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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- SStewart@evergreenaz.com

DecomposedGranite

Enhancements That Add Value: Granite Topdress

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As Summer begins to roll in here in the desert southwest, it is important to begin to take measures to get your landscape ready for the high temperatures and dry heat to come! A great investment when preparing your landscape for Summer is choosing to enhance your community with a granite replenishment. This will not only enhance the design of your community landscape but also can protect your plant material from the upcoming heat and reduce weed growth that is typical in the Spring/Summer seasons.

Enhancing Community Appearance

Decomposed granite is a great enhancement for any community landscape as it provides a background of color and texture for plant materials. It looks great near plantings and sidewalks, especially here in Arizona where a majority of our landscape design pulls from the tans and browns of the desert. This is a fantastic option when it comes to filling in any barren spots in your overall landscape or when adding to spots that need a little extra something to complete the look and add value to your community.

Plant Protection Benefits

Other than the design benefits of a granite topdress in your common areas, this material is also a great option when it comes to protecting surrounding plant material. Granite is known to control dust and erosion and can even reduce evaporation that would typically occur in these areas- saving on overall water costs. Granite also helps to prevent root burn, a condition caused by over-fertilization, in between plantings. This makes it a great option this time of year as we are switching from frost-hardy to heat-hardy plants.

Cost and Maintenance Benefits

Investing in granite replenishment decreases maintenance costs as well as water usage costs that are associated with other options! Not only does this material withstand any temperature but it also requires little upkeep outside of occasional weed prevention and refilling of bare areas (which may be caused over time by high foot traffic). Granite is great to add near plants or even if you are considering a full conversion from turf to granite- typical in Arizona as a way to decrease large water usage costs!

The ELS Enhancements Division is solely dedicated to work such as granite replenishment for your commercial property or community. This division goes above and beyond the everyday landscape maintenance needs of a property to increase your landscape and property value!

Interested in a quote? Our Enhancements team is here to help!

Kevin Leslie | Enhancements Director | kleslie@evergreenaz.com

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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 | sstewart@evergreenaz.com

Mackenzie Bates | Business Development | Mackenzie@evergreenaz.com

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Tree Suckers

Professional Landscaping; Let’s Talk Tree Suckers

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Trees are your community’s largest asset and as such require consistent maintenance and upkeep by a professional landscaping company to ensure they remain an asset rather than becoming a liability! With that being said, a major part of that upkeep is the prevention and/or removal of tree suckers- a common ailment to trees that if left unaddressed can lead to tree death.

Tree suckers are small sprouts that a tree produces as a result to a variety of causes such as injury, pest infestation, drought, open wounds, and more! Trees produce these suckers as a way to continue their own lineage in the case that the main tree dies from one or many of these causes and as a way of multiplying the chance of sprout survival.

So what is the issue with allowing tree suckers? The issue with tree suckers is that these sprouts often take nutrients and water from the main tree and the older branches. Tree suckers are extremely fast growing and therefore sap away the energy of the tree and absorb a lot of the needed nutrients. If suckers are left to grow, the can become even more established and give the tree an overgrown and messy look that is more difficult to address.

The best way to address tree suckers is to prevent them. Prevention includes:

  • Keeping your trees in good health with regular maintenance and regular pruning as needed
  • Ensuring your trees are getting enough water to their root systems, increasing water in the warmer months
  • Avoiding over pruning so as not to cause injury to the tree

If you can not prevent tree suckers, removal of them is advised right away! Using a professional landscaping company, such as ELS Maintenance, for this removal is a great idea to ensure that they are removed correctly without causing more injury or stress to the tree.

Bermudagrass

Arizona Landscaping; What You Should Know About Transitioning Winter Rye to Bermudagrass

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Now that temperatures have consistently been above 65 degrees in the evenings, it is time to start phasing out the Winter Ryegrass in your community- making way for the revitalization of Summer Bermudagrass. Here in the Arizona desert, our climate calls for two different grass species; Bermudagrass in the Summer and Ryegrass in the Winter (should you choose to overseed). This time of year the Ryegrass starts to wilt and turn brown as it dies off for the Summer and the Bermudagrass begins to sprout. There are lots of landscaping tips and tricks that YOU can do to help this transition go smoothly!

