Landscape construction is an often overlooked service provided by some landscape management companies where hardscape elements can be added to landscape design to improve the overall use and value of a commercial property or HOA community.
Hardscape elements are an important aspect of a landscape’s design and use and they can range from simple, smaller projects such as walkways or fences to larger structures such as neighborhood parks, irrigation systems, and commercial structures. Hardscape work typically requires heavy equipment and involves permanent to semi-permanent installations.
These elements of landscape construction are a critical part of landscape design as they increase usability of the area. When considering adding a hardscape element it is a great idea to go with a company who works in landscape management as they are able to understand the overall landscape of your community and incorporate the new elements in to best compliment it.
Landscape Construction of a Neighborhood Park Area
Here at ELS we offer an entire division of our company that is dedicated to Arizona landscape construction, complimenting our landscape maintenance division. The construction division provides consulting, design, engineering, and general construction services. This division specializes in commercial landscape, irrigation, all type of hardscape elements, electrical work, amenity installation, and neighborhood public park specialty design construction projects.
To read more about what the ELS Construction Division can do for your HOA community or Commercial property, visit our page here.
As a community manager or board member for an HOA community it is important to ensure that the maintenance company you choose for your community is keeping lines of communication open with you and your board. Important questions to ask yourself when considering if a company is right for YOUR community are:
Is my HOA maintenance company transparent in what they are doing in my community and when?
How is my HOA maintenance company communicating with me and my homeowners? Is their current method effective?
What can my HOA maintenance company do when it comes to communication to make my job easier?
While there are other factors to take into consideration as well, communication between landscape company and community plays a vital role in establishing a long lasting and mutually beneficial relationships.
Blog posts are a great way for HOA maintenance companies to keep communication open and touch on certain topics that require longer explanations and detail to properly explain. Regular and consistent blog posts by an HOA maintenance company helps to answer frequently asked questions from homeowners and board members as well as to educate the community on industry standards. Blog posts should be easily accessible and shareable so that you, as a community manager, can send them out en masse. This helps mitigate an influx of homeowner questions and/or complaints for various landscape events that may happen in a community each season.
Utilizing blog posts as a resource to send to disgruntled or confused homeowners saves time, shows authority as an informative manager, and helps educate the homeowner.
Monthly Community Newsletters
Community newsletters are one of the BEST resources a maintenance company can supply when it comes to keeping communication open between community manager, board, and homeowners. These newsletters create a space where everyone can feel up to date on what is happening and holds the company to a level of accountability as all tasks that they should be completing are outlined in the newsletters.
We recommend releasing supplied newsletters (newsletters your HOA maintenance company creates and sends to you) monthly for large communities. A strong and effective newsletter will have one section dedicated to projects and events for the current month and another, separate section, dedicated to upcoming projects and events later that season. This allows for everyone to be on the same page and tells homeowners what they can expect from the HOA maintenance company.
Here at ELS, we release monthly newsletters for over 15 of our largest communities. This has decreased the amount of questions and emails that community managers receive and has increased satisfaction among homeowners, board, and managers.
Community Newsletter Example (Front)
Community Newsletter Example (Back)
Managers and Staff at Important Meetings
The presence of your HOA maintenance company at important meetings with the community is crucial to ensuring that all questions and concerns regarding landscape are addressed. A company that is not willing to attend these meetings is a company that is not willing to communicate. Building relationships with the community, attending all important meetings, and showing up plays a huge role in the overall success of the community and company.
While communication may not be on the top of the priority list when looking for a new HOA maintenance company for your community, we believe it should be. Here at ELS we value effective and strong communication with community managers, board members, and homeowners just as much as we value a job well done out on the field.
Palm trees are notorious for their height, beauty, and position as focal points in a community. While they are not native to Arizona, they fit in perfectly with the Southwest desert climate and landscape- making them a popular choice in homeowners associations and commercial properties.
Palm trees are low maintenance and represent higher monetary value. They are an investment that is well worth what you put in as they add value to a community and serve as an accent planting in the landscape design. When maintaining this investment, it is important that your landscape management company properly cares for these trees to avoid costly replacements.
