The Verrado crew is prepared for monsoon season should a damaging storm occur. We have an emergency crew on call if needed and a response plan that details priorities such as removing trees from streets as a top priority. We are grateful the weather is cooperating in the meantime!

As we work in cycle through your community, we’re pruning plants and trees, trimming low-hanging tree branches and cutting back plants growing into walkways.

In an effort to keep your turf healthy and green throughout these hot summer months, we’re continuing to apply fertilizer and make necessary adjustments to your irrigation system. By now, your ryegrass has died off from the high temperatures and humidity, which will cause turf areas to appear brown and dry. Your crew continues to dethatch dead ryegrass in order to push the Bermuda.

This month, our Arbor crews will begin pruning palms throughout your community. We are continuing to work to clear bean pods and other seasonal debris from your common areas, which will be an ongoing project over the coming months. In addition to landscape upkeep, we will proceed to treat weeds as we encounter them.

Recovering from monsoon damage

The monsoon storms bring strong winds and rain that can damage the trees at Verrado. After a storm event, our crews focus on clearing roads and pathways of storm debris and asses plant life for monsoon damage. If a monsoon storm damages your tree, you too will need to determine if the tree can be saved or if it needs to be removed.

DLC Resources recommends removing trees that are leaning more than 45 degrees in any direction or any tree where the root ball has been uprooted. If your tree just suffered a damaged limb from the storm, simply remove the broken branch with the proper pruning tool. Limbs up to ½ inch in diameter can be pruned with hand pruners. Long-handled pruning loppers can handle limbs up to one inch in diameter, while larger limbs require a special pruning saw. Hand pruners and loppers should be of the scissor or bypass type rather than anvil type. Hedging shears or power hedge trimmers are not recommended because they will cause more damage to the tree.

If you have a storm damaged tree that has been in the ground for a year or less but you determine it can be salvaged, it’s important to properly stake it in order to help the tree regain trunk strength. Stake the tree with appropriate sized pressure treated stakes. These should be driven into the ground outside of the planting hole and root ball. Next, attach wires to the stakes and place a large diameter wire loop around the tree trunk. The loop around the trunk should be at least one foot in diameter so the tree trunk is able to move freely but securely in the wind.

In addition to proper cutting tools, make sure you have safety equipment. It is a good idea to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed shoes when pruning; additionally, wear safety glasses, a hat and gloves to help prevent an injury. Most importantly, never attempt to trim a tree that is near a utility line.