As we move into the heart of summer, your Bermuda turf is now growing steadily across your common areas. DLC will raise mower heights with the consistent growth, and you should see lush Bermuda thriving into summer. However, Bermuda struggles to grow in many sloped and shaded areas, and “hot spots” may appear. We are pushing growth in these areas through fertilization and irrigation management. 

Crews are doing priority trimming of plants around the Community to help keep them separated and off of sidewalks, curbs and walls. It’s the time of year when a substantial number of bean pods drop; we are designating one day a week to pick up pods throughout the Community for the next few weeks. 

Our Irrigation Specialists continue to monitor and adjust runtimes across the Community, accounting for rising temperatures and soil moisture. We will track any rainfall that may occur this month, altering the system as necessary to utilize the rainwater best and save your Community money and water. 

A specialized Arbor crew is trimming trees above contract height at Vistancia. Thinning and lifting canopies helps reduce wind damage from summer storms.

Our Special Projects Dept. is working on the Poly to PVC conversion project along Westland Rd. Replacing cracked poly irrigation tubing with more durable PVC helps to save water and more reliably deliver water to plants. They are working on both sides of the road and in the median.

Looking ahead to monsoon season, we will be preparing our post-storm response. When monsoon storms arrive, our emphasis shifts to clean up and repair. Typically, summer storms occur later in the day after crews have left the property. Please contact your Community Management team for emergency storm response needs, such as damaged trees in the common areas blocking streets or sidewalks. Non-emergency storm cleanup generally begins the following morning. Routine maintenance activities may need to be suspended or reduced in scope while the crew cleans up debris and performs repairs.

Although summer has just officially started, it’s getting HOT in Arizona! But it’s not too late to add some color and interest to your yard with new plants. The key is to add varieties that are native to the desert that can handle our hot, dry environment.

Many desert-adapted shrubs are green year-round and flower more than once, adding lovely pops of color to your landscape. Recommended shrubs include Chichuachan Sage, Turpentine, Texas (or Green Cloud) Sage, Chuparosa, Jojoba, Red Bird of Paradise, Orange Bells and Fairy Duster. More great options can be found on the AMWUA (Arizona Municipal Water Users Association) website at amwua.org. But please remember that some shrubs may delay blooming in the hottest times of the year in order to conserve water. Be a little patient for those pretty flowers!

If you are looking to add additional trees, shrubs or flowers to your yard, spring and fall are generally the best times to plant. For plants that are sensitive to cold, late spring is ideal. But don’t think you can’t add plants in summer-just remember they must be adapted to the desert and ready for the heat!

Visit the Learning Center on our website, dlcresources.com/learning-center, for additional information about adding and caring for new plants.

Have you heard of the Agave Snout Weevil? They are inch-long, dusty black, wingless insects that feast upon-and eventually kill- Agaves. Adults lay their eggs between the leaves of Agaves, and the hatching larvae burrow into the plant. The larvae introduce a bacterial infection that causes Agaves to collapse into a rotting mess during late summer and early fall. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to know the weevils are there until the plant is too rotten to save. 

If you have wilting agaves and suspect a weevil problem, it’s important that you get rid of all dead and infected plant parts from your garden right away. DLC’s Experts recommend inspecting the surrounding soil for adult weevils or larvae, which look like white grubs without legs. Any remaining adults or larvae must be removed to avoid the infestation of other plants. 

For future protection, we recommend applying a product with Imidacloprid as the main ingredient around the base of the plant in early April and again in late May, when the insects are most active. Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide that works its way from the base through the entire plant and helps keep Agave Snout Weevils from feeding on it. Pesticides containing Imidacloprid can be found at your local home improvement store or nursery. As with any pesticide, follow the instructions on the label for proper use.

Visit the Learning Center on our website, dlcresources.com/learning-center, for additional information about pest control.