THE LANDSCAPE REPORTER

SEPTEMBER 2012
SEPTEMBER WEATHER SUMMARY In September the end of the heat is almost in sight! The average
high temperature is 99 degrees and the average low is 75 degrees. The average monthly rainfall is .75 inches. Monsoon season has been especially harsh in the Valley this year; thankfully it will be coming to an end shortly. Your lawn may need a lot of attention as you prepare it for winter, but plants are lower maintenance this month.

TURF TALK
with Jay Pock, ValleyCrest Turf & Irrigation Manager Warm-season Bermuda grass actively grows here in the Valley from approximately May through September, depending on overnight low temperatures. Growth begins to slow down midSeptember.

DID YOU KNOW? OVERSEEDING

PROS OF OVERSEEDING Green grass all winter, which is usually considered aesthetically pleasing. A soft, durable and consistent surface for activities (e.g., sporting events, children playing) Pride of having the best looking lawn on your block.

CONS OF OVERSEEDING Expense of seed, water, fertilizer and mower When the rst frost occurs, typically in late November, maintenance to scalp, spread seed, adjust Bermuda grass will go completely dormant which water, monitor grow-in, mow and fertilize all means the leaves turn a straw color. winter and spring. Expense of additional materials and If you plan to have green grass over the cultural practices during the crop winter, seeding on top of the Bermuda Check out our transition phase of eliminating rye grass or overseeding with the coolgrass and encouraging Bermuda special Fall season turf variety rye grass (perengrass; including fertilizer, water, nial or annual) is necessary. Rye grass Overseeding aerication and dethatching. does not survive the extreme summer Supplement Warm-season Bermuda grass can temperatures in the Valley and needs to for complete become sparse or even die over be re-seeded every year. instructions time because cool-season grass The rst thing you should do is competes with it for sunlight, understand the pros and cons of water and nutrients during its overseeding. To the right is a list of what to prime growing season (spring and consider when determining whether or not to summer). overseed. Turf can have an aesthetically unpleasing appearance from approximately June through If you do plan to overseed, please see our special August when rye grass dies. Fall Overseeding Supplement at the end of this newsletter for instructions on preparing and maintaining a green lawn for the winter.

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PLANT CARE
Plant pruning should still be at a minimum, even though summers high temps are starting to wind down. Only selectively hand prune shrubs that are presenting a safety hazard - do not shear. Avoid hard cutbacks or rejuvenative pruning at this time. If you havent already done so, remove dead ower stalks on succulents such as Red Yucca. If thorny succulents such as Desert Spoon, Agave, Ocotillo and Yucca varieties are outgrowing their space and presenting a safety hazard, consider removing them altogether rather than pruning them and forever altering their natural character.

TREE TALK

with Nick Gaitano, ValleyCrest Tree Care Services Manager ISA Certied Arborist If a young tree in your yard fell down, it most likely pulled the roots from the ground and damaged them. Have an ISA Certied Arborist inspect it and determine if its still a viable tree or if the damage is too much for it to survive. If it is not viable, dont try to re-stake it or use wires to hold it up as this will only cause more problems down the road. Its best to start over and plant a new tree. If your mature tree had a broken branch, make a clean cut just outside the branch collar so it can heal correctly and avoid future problems with insects and disease. For more information about correct pruning techniques, visit TreesAreGood. com or AZtrees.org. Does your tree still have stakes on after one year or does it have a caliper greater than 2 in diameter? Stakes are typically used on newly installed trees that cant stand on their own or to help prevent it from falling over during windy conditions and damaging the root system. However, many times the stakes are left on way longer than they should be. The most common problem associated with this is the rubber hose tied to the stakes around the tree rubs and/ or girdles the trunk, which a ects nutrients and water moving up through the tree. This can hinder root system and trunk taper development. Check your tree, if it doesnt require the stakes to stand upright, go ahead and remove them or have an Arborist inspect the roots to see if the tree will ever be able to stand on its own again. Continue to hold o on major pruning of trees such as Pine, Oak, Citrus and Elm trees. These trees are particularly vulnerable to sun burn on the trunk, making them susceptible to insect infestation and disease.

DID YOU KNOW? Agaves are unique in that as the rosette (Mother plant) matures, they produce new daughter pups, produce a beautiful, tall ower stalk and then die. It can take up to a couple of years but the mother plant will start to look unsightly as the leaves turn brown and collapse and it will eventually die. If there are daughter plants, they will continue to grow. The owering process can happen anywhere from a few years to 20 years after planting. You can cut the ower stalk o just above the top of the Agave to prevent it from falling over and causing damage or injury.

TURF TALK

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IF YOU DONT PLAN TO OVERSEED: Fertilization Its ne to fertilize this month; Bermuda will use the nutrients through October as well as when it wakes up in the spring. Use a balanced fertilizer such as 21-7-14. Apply 5 lbs of product for every 1,000 square feet. Water Bermuda grass requires about 1/2 less water in September than in August. Water every 1 to 2 days. Apply a total of approximately 1.4 to 1.8 of water each week. Visually inspect your grass often. If you see leaves slightly wilting, increase your run time a little. If the leaves look vibrant, reduce your run time a little to see how far you can cut it back without causing the leaves to wilt. Push a probe or long screwdriver into the ground to feel how much moisture is in the soil. It should easily penetrate 3 to 4 deep. Mowing height When mowing, remove no more than 1/3 of the leaf blade. You may have to raise your deck height during the summer to accomplish this and avoid scalping the Bermuda. Tall turf can block popup sprinklers, so keep an eye out for that as well. You can catch or mulch the grass clippings. Weed Control - If your turf has broadleaf or grassy weeds, you can apply a selective post-emergent herbicide to get rid of them. Visit your local specialty irrigation store such as Horizon or John Deere for the right product.

