THE LANDSCAPE REPORTER

DECEMBER 2012
DECEMBER WEATHER SUMMARY December marks the beginning of one of two rainy seasons in Phoenix
(December through March). The average monthly rainfall is .73. The average high temperature is 70 degrees and the average low is 44 degrees. Remember plants use considerably less water during the winter, so you may be able to shut off your irrigation system for a while after a measurable rainfall. Happy Holidays!

TURF TALK
with Jay Pock, ValleyCrest Turf & Irrigation Manager RYE GRASS (OVERSEEDED) FERTILIZATION Apply a cold weather fertilizer such as Nitrex 19-3-5, Turf Royale 21-7-14 or Calcium Nitrate 15.5.0.0. Follow the manufacturers recommended application rate. Apply to dry turf in the morning or evening. Always water the lawn thoroughly afterwards to move the fertilizer down into the soil. If fertilizer sits on top of the grass it can burn the blades. WATER As a guide, run your popup sprinklers approximately 1-3 times per week for 5-10 minutes.

DID YOU KNOW?

FERTILIZER

The law requires every bag of fertilizer to be labeled with a three number analysis (e.g., 21-714). These numbers represent the percentage (by weight) of the three major nutrients required for healthy plant growth, always in the same order: nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium. Nitrogen Of the 3 major elements plants need, nitrogen is the staple. Nitrogen gives plants the ability to produce more chlorophyll and makes them grow hardily. Phosphorus development Phosphorous aids in root and increases owering/fruit/ seed ability and bloom size. Highphosphorous fertilizer should be used when establishing new plants, trees and grass.

Avoid walking on rye grass when its frozen. This breaks the blades and they can take considerable time to regrow.

Perform a test to see how many minutes it takes for puddling and run-off to start and be sure to program your sprinklers to shut off before this point. If you cant apply enough water before puddling and run-off begins, use multiple start times (such as 2am and 5am) to allow time for the rst cycle of water to inltrate into the soil. Be observant for signs of underwatering (blueish tint, wilting blades) or overwatering (soft/mushy soil, standing water, mold). Push a screwdriver or soil probe into the soil every week and look for it to easily penetrate 4 to 6. Every landscape is unique. When determining the frequency of watering days and run times, consider important factors such as amount of sun vs. shade, how fast water moves through the soil, low vs. high areas of your yard. Continued on page 3

Potassium (or potash) Potassium guards the plant against diseases and aids in drought protection, cold tolerance and wear and tear. It also helps the process of photosynthesis and improves root development.

PLANT CARE
DO PRUNE:
Red Bird of Paradise [Caesalpinia pulcherrima] - Reduce crown to 12 in height Desert Broom [Baccharis sarothroides] - If outgrowing its space, reduce crown to 6 in height Myoporum [Myoporum parvifolium] - If outgrowing its space, reduce crown to 3 in diameter

TREE TALK
DO PRUNE:

with Nick Gaitano, ValleyCrest Tree Care Services Manager ISA Certied Arborist

Non-native, deciduous trees such as Ash, Elm, Pecan, Pine, Pistache and Sumac. Native, desert adapted and select other trees such as mesquite species, Palo Verde species, Ironwood, Eucalyptus species, Olive, Sumac and Acacia species. You can always remove dead, dying, diseased and broken branches throughout the year on any tree. Always have a purpose for pruning. Common reasons for pruning are to remove dead branches, to remove crowded or rubbing limbs, and to eliminate hazards, increase light and air penetration to the inside of the trees crown or to the landscape below. Pruning is difficult and dangerous so it is best to hire an ISA Certied Arborist to do the work.

DO NOT PRUNE:
Frost sensitive plants Shrubs that are currently owering Shrubs that will ower in late winter or spring Brittlebush Hibiscus Bougainvillea Yellow Bell Yellow Dot Natal Plum Fairyduster Ruellia Lantana Red Eromophila (Valentine) Honeysuckle Orange Jubillee

Yellow Bell

DO NOT PRUNE:
Frost sensitive trees, including Orchids, Ficus, Jacaranda, Indian Rosewood (Sissoo) and Citrus.

.....................

Fairyduster

Orange Bells Cassia/Senna species Chuparosa Bush Dalea

WEED CONTROL IN GRANITE AREAS:

PRE-EMERGENT: TO HELP PREVENT WINTER WEEDS FROM GERMINATING, NOW IS STILL A GREAT TIME TO APPLY A PRE-EMERGENT HERBICIDE TO GRANITE AREAS. TO BE EFFECTIVE, PRE-EMERGENT NEEDS TO BE ACTIVATED BY AT LEAST 1/2 RAINFALL OR IRRIGATION WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF PRODUCT APPLICATION. POST-EMERGENT: IF ANNUAL BROADLEAF WEEDS HAVE APPEARED IN YOUR GRANITE AREAS, SPRAY THEM WITH A NON-SELECTIVE POST-EMERGENT. LOOK FOR A PRODUCT CALLED QUIKPRO BY ROUNDUP. IT HAS AN ACTIVE INGREDIENT THAT KILLS WEEDS QUICKER IN COLD WEATHER THAN REGULAR ROUNDUP.

Cassia

TURF TALK
MOWING

continued from page 1

Mow as often as necessary to maintain the lawn height you like without removing more than 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing. This should be around once a week during December. A good height for Rye grass is 1 1/2 to 2 1/2. WEED CONTROL A dense, healthy lawn is the best way to help prevent weeds from germinating. If common winter broadleaf weeds such as clover or dandelion appear in your Rye grass, you can manually remove them. If they become excessive, use a selective post-emergent herbicide. A selective herbicide will minimize damage to the Rye grass. Note weed control is different for dormant Bermuda. BERMUDA GRASS (NON-OVERSEEDED) FERTILIZATION Do not fertilize dormant Bermuda grass. WATER Although Bermuda grass is dormant during cold weather, its still alive and needs some water to survive. Water once this month, applying 1/2 of water to keep the stolons from drying out. You can skip watering if there is measureable rainfall. MOWING Bermuda grass wont grow much while its dormant, but some areas of your yard may be warmer than others (microclimates), and it may grow and become uneven. When you mow, dont scalp down to the dirt. Scalping will make your turf slow to grow and green up when it gets warmer and can encourage weed growth. The optimal mow height over the winter is 1 to 1 1/2. WEED CONTROL If you have common winter broadleaf weeds such as clover or dandelion, treat them with the same kind of herbicide you use during the summer. A non-selective post-emergent herbicide with glyphosate as the active ingredient (like Round-up) will work best. Visit your local specialty irrigation store such as Horizon or Ewing for the right product.

DID YOU KNOW?

DORMANT TURF CARE

Excessive foot traffic on dormant Bermuda grass damages the above ground stolons and can cause it to become sparse and die. If you have a lot of activities on the grass over the winter, water more often and consider overseeding next year.

2902 E. Illini St. Phoenix, AZ 85040 P: (602) 276-5900 | F: (602) 276-8191 www.Facebook.com/ValleyCrestArizona www.TreeCareServices.com/Phoenix

The Landscape Reporter is published monthly to help community managers educate residents on sustainable and horticulturally sound landscape practices.