Home & Landscape WORKING WITH MOTHER NATURE By Randy Zellers SDL, Director of Operations
Landscape, at its core, is blending techniques and styles with Mother Nature to achieve the desired results. Arizona has seasons, however subtle, and we attempt to complete tasks in the landscape during the proper times of year to work with Mother Nature and not against her. This saves time, labor, materials and most of all, money. June and July have very hot temperatures and very little humidity until late July when the monsoon season traditionally starts. Here are a few items that are seasonally prudent for June and July. PALMS Late May or early June is the best time to prune Date Palms as the fruit is starting to emerge. Remove the fruit to avoid staining sidewalks, streets, and driveways. How much of the palm fronds to be removed is a matter of preference. If you envision a clock face, pruning to 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock or 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock are the standard acceptable pruning techniques. Mexican Fan Palms are ready to be pruned in June with the same standards as the Date Palms for frond removal and seed pod removal. Fan Palms produce tons of seed and volunteers will emerge in your landscape if not careful. When caught early, the volunteers can be removed easily. TURF Bermuda in full sun should be thriving with proper mowing heights, fertilization, and water. Mow turf weekly at a height of 1.5” and fertilize every 4 to 6 weeks with a balanced fertilizer of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potash. Water to a depth of 6 – 8 inches and check penetration with a screwdriver to see if you are watering deeply enough. Avoid runoff in the streets by running several start times if you have sloped turf areas. Normally, 4 to 5 run times per week will be sufficient and early morning start times are best to avoid evaporation during the heat of the day. Bermuda that has dense shade will struggle this time of year. To have a healthy stand of Bermuda, you will need 8-10 hours of direct sunlight. Do not fight Mother Nature on this one, you’ll lose precious water and money on maintenance trying to force Bermuda to grow in shade. SHRUBS Most shrubs are conserving energy once the summer heat is upon us. Avoid pruning this time of year unless it is to control growth by sidewalks or driveways. Water 3 times per week for 30 minutes to an hour to encourage deeper root growth. The hottest part of the soil is in the top couple of inches, and have the roots grow into cooler soil temperatures for best results. Desert adapted plants will produce more seed during drought conditions as a way of ensuring the species survives. Desert Marigold and Brittle Bush are a prime example of this. After blooms are spent, it is best to physically remove these species, or your landscape may get overrun in a sea of yellow next year. EFFICIENCY When temperatures are in the triple digits, it is always best to get the difficult tasks completed in the early morning and remember to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water in the evenings to replenish the loss of water incurred during the day. Caffeine and alcohol will zap your hydration and the motto of everything in moderation is applicable during our summers. Stay safe and let Mother Nature do her thing.
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June/July 2021
Are You a Resident Leaving the Ranch for the Summer? It is important for the SRCA office to have your current contact information. If you would like to change your primary mailing address from your Scottsdale Ranch address to your summer address you may do so via the SRCA portal, the front page of the SRCA website or contact Ricki Stamos via email at rstamos@scottsdaleranch.org, to have your contact information updated in our property management software. By doing this, you will be able to continue to receive important letters, mailers, invoices and the SRCA bi-monthly magazines over the coming months.
Are You a Boat Owner on Lake Serena Leaving for the Summer? If you are leaving for the summer, please make sure to loosen your dock line. This helps protect your boat and dock in case of an active monsoon season. Also, we’d like to suggest that if you know a neighbor who stays in town for the summer, that SRCA can contact in the event we are unable to get a hold of you in regards to your boat, please call the SRCA office at (480) 860-2022 to give us their contact information. Please note that there is a Watercraft Tow Policy charge of $75.00 to homeowners who require their boats to be towed or rescued.
SPEED LIMIT
25 MPH! In accordance with Arizona State Law, the speed limit in a residential district is 25 MPH (miles per hour) with or without the presence of a speed limit sign. We would like to remind residents to SLOW DOWN when driving through their neighborhoods. The SRCA neighborhoods are home to many children and pets. It is up to you to use caution when driving on our residential streets to avoid a possible life altering situation. Please watch your speed for everyone’s safety!!
