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Communication in HOA Maintenance; Are You Asking Yourself These Questions?

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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:

  1. Is my HOA maintenance company transparent in what they are doing in my community and when?
  2. How is my HOA maintenance company communicating with me and my homeowners? Is their current method effective?
  3. 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.

Download Our Free Communication Infographic Here

Blog Posts For FAQ

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.

Download Free Communication Infographic Here

If you are struggling with your current HOA Maintenance company and feel they are not up to par with your expectations, contact us today!

Unhappy with the communication from your current HOA Maintenance company? We got you!

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Decomposed.Granite

HOA Landscaping; Decomposed Granite Installation and Maintenance Tips

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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!

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Arizona Arbor

Arizona Arbor Care; Tree Planting

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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!

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Shrub.Pruning

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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