LAWN CARE UPDATE
WATERING DAYS
Homes with odd numbered addresses: Wednesday & Saturday
Homes with even numbered addresses: Thursday & Sunday
Only water when needed and not between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Water no more than one hour per zone.
If you should have any questions about watering restrictions please contact the
Department of Environmental Services at (386) 424-2476.
Monday March 28, 2011
WATERING YOUR YARD
Proper Watering of your St. Augustine Grass Lawn
The single most important thing a property owner can do for their lawn is to water it properly. Too little water is detrimental to St. Augustine grass. Without sufficient water at the right intervals, St. Augustine grass will perform very poorly. However, it is equally important to know that numerous problems are caused by over-watering.
Over-watering a lawn causes stunted roots, fungus diseases, leaching of nutrients, weed outbreaks, and higher mole cricket populations.
Watering schedules need to be adjusted for the seasons. You'll need more frequent watering in July, and considerably less in January! It's important to learn how to operate the sprinkler controller so that the watering schedules can be changed as the seasons change.
It is best to turn off the automatic sprinkler system during periods of regular rainfall. A rain sensor can be installed that will do this for you. Often in the winter months as cold fronts pass through, it rains once every week or so. This is often all the water the lawn needs.
In the summer months many lawns develop dry patches only in certain areas. The tendency may be to water more often to compensate for lack of water in these dry patches.
It is better to adjust, fix, or replace the deficient sprinkler.
Some areas don't ever receive enough water due to poor irrigation design. The solution is to fix the sprinkler system, not to water more often, which will adversely affect the rest of the lawn!
In the winter, over-watering weakens the turf, making it susceptible to cold weather damage and weed proliferation. It's also impractical as well as irresponsible for lawn care professionals to apply the high amount of herbicides that is necessary to control the excessive number of weeds caused by too much water. The effects of over-watering may not be seen right away. The lawn may look lush and green for a long time, but eventually it will suffer from root damage, weed outbreaks, and poor color.
So, what is the right way to water the lawn? In the summer it is rarely necessary to water any more than once every two days. In the winter, once a week is usually sufficient. In the spring and fall, try for a happy medium.
How long should the sprinklers run when they come on? The correct way to determine this is to set out coffee cans or cups in the lawn and see how long it takes to fill the containers with 3/4 inch to 1 inch of water. Then set the sprinklers in that zone to run for that length of time.
You can generally set the sprinkler times in the following way. Rotary sprinklers usually will take about 40 to 50 minutes to adequately water their zone. Fixed spray heads will take generally 15 to 20 minutes to produce 3/4 to 1 inch of water.
It's best to water in the morning before dawn. Watering in the morning reduces evaporation caused by the hot sun. It allows the sprinklers to cover properly because there is less wind. The wind in the afternoon will knock down the spray pattern and prevent sprinklers from reaching their full coverage area.
By watering early in the morning you also reduce the amount of time the grass blades stay wet, helping to prevent fungus diseases.
When sprinklers run in the middle of the day they often prevent landscape maintenance workers and pest control technicians from performing their work.
Proper watering of the lawn can mean the difference between having an excellent lawn year around, and having a lawn that suffers from constant problems.
FROM THE PRESIDENT:
Tadd Smith
I met with Proscape at the end of February to ask them if there was anything that the residents could do better, to make our community look it's best. WATERING!! This was the first thing out of their mouths. There are still many many residents over watering, and under watering. Over watering will cause weak, shallow roots, because they do not have to try to grow deeper to find water, if you are watering too much. Over watering also causes yards to thin out, and within the thin spots, it will produce weeds. Almost every weed that we get here in Coral Trace is due to over watering. Over watering also causes what is known as Brown Patch Fungus. This fungus will grow in wet areas, and will kill your root system, meaning the only way to fix it, is to re-sod. One thing to help with this issue is to walk your property after watering one day. If you notice soggy spots in the yards, which are almost always on the sides and backs of our homes, you have watered to much. Also take into consideration your neighbors watering habits when you are investigating the sides of your homes. One of the biggest reason over-watering occurs on the sides is due to on home watering the side, then another home waters again. Established, side yards with homes right next to them should be watered no more then 20 minutes a session.
I have also noticed multiple irrigation systems going off during rainy days. This is not only bad for your grass, but is also sucking water out of our lakes with no purpose.The best way to use your sprinkler system is to set it for the correct watering days, and on days rain is fore-casted, turn it off. If we get a major down pour, walk your lawn before turning your water on a day or two after. If your lawn (especially the sides and back) is still soggy, water only the areas necessary manually. Many homeowners who will complain about weeds, or that Proscape is not doing their jobs maintaining the property this Spring, will be those who have over watered, watered during rainy days, or leave their irrigation cycle running, without monitoring, due to leaving town for long periods of time. St. Augustine grass is very picky with it's water. It demands attention all year long, so if you are leaving town for long periods of time ask your neighbor to watch your watering situation for you.
Under watering only causes one side effect. Your yard will die, and turn into the wild west of dust and weeds. Remember, and also help us remind renters, watering your yard is free. If you have a tenant in your home, I would either do a drive by once in a while, or make a specific phone call to the tenant, or company renting your home asking for a grass update, and maybe even a picture. In the next few months many homeowners living here full time, and homeowners with tenants will be receiving letters that yards need to be re-sodded. They will get these letters and then it will be turned over to our lawyers to hold them financially accountable to get this done. Our only intention is to hold you accountable, because that is why we all live in a HOA community, to maintain order, and secure your biggest investment, your home. We want your home to hold all the value it can, and curb appeal of your subdivision is huge to maintain that. If you are a homeowner, only renting here to collect rent, and do not take care of your home, this year you are going to be held accountable for your homes exterior.
