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Arizona Landscaping; Heat Stressed Plants

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Arizona is in for another record-breaking Summer this year! Can you believe it? With last summer being the hottest on record for Phoenix and with the effects of the last two years of drought, we’re expecting plants in Arizona communities to feel the burn this year!

So far this Summer, the increasing temperatures and summer storms have begun to cause heat stress and storm damage to many landscapes already. As July turns into August,  we are expecting temperatures to continue to rise- increasing plant stress and the possibility of plant fatality.

How to Tell if a Plant is Heat Stressed

When a plant enters heat stress from drought and extreme temperatures, it begins to take drastic measures to ensure survival. These measures include the rolling and/or wilting of leaves in an effort to reduce the amount of leaf area exposed to the sun, the increase in letting the outer edges of the plant die off/burn in an effort to keep water at the base (the most important part) of the plant, and the production of fewer flowers.

Some plants may appear dead or damaged during the day only to revive at night when temperatures drop and the sun goes down. This is a great example of the plant protecting itself from the sun during the day and then returning to a less-stressed state after the threat of the sun/heat is gone.

It is important to closely monitor plants that appear to be experiencing heat stress and to adjust your landscaping care accordingly.

How to Prepare & Care for Heat Stressed Plants

In order to avoid the effects of extreme heat as much as possible it is a good idea to follow these guidelines for plant care:

Refrain from New Plantings: While temperatures are on the rise, it is a good idea to refrain from placing any new plantings in your landscape. Planting new material will expose the plant to extreme heat and will cause stress on the plant before it has a chance to really grow and thrive. It is strongly recommended to wait until the cool temperatures of Fall arrive when it comes to adding new plantings to your landscape, should you have to!

In addition to staying away from new plantings, it is smart to also avoid excessive pruning of existing plants. Over-trimming can expose more of the plant to the heat/sun effects and cause deeper, more fatal, damage to the base of the plant.

Change Your Watering Strategy: With the days becoming longer and the excessive heat hitting the valley, it is crucial to update your watering strategy when it comes to plants. It is advised to water your plants in the early morning prior to the hottest parts of the day to avoid rapid evaporation and increase absorption. A good rule of thumb, according to the University of Arizona Collaborative Extension , is to water until the soil is wet to the depth of your plant’s root system. This would be a three-foot depth for trees, a two-foot depth for shrubs, and a one-foot depth for your small plants, such as annuals.

Prioritize Trees and Shrubs: As opposed to small plants that are usually changed out seasonally, the trees and shrubs in your community landscape are long-lived investments that have most likely survived a couple of summers already. The removal of trees and shrubs can be much more costly than changing out your seasonal plants and because of this, it is a good idea to prioritize them when it comes to the resources and time you are providing your landscape. To read more on tree care in the Arizona Monsoon season, click here.

Commercial Landscaping- How we Handle the Heat

As a commercial landscaping company, servicing the landscapes of large HOA communities here in the Valley, we here at ELS Maintenance follow a heat stress strategy during the months where we experience extreme heat. Our team typically works to leave as much foliage as possible to act as a shield for the base of shrubs and trees from the heat and sun. As soon as temperatures drop back down around 100-105 degrees, we are able to cut back stressed material to where the green foliage is still at or to the ground and allow the plant to come back naturally. We leave this choice up to the board/HOA community we work with. In addition to this, our team increases water usage and monitors our community landscapes closely to ensure they are looking their best throughout Summer.

Want to learn more about how we can keep YOUR commercial property or HOA community looking great this Summer? Reach out to our qualified experts today or fill out our Request a Bid form for a free estimate in one of your communities.

Stephen Stewart-Business Development Manager- [email protected]

LandscapeAZ

AZ Landscaping; Preparing Your Landscape for Summer Temperatures

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Arizona is known for its dry desert climate and triple digit Summers, meaning that our Summer landscaping practices might look a little different than that of your average state! It is important, therefore, to ensure you are properly preparing your Arizona landscape to beat the heat in the coming months!

Keeping Your Summer Turf Looking Great

Here in Arizona, the turf that we use in our landscape is Bermuda grass. Bermuda is heat hardy and thrives with lots of sunlight and warmer temperatures. Typically, Bermuda transition begins in late Spring to ensure that the turf is fully grown in before the Summer months hit. This transition involves the Summer turf getting a much needed head start over the previous Winter turf (Rye grass). In most cases this can be done by scalping down to about half of the turfs height and laying some new Bermuda seed where it has not filled in. Some Rye grass will stay around all year in certain areas- not to fear as you can take Summer preparation measures regardless to ensure that your lawn looks great and to give the Bermuda the best chance at taking hold!

Another way to prepare your turf for the heat is by aerating it. Aeration is a great way to open up and introduce air to the soil. This process can be done in various ways and is an important step to follow if you are looking to aid your Bermudagrass in transition. It is highly recommended that if you are going to aerate, you follow this by spreading a soil conditioner, such as gypsum, afterwards (follow instructions found on bag).

