Home & Landscape BRAND-NEW YEAR By Randy Zellers SDL, Director of Operations
Spring is around the corner and is the perfect time to ref lect on what went well and what may be improved in your landscape. The night-time temperatures are slowly rising, and the danger of overnight frost has passed by mid-February. The day-time weather is gradually getting warmer and spring blooming plants are starting to show their true colors. Enjoy this time before summer hits us with both fists! Plants that were dinged by frost can be trimmed back to live wood. Many species like Lantana, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Orange Jubilee and Yellow Bells have been hit by frost and can be rejuvenated by mid-February. New growth will begin to emerge once the temperatures gradually increase. Slowly increase water to these plants and fertilize with a balanced fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorous and potash for improved growth and blooms. A blend of 18-6-6 or Miracle Grow, which is easily found in stores, will provide good results for most plants. Nitrogen, the first number in the blend, will help with leaf development, phosphorous, the second number in the blend, will help with root production and potash, the third number in the blend, is an all-around benefit to the plant. Turf areas will begin to transition to its’ Bermuda base or if you did not overseed this year, Bermuda will begin to emerge from dormancy. Slowly increase water to turf areas and mow a little lower each week to encourage more sunlight to reach Bermuda and warm the soil. Eventually, Bermuda should be mowed at 1”-1.5” for best results. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks and adjust run times on the irrigation system based on temperatures and rain predicted in the forecast. This past year was one of the hottest and driest years in recorded history for Arizona. It put a strain on plants and trees and increased your water bills to help your landscape survive. Be sure to go through your irrigation system to ensure it is functioning efficiently and delivering water to the intended target. Water is a finite resource that will need to be strictly managed for our landscapes to remain healthy and functional.
SCOTTSDALE RANCH VIDEO TOUR We are happy to announce that our SRCA Video Tour, which highlights our beautiful community, has been updated after many years, and can be found posted on the SRCA website at www.scottsdaleranch.org under the tab (Media/Videos). This video will help homeowner’s and their realtors showcase the community to prospective purchasers and to market Scottsdale Ranch beyond the local area to ensure we are a highly visible, value-added, recreational community. A lot of time and effort was put into the making of the video by the SRCA Communications Committee and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Are you interested in joining a SRCA Committee? The committee structure at SRCA provides the Board of Directors with advisory assistance in making decisions. Committees of the Association are established to assist the Board of Directors in studying an area of responsibility, obtaining information, evaluating requests, evaluating projects, furnishing recommendations for action, furnishing recommendations for Association policies and rules, and generally overseeing specific areas of the Association as assigned by the Board. It also provides a means for utilizing the specialized knowledge and expertise of members and affords them the opportunity to contribute to the operations of the association. SRCA Committees include: • Architectural • Communications • Community Leadership • Election
• Finance • Governmental • Lake • Social
You can find descriptions of each Committee on the SRCA website at www.scottsdaleranch.org. If you have any questions or are interested in joining a committee, please contact Genevieve Long at glong@ scottsdaleranch.org.
City of Scottsdale Collection Services
Gradually inserting low water use or desert adapted plants into your landscape will help control water usage as well. Many species introduced from Australia have adapted well to Arizona and add color to your landscapes. More and more local nurseries are carrying these plants in their inventory and will be a welcome addition to your gardens and planter beds.
Upcoming Weeks of Brush Collection: February 1st, March 1st & March 29th The earliest items can be placed out is the Wednesday prior to the week of pickup and must be placed out no later than 5:00 am on Monday the week of the scheduled pick up. Residents, please be considerate of your neighbors - do not put your items out before the designated dates. Please be patient as the City has all week to pick-up in our area.
Hopefully, this winter has been mild enough not to cause major damages to your plants. We look forward to spring, baseball and family visiting while our beautiful weather reminds us why we live here. 2021 cannot be worse than 2020 was, so let us all be thankful we made it through and look forward to better times in 2021 in your landscape and life.
NOTICES FROM THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE: Please separate your brush and bulk pickup into two piles – one for green waste and one for everything else. The piles will be picked up by separate trucks during your designated brush and bulk pickup week.
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February/March 2021
*Please refrain from placing trash containers or bulk trash where it blocks the sidewalk and would prevent pedestrians or wheelchair bound residents from passing along the sidewalk.
