As we move into August, we are focused on protecting your landscape from both monsoon damage and the lingering summer heat.

The recent heavy winds have scattered some leaf debris and fallen bean pods throughout your common areas and crews are cleaning up as needed. We are currently cleaning up debris and weeds in the wash off of Signal Butte.

We continue with cycle work, trimming back your shrubs to help prevent overgrowth and visual obstructions. Crews are currently trimming along Point 22 to Signal Butte. Crews are also completing the second round of tree pruning along your streetscapes, trimming off low-hanging branches.

Your summer Bermuda grass has completed its transition from winter dormancy and we are fertilizing it and adjusting your irrigation clocks appropriately to help keep it healthy and strong in the heat. Hot and humid weather is unfortunately quite conducive to weed growth and our spray technicians are treating it with post-emergent herbicide as needed.

Recovering from monsoon damage

The monsoons bring strong winds and rain that can damage the trees at Eastmark. After a storm event, our crews focus on clearing roads and pathways of storm debris and asses plant life for monsoon damage. If a monsoon storm damages your tree, you too will need to determine if the tree can be saved or if it needs to be removed.

DLC Resources recommends removing trees that are leaning more than 45 degrees in any direction or any tree where the root ball has been uprooted. If your tree just suffered a damaged limb from the storm, simply remove the broken branch with the proper pruning tool. Limbs up to ½ inch in diameter can be pruned with hand pruners. Long-handled pruning loppers can handle limbs up to one inch in diameter, while larger limbs require a special pruning saw. Hand pruners and loppers should be of the scissor or bypass type rather than anvil type. Hedging shears or power hedge trimmers are not recommended because they will cause more damage to the tree.

If you have a storm damaged tree that has been in the ground for a year or less but you determine it can be salvaged, it’s important to properly stake it in order to help the tree regain trunk strength. Stake the tree with appropriate sized pressure-treated stakes. These should be driven into the ground outside of the planting hole and root ball. Next, attach wires to the stakes and place a large diameter wire loop around the tree trunk. The loop around the trunk should be at least one foot in diameter so the tree trunk is able to move freely but securely in the wind.

In addition to proper cutting tools, make sure you have safety equipment. It is a good idea to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed shoes when pruning; additionally, wear safety glasses, a hat and gloves to help prevent an injury. Most importantly, never attempt to trim a tree that is near a utility line.