Our Arbor team has established some tips to follow when maintaining Palms:
Pruning:
Only remove fronds that are deceased
Refrain from using spikes/nails to climb the trunk of the tree for pruning. Instead use a hydraulic lift so as not to cause damage to the trunk of the tree
Do not remove over a quarter of the foilage at any given time
When removing fronds, keep removal minimal and to a 180 degree angle
Irrigation
Palm trees are not drought tolerant, this is a common misconception
Administer slow irrigation drop every couple of weeks to a depth of about 2 feet.
In Winter, keep irrigation administration to every 4-6 weeks
If your community or commercial property needs arbor care services to ensure that your trees are being maintained correctly, reach out to our arbor division here at ELS Maintenance.
Are you a decision maker when it comes to the landscape management of your HOA community or commercial property? If so, you may be asking yourself what you should expect out of your landscape contactor this season.
While we have many different posts on what to expect when it comes to communication and performance, we wanted to be sure to focus on something happening this season; Rejuvenation Pruning.
Rejuvenation pruning, aka Renovation Pruning, is a sustainable landscape practice where plants and shrubs are pruned seasonally rather that monthly or bi-monthly. This practice is done to ensure that plants and shrubs are not over pruned-leaving them in a constant state of stress and leading to plant failure.
When your commercial landscape management company is working on rejuvenation pruning, they should be following specific guidelines and schedule to promote plant health and ensure proper bloom. This is dependent on type of plant, plant characteristics, bloom time, and time of year.
Renovation Pruning Practices Your Commercial Landscape Management Company Should be Doing
To start with, your landscape contractor should be aware of the pruning schedules for the variety of plants and shrubs specific to your community. The schedules for a majority of plants and shrubs we find here in Arizona landscapes are outlined in resources such as those provided by ALCA and UofA Cooperative Extension.
Pruning plants at the right time and according to proper schedule will ensure that the plants bloom in the right season, aid in plant waste and water consumption being reduced over time, and ensure that the landscape does not become barren from over pruning.
A common misconception is that this type of pruning should be done to make the plants look aesthetically pleasing in the season of rejuvenation pruning. However, this is not the case. Your landscape contractor will ultimately be performing renovation pruning not for it to look good in the Winter months but instead to promote photosynthesis, enable light to reach the interior of the plant, and ensure healthy growth and bloom.
Interested in finding a knowledgeable and informative landscape management company for your HOA community or Commercial Property? Reach out to ELS for information on the services we provide and how we can benefit you.
Tree staking of younger trees here in Arizona is a common practice that promotes strength and proper growth of the tree. This practice holds tree roots in the soil until they are able to securely establish themselves and helps these young trees in the transition from nursery to landscape. This important step is not necessary for every young tree (multi-trunk trees and low branching trees can typically be planted without a stake) however it can make a world of difference for smaller, main trunked trees that do need growing assistance.
When staking, it is crucial to ensure that you are following the proper steps, monitoring the staking materials and tree growth, and not leaving the stake on the tree for too long. There are detrimental effects for those trees where staking is performed improperly.
Here at ELS, we have an entire division of our company dedicated to Arizona arbor care and this team has come up with some helpful tips and best practices for tree staking that will help you ensure your next young tree is staked properly and can grow to its full potential.
Staking Best Practices
Position tree stakes outside of the rootball
Position stakes at a depth of 24 inches. Utilize 2″ poles on each side of the tree and ensure that wires/ties used are coated with plastic or flexible to protect the tree itself
Monitor tree growth and staking materials so that the stake is removed at the appropriate time without causing damage to the tree
Change and adjust wires/ties if they effect tree growth over time
Ensure tree is not tied too tightly- the top of the tree should be able to move freely in the wind while the trunk remains stable and anchored
Remove staking materials once the trunk of the tree is 3/4 inches in diameter or the tree is able to securely stand by itself
For more information about tree staking and/or tree management for your HOA community or commercial property, reach out to our Arbor Divison!
There are a variety of turf options when it comes to the choice for your landscape, however here in the desert southwest it is important to be aware of the kinds which survive best through our hot Summers and short Winters.
We recommend choosing between Bermudagrass, Midiron, and St. Augustine for the Summer turf in your AZ landscape. These are best used in general areas and are strong warm season grasses that will survive the heat!