After grass has transitioned and our Arizona temperatures start to climb, it is a good idea to implement a deep watering program. This will be beneficial since the hot temperatures and dry winds can dry out the surface level soil. Additionally, be sure to perform this watering in the morning or evening to reduce evaporation effects that often occur mid-day when the sun is at its highest. Finally, make sure you are properly maintaining your turf after transition by de-thatching. The best time to dethatch is in May/June when it is growing at its fastest rate, this ensures that the grass is not suffocating from over thatch and provides an opportunity to see what is going on with the grass at the surface level.

Plant Maintenance Adjustments for Summer Survival

Plant maintenance will need to be adjusted to aid the plants with surviving the higher temperatures that the Summer months bring. A good place to start when adjusting your typical maintenance routine is to remember not to over prune your plants prior to or during the hot Summer months. Branches and leaves protect your plants and keep them cool, acting as a barrier between the sun and the base of the plant. Over pruning while temperatures are high will leave the most important parts of the plant exposed and could result in plant fatality!

It is also a good idea to use a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation! By doing this you can save hundreds of gallons of water each year according to the Arizona Landscape Contractors Association!

Implement Summer Hardy Annuals into Your Landscape

Add Summer-hardy Annuals to your landscape during the hottest months to keep it looking great! Annual flowers are a great addition to any landscape as they are beautiful and add color, fill bare spots in a landscape, and can be changed each season to match the look that you are going for at that time! Replacing your flowers with Summer Annuals means you are adding plants that can survive intense sunlight and extreme temperatures to your landscape- perfect for Summer!

Interested in obtaining a landscape maintenance bid for your commercial property or community landscape? Reach out to our Business Development team today or request your bid on our website!

Stephen Stewart | Business Development | [email protected]

Mackenzie Bates | Business Development | [email protected]

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CitrusTree

Arizona Landscaping; It’s Time to Fertilize Citrus Trees

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Temperatures are finally warming up and Spring is right around the corner! With this change in seasons comes changes in the landscape of your HOA community or commercial property and it is important to properly prepare the plant and tree materials for the upcoming warmer weather.

January/February marks the kickoff to Spring here in Arizona and is the perfect time to begin fertilizing Citrus Trees in your landscape. Citrus Trees, like many fruit bearing tree species, are heavy feeders so it is important to their health and fruit bloom that they receive the proper fertilization and water prior to their full bloom. Amount of fertilizer recommended to use varies depending on size and age of the tree. When buying your fertilzier it is a good idea to refer to the back of the package to find proper amounts to use for your tree. We have also included a chart that details recommended amount by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension which you can access here.

Download Citrus Fertilization Chart

When it comes to applying the fertilizer to Citrus Trees, you can do it one of two ways. One way to go about this process is to purchase a spray fertilizer which you would spray directly on the leaves of the tree. The other option is to spread fertilizer on the ground near the tree. When applying fertilizer via the ground it is important to spread the fertilzier from the tree to the length of the canopy, avoiding placing fertilizer directly on or near the trunk of the tree.

Finally, due to the dry climate that we have here in the desert southwest it is crucial to the health of the trees to water them thoroughly following the application of fertilizer. This ensures that they get the water they need to utilize the fertilizer in a way that will promote bloom and growth.

ELS has an entire division dedicated to Arbor Care, complete with SLM certified arbor professionals. Request a bid for your next arbor project!

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Landscape Management; Shrub Pruning in an Arizona Landscape

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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!

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To Overseed or Not?

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Consider the money you save from the overseed and water costs this year so you can: remove and update ‘wrong plant, wrong location’ areas or fill in areas that are missing plants.

As fall soon approaches it is important to remember more than just the jack o’ lanterns, cooler weather, and colorful leaves that surround us here in Arizona. Fall is typically the time we transition our grass warm season turf in the desert. Bermuda grass will become dormant for the winter typically around September-October which is when we begin to transition lawns to our winter Rye grass. This transition raises a question as to whether or not to overseed. Annual overseeding is pretty common for us in the valley, but is it the best move for your lawn this season?

 Why Skipping Overseeding This Season Can Add Value

 Overseeding with winter Rye gives our grass landscape a uniform green grass through out the winter, so why should we skip overseeding this season? With Arizona’s extreme heat and recent lack of rainfall this year, as well as increased pricing of seed and water, giving your grass a break from overseeding this season may be just what your budget, summer turf areas, and overall landscape need.

Overseeding with Ryegrass too often can lead to competition for nutrients, water, and light between your summer Bermuda and the winter Rye grass. This competition can lead to wear and spotty Bermuda throughout the summer.

Taking a break this season from overseed in your community will ensure that spring’s Bermuda grass won’t be in competition to come back from dormancy, creating a stronger and healthier summer lawn.

With the money saved in overseed and water cost, your community can do those planting and enhancement projects this fall that have been put off during the hottest and dryest monsoon season.

Let’s talk more about how you can maintain the investment in your landscape and improve its value. Call ELS business development team at 602.703.1850 anytime.