Temperatures are cooling and autumn is officially here!
We are currently in the process of overseeding select turf areas in your community to transition the summer Bermuda grass to winter Ryegrass.
We are now aiding the Ryegrass as it germinates and grows. This involves irrigating during the daytime with varying start times and applying fertilizer to strengthen it.
Once the Ryegrass is stable enough, we will resume irrigating during the nighttime hours.
While this unfortunately means that everyone must keep off the grass during this period, you can look forward to rich green turf in the winter.
We also continue to fertilize the select Bermuda turf areas we didn’t overseed to keep it green for as long as possible. Eventually though, the Bermuda will go dormant and fade to a yellow-brown for the season. This gives the grass a strategic “break” for the season to regenerate its roots and regrow strong and healthy in the spring.
Some of the trees at your parks are planted directly in the turf, which leads to a risk of permanent damage to the trees when we mow. We are currently creating 6 to 12-inch buffer rings around these trees which will reduce this risk.
Be on the lookout for some fresh color throughout your community, as we are changing out your flowerbeds with winter annuals.
We are also currently assessing any dead or decaying trees and plants from last spring’s planting and making a plan for replacement.
With the cooler temperatures approaching, we are preparing to cut back on our irrigation usage.
We continue trimming trees and shrubs along your walkways, bike lanes and roads to help prevent overgrowth and visual obstructions.
Crews are preparing for seasonal pruning at the end of the month, the process in which we trim shrubs back to about half their size to promote its proper flowering and regrowth in the spring and summer.
Shrub management
When temperatures begin to cool down, it’s time to start the pruning of your common area shrubs.
October through April, shrubs are seasonally pruned to roughly half of their size before the next year’s growing season. This type of pruning permits plants to grow back into their space during the following growing season. It also allows residents to enjoy the seasonal color of the common area plants because they are not being trimmed during their flowering season.
Shrubs that encroach on streets or sidewalks, or obstruct lines of sight at intersections and near road signs, are pruned as necessary.
Read more about how you can apply this practice to your own shrubs and how to begin to prepare for winter.
Overseeding continues
This month, you will begin seeing the Ryegrass seed that was planted in September start to sprout.
The sprinklers have been running more frequently to keep the soil moist as the seed germinates.
We expect the new grass to be ready for activities towards the later part of October. Until then, please try not to walk on these areas while the young Ryegrass grows.
Pre-emergent
Soaking rains bring much needed water to our desert environment.
While the rain is a positive thing for our plants and water bills, it also helps weeds grow.
For weed control in your yard, manual removal is the easiest way to get rid of a small number of weeds. But in order to control weeds over a large area, herbicides are the most efficient tools available.
From about October to January, DLC crews will be working on winter weed control.
This might include applying a pre-emergent (typically has a light orange tint) as well as treating weeds emerging from winter rains. Pre-emergent is particular effective during this time as it requires rain in order to create a soil barrier that helps prevent weeds from establishing.
To learn more about weed control, visit the DLC Learning Center and search weed control in our handy search function at the top right of the webpage.