Breaking Down Your Options- Warm Season Turf
BermudaGrass:
High heat tolerance
Grown from seed
Dormant in the Winter Months (Typically Nov.-March)
Does not always need Overseed in the Winter
Requires around 8 hours of sunlight/ a day to thrive
Maintenance Includes: Regular weed control and fertilization, mowing to ensure height of 1-3 inches, regular irrigation, and Winter Overseeding.
St. Augustine
Thrives in shadier areas
Requires only about 3 hours of sunlight a day to thrive
Available in Sod form as well as plugs or stolons
Not a strong candidate for Overseeding but does retain some green color in the Winter months
Maintenance Includes: Regular fertilization, mowing to ensure height of 1-3 inches, no overseeding, placement in mostly-shaded areas.
Mid Iron
High heat tolerance
Can handle quite a bit of foot traffic making it great for use in parks and high traffic areas
Requires 8 hours of sunlight per day to thrive
Available as Sod
Maintenance includes: Regular fertilization and weed control, regular irrigation, monitoring for pests and disease, Winter overseeding, and mowing to height of 1-3 inches depending on intended use.
Winter Turf Options for Your AZ Landscape
In the late Fall months it is recommended to Overseed both Bermudagrass and Mid Iron turf. When overseeding, it is important to choose a strong cold season grass that will ensure your landscape looks its best throughout the Winter. We recommend choosing between Annual and Perennial Ryegrass to Overseed your lawn.
Annual Ryegrass:
Fast germinating
Green color is bright and aesthetic
Perennial Ryegrass:
Fast Germinating
Heat and drought tolerant
Hardier turf than Annual Ryegrass
Take these characteristics into account when choosing the right turf for your Homeowner’s Association landscape and be sure to reach out to a professional with any questions before laying down your new turf.
For more information on the steps in Overseeding visit our article here.
Looking for a landscape management company for your Homeowner’s Association or Commercial Property? We’re here to help!
Living in Arizona, you are probably familiar with Decomposed Granite. This form of rock is used in many of our local landscapes in place of turf and greenery. Decomposed granite is a byproduct of erosion of solid granite, coming in a variety of granulations. It is very similar to sand or gravel and comes in neutral colors that resemble it.
Decomposed granite is a great choice in a large community landscape such as that of a homeowners association. It is less costly than grass or artificial turf, requires less maintenance, and provides for an aesthetic backdrop for other plants and trees that are incorporated into the landscape.
As an HOA landscaping company, we have put together a simple and quick rule of thumb guide on the proper way to incorporate decomposed granite into a landscape.
Applying Granite
Installation of decomposed granite varies depending on the location that it is being applied. For installation in landscaped areas, it is expected to be applied at a 2 inch depth after compaction. For walkways or the like, that rises to a depth of 2-4 inches.
The finer the granulation of the granite, the easier it is to compact and less pervious the surface. This is important to note when choosing where to install certain types of granite. A rule of thumb that many HOA landscaping companies have is to use finer decomposed granite for walkways and a more sized material of granite near plants and trees.
HOA Landscaping and Granite Maintenance
Maintenance for decomposed granite includes applying pre-emergent for weed control, replacing decomposed granite where depth has been impacted by foot traffic and/or erosion, and the addition of stabilizers to provide strength (if necessary).
Need a Granite installation done for your community? Our enhancements division has got you covered!
Trees are a great addition to any landscape as they protect soil underneath them, provide shade for surrounding plants, and mitigate wind effects. However, it is important to consider that in the Arizona desert landscape, the choice of which trees to use may be quite a bit different than that of a cooler climate.
In Arizona, we have a variety of native trees that look great in a community landscape and thrive in the desert climate. Trees such as Mesquite, Palo Verde, and Acacia are recommended as they typically adjust better to the local environment and are much healthier to use in an Arizona landscape in comparison to their non-native counterparts.
When planting a new tree, make sure to do your research and refer to professionals such as certified arborists or landscape architects to help you make the best decision when it comes to species of tree.
Planting How-to
Once you’ve decided the type of tree/trees you want to plant in your landscape, it’s time to get started!
When planting new trees make sure to:
Plant them in a space that they can grow in! Plant trees in areas large enough for them to grow to their projected full size.