I look forward to seeing our yards in the Spring, Proscape's lawn expert, Wesley, has done a great job this winter getting the weeds under control for Spring. Remember also it generally take two to three years of season changes to get major issues with St. Augustine under control. So expect huge improvements over the years before, but not absolute perfection in some areas.
COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE!
After multiple requests, the HOA will organize a community yard sale if there are 20 homes interested. Please reply to this email if you would like to be a part of the sale advertised for Saturday April 30th and Sunday May 1st. The sale would take place at each individual home, not the clubhouse.
GREEN THUMB?
The HOA is seeking volunteers who are available to assist with beautifying the front entryway. We are in need of physical labor, gardening tools, and refreshments. Please let the HOA know if you are available to assist in your community.
SLOBS ARE USBy Jerry Fox
Strolling through Coral Trace on our regular walk with a garbage bag handy, we enjoy both the beauty of the surroundings, the quality of the homes, the calming influence of the ponds, the joy of the fountains, and the friendliness of most neighbors we encounter.
But, the handy garbage bag always manages to be freshly populated at the end of each walk. Beer cans, some crushed and some not; beer bottles (never crushed); soft drink cans and bottles in the same shape; packing donuts; a wide variety of waste paper products; discarded socks and more clothing items; miscellaneous chunks, bits, and pieces of various building materials from long ago; lots of peanut bags; lots of McDonalds boxes or wrappers; and even discarded bags of dog feces. And the list goes on. What we do not pick up is the hundreds of cigarette butts that congregate along the curbs.
We keep thinking that perhaps things will improve. Our first inclination, of course, was to blame it on the construction workers since they don’t live here; on the garbage and recycle folks since they don’t live here either; and on random visitors. Now we don’t think so. We see construction workers disposing of their trash in the dumpster. We do see, once in a while, careless garbage or recycle workers. And sometimes, it is the wind taking loose trash for a ride after it has been set out on the curb without being enclosed in a garbage can or bag.
This is a neighborhood, not just a collection of houses. There is but one way in and one way out; we cannot help but see each other often – even regularly.
So this is our plea: Would all residents be a little more careful with their trash and a little more aware of the consequences of simply tossing something out the window. And if you are taking a regular walk anyway, how about grabbing a grocery bag on the way out the door and picking up small items that you see on the way. The bending and stooping will greatly improve the quality of the exercise you get from your walk.
Thanks for listening! And here’s to a spotless neighborhood!!!
CORAL TRACE LAKE UPDATE Lake Maintenance update and midge developments
By: Jerry Fox
Clear Waters was in Coral Trace on March 11th, treating the lakes for algae, submerged vegetation, and emergent vegetation. Their diligence is helping with the midge situation. Lets hope it is enough. On that subject, I have experimented with the Cutter product “Back Yard Bug Control” designed specifically for mosquitoes and other flying insects that tend to congregate in the grass, on the shrubs and trees, and generally throughout the air. It has made an instant and lasting difference. Taking care not to spray the bank or at the lake, I treated first the back yard only. Then we were greeted by swarms of midges in the front entryway, so I also treated the front yard. No more problem with the entryway. I do not yet know how long its residual effects will last – but it has so far been over a week. It is applied by attaching the bottle to the end of the hose, and applying the spray in a sweeping motion across the lawn and shrubs. I also applied it to my trees as high as I could without being under the fallout. Product is good for 5000 square feet and is $9.95 a bottle at Home Depot. On February 14th, the Clear Waters folks treated algae on the large lake, and submersed bladder-wort in the other three. Bladder-wort is a carnivorous plant that captures and “eats” mosquito larvae among other small organisms. Next month, the process will be reversed, with algae treatment on the three smaller lakes and submerged bladder-wort treatment in the large lake. These steps are part of the mosquito/midge control program
Landscaping update: Proscape is in the process of fertilizing in the community.
Security update: More locks will be installed in the community clubhouse on the kitchen door and glass sliding doors. The Board hopes to have the clubhouse open to residents by April 1st and install the cameras after they have been ordered.
Community inspections: Management has begun performing violation inspections. Letters have been sent to homeowners who are in violation and given a time frame to correct the issue stated in the letter.
Builder update: There are currently three homes being built in the community. Vice President, Richard Campbell asked that homeowners help keep children off of the lots and out of dumpsters owned by Adams Homes.
Security Update
Thank you Jonny and Kevin for installing the poles next to the entrance so no more cars can access behind the clubhouse or around the gate without being admitted. Your efforts are appreciated. The HOA board is shopping for a nice covering/paint to beautify the poles that were installed on Thursday.
NEWSLETTER UPDATE
Enjoy an email EVERY Monday from now on. It will replace the "Monthly" newsletter, which is having trouble staying current and is delaying the information to you. This also keeps costs low with no envelopes, stamps and printing costs. We hope you enjoy the information each week and welcome your feedback at anytime. ADVERTISING...
Want your business advertised? Your information will be placed here with a link to your website. The first month is free! Email the HOA your logo and information by 5PM every Saturday so it can be published in the weekly newsletter.
Have a great week!
Contact us at
coraltracehoa@gmail.com
