Moving into the heart of summer, your Bermuda turf is now growing steadily across many of your common areas. As we continue to push for consistent growth, you should see this lush Bermuda thriving into summer. However, Bermuda struggles to grow in many sloped and shaded areas, so you may still notice brown spots. We are continuing to aid growth in these areas through fertilization and irrigation monitoring. Overall, we are seeing increased Bermuda growth this year following the controlled elimination of Ryegrass across your common areas. 

With monsoon season arriving, we will also be preparing for post-storm response. Following any storm crews will assess any damage and respond as necessary, adjusting their maintenance schedules. This includes debris clean-up as well as the removal of fallen trees or tree limbs.
DLC Special Project’s Crews are also completing the conversion of older poly piping to more durable PVC in areas throughout the Community. The current phase is scheduled to be completed during the month of July. 

Pruning your palm trees before monsoon season can help mitigate debris and lessen the load of post-storm cleanup, saving some valuable time. Palms often have fruits and damaged fronds that are susceptible to high winds, causing heavy debris to scatter. 

With palm fruits ready to bloom for the summer, it is important for storm preparation that these fruits are trimmed before, or soon after, the bloom occurs. The heavier these fruits grow, the more difficult and costly the removal may become. For your fronds, only the low hanging and dead will typically need pruning as the healthy and upright portions are durable in withstanding storms. However, any branches that have turned brown or are hanging below a 3 o’clock level on the tree should be trimmed or removed.

When pruning, always put safety first. Unless you are a trained tree worker, only prune what you can reach from the ground; avoid using a ladder or climbing a tree to trim it. Consult a professional for additional work needed or if you are concerned about any hazards. For more info on proper tools and equipment, please visit dlcresources.com/learning-center. 

With Monsoon season quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to check your tree stakes. Proper and secure staking helps to mitigate the risk of damage from heavy storm winds. 

Newly planted and young trees should be staked with 2” diameter by 8’ or 10’ length (depending upon the height of the tree) pressure-treated stakes. These should be firmly installed and remain stable outside of the planting hole and root ball. Tie wires should be attached to the stakes in a large diameter wire loop that surrounds the tree trunk. The loop around the trunk should be at least one foot in diameter and the tree trunk should be able to move freely. While it is vital that the trunk be able to move freely, the rootball should not. If you wiggle the tree and rootball moves, the tree is not secure and may need to be re-staked. 

For more information on tree staking or other Monsoon Season tips, please visit dlcresources.com/learning-center.