Home & Landscape The Landscape in the Summer By Randy Zellers SDL, Director of Operations
It’s summer in Scottsdale and your landscape is feeling much like we are…hot and tired. Summertime is not the time to do a lot of major projects within the landscape, but ensure the irrigation system to stressed turf, trees, plants and f lowers is being managed correctly. Water is the lifeblood of our desert landscapes and with the winter and spring rainfall, we have banked some muchneeded gallons of water to be used at this time of year. IRRIGATION Turf – water turf areas early in the morning to prevent evaporation in the heat of the day. The key to watering turf is to get the water to where the roots are for Bermuda turf, 6 inches below the surface of the soil. Use a screwdriver to see if you can easily penetrate to the handle when sticking it into the turf areas. If you can, you are watering to the proper depth. Irrigate turf four times per week and check the depth of penetration for best results. Fertilize with a balanced blend every other month throughout the summer to provide nutrients to the roots and blades of your grass and cease fertilization in August to prepare for over-seeding in the fall.
Plants – water plants to a depth of 1 foot for 3 days per week for best results. Again, encourage root growth to go deeper is the key to avoid the hottest soil temperatures near the surface. Plants bloom and provide additional seed pods more readily if they are somewhat starved for water as a survival mechanism for each species. Wilting of the leaves is a sign the plant is not receiving enough water. Adjust irrigation weekly after monitoring the health of the plants. Annual flowers – summer in Arizona is the toughest on f lowers due to the shallow roots of annuals. Water to a depth of 4 inches. Potted annuals may require you to check the moisture levels by hand to be sure they are wet enough. Water early in the morning and resist the urge to water in the middle of the day as the leaves tend to wilt during the hottest part of the day. Managing water during the summer is an art to be mastered around your landscapes. Water early mornings before the heat of day as this will allow your landscape to have that deep drink before the heat hits them. Flush salts through the root zones of your plants will help to encourage deeper root growth and a healthier environment for growth. Take advantage of any rainfall we may get during June and July by shutting the irrigation system down for a day or two. June is traditionally our driest month in Arizona with very low humidity. Watering smart in June will set you up for a successful summer and allow your landscapes to thrive during this challenging time of year.
Trees - try to water your trees to a depth of 3 feet to encourage root growth to stay in the cooler part of the soil and f lush salts through the root zone. Water trees twice per week and run the zone for your trees long enough to achieve the proper depth of penetration. You can use a piece of rebar to check if you are getting the proper depth. If you notice browning on the edges of the leaves on your trees, you are not watering deeply enough Seek answers from your landscape professional when you run as this is a sign of salt burn. into issues during the summer. More than likely, water is the key ingredient to success during our long hot summers.
Membership Services By Joni Shepherd SRCA Membership Services
tions now for fall rentals. Especially those of you who had to cancel events due to the pandemic, now is the time to reschedule if you plan to do so. Dates will fill up fast once we start in again. We also want to get you out on the pontoon and using all the Lake Serena watercraft as soon as we can but will do so cautiously when it is safe to do so. The SRCA staff is looking forward to being back in the office and helping you take advantage of all the wonderful amenities available to you.
WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? As of the writing of this article and due to pandemic, the SRCA Community Center was still unavailable to schedule events, nor were the boat rentals being offered. In anticipation of getting the “go ahead” that we can open everything up, you are welcome to begin making reserva-
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June/July 2020
We will let you know as soon as we hear that the limitations have been lifted and when we can start phasing in our amenity usage. Your patience and understanding during this difficult time are truly appreciated. Until then, be well and stay safe.