Leave temporary/small branches on the new tree if possible
Dig a large enough plant pit for the new tree (This should be anywhere from 1/2-2 times the width of the tree’s root ball, according to ALCA)
Loosen outside of the root ball to help with growth into the new soil of the planting pit
Backfill the planting pit with soil that was previously removed, while ensuring not to mix with any decomposed granite surrounding the area
Cover the backfill with granite or mulch
Arizona Arbor Care Specialists
It is always a good idea to work with an arborist or landscape management company when looking to plant multiple new trees, especially in the case of a larger landscape project such as a commercial property or HOA community.
For trusted and certified arbor care, contact the ELS Arbor team today!
Shrubs are an integral part of any Arizona landscape as they are easy to maintain, survive well in the desert climate, and are great for taking up extra ground space and bringing a diverse landscape together.
Shrubs are typically chosen for a landscape to keep maintenance costs low and for their natural appearance and aesthetic. Though they come in a variety of species with different characteristics, they typically all share similar attributes of simplicity and shapeliness.
When choosing the type of shrubs to place on a property or in a community landscape it is important to consider the surrounding plants, the amount of space the shrub/shrubs will have, and the maintenance and pruning that will be involved to keep them looking their best year yound.
Shrub Maintenance: Pruning Shrubs
Pruning is a process where a part of a plant is removed intentionally to either increase the plant/shrub health, rejuvenate the plant/shrub, or control the size. This is an important part of the maintenance of a landscape as not only does it keep the shrubs looking their best throughout the year but it also can aid in the bloom of flowering shrubs if done at the correct time.
Pruning schedules dictate the appropriate time to prune shrubs based on the species. For rejuvenation pruning, this is particularly important as it is scheduled to be completed in the Winter to promote Spring growth. If this pruning is not done at the right time it could lead to consequences such as plant death and need for replacement.
When pruning, it is important to ensure that you are using the correct tools. Hand pruners, such as bypass pruners and loppers, are considered appropriate for most shrub pruning techniques. However, it is advised for heavier work that professionals may use power equipment when necessary. Referring to a complete pruning guide for when to use what tool based on plant species will help you decide on the appropriate technique to use.
What to Expect From Your Landscape Management Company
If you have a landscape management company working for you , it is important to know what you should be expecting of them when it comes to the maintenance and upkeep of your landscape.
When it comes to shrubs, landscape management companies should be scarcely pruning shrubs so as to keep natural shape, performing rejuvenation pruning according to annual schedule, and using the correct tools as noted above.
If you are looking for a landscape management company to beautify the landscape of your HOA community or commercial property, reach out today!
With the holiday season just around the corner and guests beginning to visit your home and community, we understand the importance of making sure the landscape of the community is looking its best! One of the largest and most important assets of a community’s landscape is its trees. Here at ELS Maintenance we have an entire division of our company dedicated to Arbor Care and this team has shared some great tips when it comes to the choice between up-lighting or down-lighting your trees this holiday season!
Up-Lighting
Up-lighting a landscape is a common practice where landscape lights are mounted at ground level, shining the light upwards. This is great for tall structures or elements such as large trees as it shows off the bark, branch structure, and leaves while illuminating the entire tree or element. Up-Lighting creates depth of flat surfaces in a landscape and provides safety and security by brightly illuminating tall structures. It is also great to use when attempting to add contrast to a landscape and/or show off a specific element, such as a large tree.
Down-Lighting
Down-Lighting involves placement of a light fixture in an elevated spot, such as high up in an existing tree or beneath the eave of a home. This is often a really great choice if the end goal is to provide soft, subtle light to a landscape or if there are shorter trees or plants that would be good to illuminate. Down-lighting adds a layer of depth to the exterior of a landscape and provides a warm light that is welcoming and subtle. This type of lighting works best when used to light up shorter/smaller trees and elements or for safety measures to light up a walkway or seating area. It is important to keep in mind that when it comes to trees, down-lighting may not always be the best option as wires are often placed in branches-causing later issues with trimming and potential electrical hazards.
While both up-lighting and down-lighting practices have their own benefits, we recommend using a combination of the two to perfectly highlight a beautiful landscape of various plants and trees. This, if done correctly, will add a wide variety of angles of light as well as increase property value and improve safety.
For all of your landscape lighting questions or for more information about what ELS Arbor Division can do for your HOA community or commercial property visit us at https://8hj.b30.myftpupload.com/arbor-care/ or send us an email for more information to[email protected].