2902 E. Illini St. Phoenix, AZ 85040 P: (602) 276-5900 | F: (602) 276-8191 www.Facebook.com/ValleyCrestArizona www.TreeCareServices.com/Phoenix

The Landscape Reporter is published monthly to help property managers educate residents on sustainable and horticulturally sound landscape practices.

FALL OVERSEEDING SUPPLEMENT

Read through each step prior to beginning the overseed process. STEP 1 INITIAL PREPARATION Water is critical to a successful overseed! Within the rst 3 weeks of September, turn your sprinklers on and visually inspect for leaks, clogged nozzles, misaligned heads, incorrect positioning, misting due to high water pressure, etc. Make sure your sprinklers are the same brand or have matching precipitation rates. You want to avoid having to make irrigation adjustments after the seed has gone down so correct any issues prior to beginning step 3. This is also a good time to mark all sprinkler locations to avoid hitting them with the lawn mower blades when you scalp. Do not apply fertilizer to the Bermuda grass this month. STEP 2 TURN OFF WATER AND SKIP MOWING During the second week of September, reduce your irrigation schedule by 50%. The overnight low temperatures will dictate when you should begin the overseed process. Watch for low temperatures to be in the range of 55 to 65. Once in the 55 to 65 range, shut your water off and dont mow for 3 to 5 days. The goal is to slow down the Bermuda grass growth and have it dry when you scalp. STEP 3 SCALPING The process of scalping cuts the Bermuda grass down to its stolens or runners to allow for maximum seed-to-soil contact. To accomplish this, drop your mowing height to 1/4 or 3/4. Collect and remove all grass clippings. You will need to use a line trimmer (weed eater) around sprinkler heads, curbs and any other objects the mower cant get around. *As an alternative, you can gradually lower your mower deck height 1/2 each week beginning in the middle of the month in order to reduce the amount of grass clippings collected at one time. Catch and remove your clippings during this process as well. STEP 4 SEEDING We recommend using a perennial rye grass rather than the annual variety. Although a little more expensive, perennial rye grass has a ner leaf texture, a darker green color and can be mowed with either a rotary or reel mower. Use a calibrated spreader and drop the seed at a rate of 10-15 lbs per 1,000 square feet

Appearance of turf after scalping

Appearance at 7 days

Appearance at 10 days

of area. Spread the seed in a checkerboard pattern: half in one direction and the other half perpendicular to the rst direction, to minimize overlaps and skips. Walk at a consistent pace to avoid inconsistently thin or thick strips. Pay careful attention not to allow seed to land in surrounding non-turf beds; it will germinate and have to be removed.

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STEP 5 FERTILIZATION After seeding and before turning on the sprinklers, fertilize the seeded area with a starter fertilizer high in phosphorus such as 6-20-20 (6% nitrogen, 20% phosphorus, and 20% potassium). Use the same checkerboard pattern you used when applying the seed in step 4. Always apply fertilizer according to the manufacturers directions on the bag. OPTIONAL MULCH Mulching with compost is optional and should be considered if you need to keep the seed warm because you do not have an irrigation timer capable of multiple start times, the temperatures are lower than described in step 2 or you do not have a good irrigation system. The newly seeded turf can be lightly top dressed with compost . Drag or sweep the compost evenly across the turf 1/8 to 1/4 thick. STEP 6 WATER You want to maintain a moist seedbed for a period of 7 to 10 days to allow the seed to germinate. Program your irrigation clock for multiple start times at 8 am, 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm and apply just enough water to keep the top 1/2 of soil wet. Do not overwater to the point of puddles, ooding or runoff. After successful germination (when the rye grass reaches 1 to 1.5 in height) decrease irrigation to three start times; 2 during the heat of the day (e.g., 1 pm and 3 pm) and once overnight (e.g., 4 am), every day. After 30 days from applying the seed, go to a night watering only schedule, using 2-3 start times. When the rst frost arrives (usually late November), reduce to one start time at night, every 2-3 days. STEP 7 MOWING After approximately 10 to 15 days, the seed should be thick and full (about 1.25 in height) and ready to be cut for the rst time. Mow in the early afternoon, just before your 1 pm water cycle. Follow the 30% rule for mowing: never remove more than 30% of the leaf at one time. Set your mower deck to make the rst cut at 1. Make sure your mower blades are sharp. Dont make abrupt turns with the mower as that can tear the baby rye grass. After the rst cut, mow at a height of 1 to 1.5 throughout the winter and 1.5 to 2 in the spring when the weather begins to warm up. STEP 8 ENJOY!
Appearance at 13 days

Appearance at 15 days

Appearance after rst mow

ONGOING TURF NUTRITION Your winter lawn will require feeding just like your summer lawn. Feed it with an analysis such as 21-714 or 22-4-4 throughout the winter. Visit your local nursery or garden center for more information and available products. Always thoroughly water in fertilizer to prevent it from sitting on top of the soil and burning the leaves.

2902 E. Illini St. Phoenix, AZ 85040 P: (602) 276-5900 | F: (602) 276-8191 www.Facebook.com/ValleyCrestArizona www.TreeCareServices.com/Phoenix

The Fall Overseeding Supplement was provided to help property managers educate residents on proper practices to achieve a successful, healthy winter lawn.