Scalping Winter Rye

It is a good practice to scalp Winter Ryegrass to about 1/2 of its typical length. This allows the heat from the sun to get through to the soil and stress the Winter grass into submission- enabling the Bermudagrass to become dominant and begin to grow.

Decreasing Water Usage

Temporarily decreasing water usage to the Ryegrass will allow it to die off. Bermudagrass thrives with less water and warmer temperatures while the Rye does not, therefore decreasing competition between the two.

Fertilization

Fertilizing turf using a high ammonium sulfate fertilizer weakens the Ryegrass while strengthening up and coming Bermuda. Using the right fertilization practices will not only decrease competition between the grass types but will later provide a healthy and lush Summer lawn.

Lawn Aeration

While many people shy away from lawn aeration due to the unsightly holes that result, this practice is one of the best things that can be done for a transitioning lawn! Aeration allows water, oxygen, and the fertilizer to better reach the roots of the grass and will help that Bermudagrass grow in strong, healthy, and beautiful!

It is important to remember that the grass will typically appear brown/yellow and sparse during this transition time. This is perfectly normal and means that the process is underway! Being patient and allowing the grass time to go through this process will lead to amazing results and a beautiful Summer lawn!

Scalping
Turf Aeration
Bermudagrass Final Result
Arizona Landscaping

Preparing Your Arizona Landscape for Spring

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It is almost time for Spring here in the Arizona valley as temperatures begin to rise and the frost of Winter begins to melt away. While there is much to look forward to in the coming months, this is a very busy time for landscapes as they undergo change and transition for the warm climate to come. Participating in the right preparation for Spring ensures that your landscape looks its best following this transition.

Spring preparation includes many moving parts, especially when it comes to ensuring that each aspect of the landscape gets what it needs to transition. Our team here at ELS has shared some information on what they do with the landscapes of master-planned communities we work for to prepare for season change. These are great tips to incorporate into your residential landscape or to simply be in the know when it comes to best landscaping practices here in the desert southwest!

Spring Plant Cutbacks

Late Winter/early Spring is a great time to begin pruning plants to prepare for the growing season. Cutbacks allow for the removal of lasting frost effects such as dead/dying plant material as well as work to open the plant up so that it can receive more sun and nutrients at its core- promoting bloom as the temperatures warm.

Due to each plant species having its own blooming cycle and characteristics, some of this pruning may happen at different times throughout the Winter and Spring months. This is why it is recommended to follow a rejuvenation pruning calendar. This calendar breaks pruning schedules down by plant species. Following along with the calendar and ensuring that plants are pruned prior to the main growing season of Spring will ensure that you see beautiful bloom in your Arizona landscape as March turns into April.

Weed Control

Weeds tend to thrive in the heat and in an Arizona landscape where warm temperatures begin in February that means that we can expect increasing amounts of weeds coming through in the beginning of Spring onward. In order to prepare for this, it is important to apply pre-emergent herbicide where possible. This herbicide controls germinating weed seed, preventing some of the uptake of that seed and stunting weeds that do, unavoidably, find a way to sprout up into your landscape.

When it comes to weeds, it is important to take the proper precautions by applying the pre-emergent but equally as important to stay on top of later emerging weeds that will slip through the cracks and inevitably appear.

Preparing for Bermuda

Here in the Arizona desert, our climate calls for two different grass species: Rye Grass in the Winter (should you choose to overseed) and Bermudagrass in the Summer. Spring is the perfect time to begin revitalizing your dormant Bermudagrass so that it can grow into a lush Summer turf.

One of the best ways to revitalize your lawn is to apply soil amendments such as a soil conditioner (gypsum or sulfur are good examples). These conditioners increase water holding capacity, nutrients, and aeration to the soil to improve its overall structure. They also work to loosen compacted soils that may be locking up important nutrients and restricting water to plants.

Switching to Summer Annuals

As Spring transpires, it is a good idea to begin preparing your flower beds for Summer annuals. Summer annuals are warm temperature flowers that include a variety of species. A good way to start is to begin to pull out your Winter flowers as temperatures warm up and consider plant replacements where needed. When doing this, it is important to remember to add new soil and a balanced fertilizer. This keeps your landscape fresh and beautiful for the warm Spring and Summer seasons.

ELS Maintenance prides itself on caring for the landscape of our master planned communities and commercial properties. If you are interested in an estimate for work for one of your properties please reach out today!

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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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