Winter is on its way and we are preparing your common areas for the cold.

One of our focuses in November is seasonal pruning, meaning we cut back shrubs to about half their size or more. While this looks to be a drastic change now, this is the healthiest and most sustainable way to trim your shrubs for several reasons.

First, it encourages the shrubs to stay at a manageable size when they regrow. It also means that we only trim them minimally in the spring and summer or not at all, which allows residents to enjoy the full bloom of their seasonal color. Finally, seasonally-pruned shrubs require less water than those that are constantly sheared, which saves your community money.

We will begin by pruning Red Birds of Paradise and Sages and move forward from there.

Check out some of the fresh color around your community, as we recently completed a fall planting project. Crews also changed out your flowerbeds, installing winter annuals to replace summer annuals.

In September, we overseeded select turf areas at your community to transition from summer Bermuda grass to winter Ryegrass. We are currently aiding the Ryegrass as it grows, fertilizing, spot-seeding and adding mulch as needed.

We continue working to keep the Bermuda in the areas we didn’t overseed green for as long as possible, but it will eventually fade to a straw color for the winter. This strategic break from overseed allows the Bermuda to regenerate its roots and regrow strong and healthy in the spring.

We are running regular irrigation system assessments to check for leaks and valve and sprinkler issues and performing repairs as needed. Our spray department is preparing for an application of pre-emergent herbicide which will help inhibit weed growth in your landscape.

Winter water management

In most households, the majority of water used is applied to the landscape. But now that the winter months are bringing cooler, wetter weather, you have an opportunity reduce your water usage and save money on your water bill.

Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to reduce water usage while still maintaining a healthy landscape.

As the weather continues to cool down, adjust your watering frequency and run time. You can use the interactive tools at wateruseitwisely.com to determine how often and how long the stations on your irrigation controller should run. If you have a desert adapted landscape, you can usually turn off your irrigation system from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day.

Take advantage of every rainfall. Turn your clock to the “off” or “rain” position and monitor plants for the first signs of wilting before reactivating.

Check to make sure your irrigation system is not leaking. With everything off, inside and out, observe the dial on your water meter (usually located in the front yard). If it is still turning, there is water leaking somewhere.

Test the moisture depth in your soil. A screwdriver will move easily through most soil when it is wet, but will stop when it reaches dry soil. The roots of most shrubs are about 6-inches to 18-inches deep, grass roots are about 4-inches deep, and a large tree will have most of its roots within the first 24 inches.

For additional landscaping tips and tricks, visit the DLC Learning Center.