most successful Engineering and Architecture firm in New Mexico specifies Soil Secrets products on every landscape around every building they design and as a result his products are being used across the whole western half of the United States. Professionally Michael is the #1 nurseryman in the Southwest and is the only private sector nurseryman in the Southwest that is a member of the USDA Agricultural Service Woody Plant Germplasm Committee. Trees That Please is also the only Retail Nursery in New Mexico that takes the time to grow its own trees from seed and with a focus on the Chihuahuan Desert Region hardwoods including the many oaks native to the Southwest. That does not sound like a business running from its unhappy customers.

LovesTrees2 also complained about Michael being inconsistent about his guarantee on trees and that is a ridiculous claim. He has never wavered on his belief that the customer needs to be responsible for taking care of their trees once it departs Trees That Please since TTP cannot do it for them. The only exception that Michael ever makes to that rule is when the customer agrees to certain terms including, the tree cannot be on sale or discounted for any reason, TTP must plant the tree, Soil Secrets must be purchased and used by the customer on the tree, and the customer must agree to water and take proper care of the tree. I’ve heard Michael say more than once to clients, “if I grow 1000 trees of a given species and lot number and you take one home and it dies under your care, why should Trees That Please be responsible when the other 999 trees still at our farm are alive and well?” Michael will then say, “I collected the seed from wild trees, I germinated that seed, grew the tree for 5 to 10 years and then sell it to you. You better take care of my tree because I have visitation rights on it!” That is Michael’s guarantee, that the tree was raised with his passion and love and is healthy and true to botanical name. If you want a warrantee for one year or more, go buy your tree from a Discount Box Store and you will get what you deserve!

Finally, in my opinion this LovesTrees2 person has a hidden agenda, is very very unethical and truly is just an evil person for posting such an ugly and unfair remark. I'm sure the reward awaits at the end!

Dr. Penny Jenson, Ph.D., Microbiology (retired)