131031 WATER MATTERS

During this time of the year we usually experience cooler and wetter weather. Irrigation systems should be running no more than one day a week; I prefer to leave everything off unless the weather is drier. Although most plants and turf enter a dormant phase and stop growing above ground, below ground their root zones are still expanding. Should temperatures decide to be milder, a one day a week schedule will provide adequate water to sustain it through the winter. Remember to turn the controller off if anticipating rain or freezing temperatures.

WATER SAVING TIPS

• ·         When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.
• ·         Reduce the amount of lawn in your yard by planting shrubs and ground cover appropriate to our region.
• ·         Teach your children to turn off faucets tightly after each use.
• ·         Remember to check your sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks and keep sprinkler heads in good shape.
• ·         Soak pots and pans instead of letting water run while you scrape them clean.

131031 Eblast

Happy Halloween! We’ve had over 2.5 inches of rain this week. All controllers should be turned off. It’s also a good time to verify that rain sensors are working. Try running a manual test of your system. If it comes on, then either your rain sensor is not hooked up correctly, or it is bypassed. Contact your irrigation professional or a water ambassador if you are unsure.

With more rain forecasted next week, it would be appropriate to leave the controllers in the OFF position. Over watering during these moister, cooler days can lead to unsightly fungus and mold patches in your landscape. Also a reminder that controllers need to be set to no more than 2 days a week per the city’s request. I think we would be safe given our current and projected weather to reduce that even further to 1 day a week. If you would rather keep you program at 2 days a week, consider reducing the water budget to 50%, or half of your regular run time.

131017

Coming back to Sun City after a short trip to Arizona for my sister's wedding, it was really nice to be greeted with the cooler temperatures and abundant rain. Just for the month of October we have received 2.68 inches of rain and have had and accumulated evapotranspiration (ET) total of 1.78 inches. ET is a calculated value representing the amount of moisture that has evaporated and transpired from the soil given daily weather conditions.Based on the ET and rainfall totals, all irrigation systems should be shut off.

With the promise of more rain and cooler temperatures to come we can probably make it through the rest of the month without running our systems at all. Also I received word from the city that the 2 day a week watering restrictions went into effect on Monday, October 14th. Residents should receive official notification in the mail.

131003 October Plans

Having completed our goals for NH 46, we have moved over to Area 51. Our task here is pretty much the same as NH 46. We will be extending the fuel break behind the properties an additional 50 feet beyond the existing 30 foot break.

Along the creek at WWGC near hole 11 and the iron bridge, we have a tree trying to fall into the water way, as well as a fair amount of debris accumulation under the bridge.

130930 Irrigation Controllers

Well the rainfall that we were expecting landed further south than anticipated, but we did get some nice temperature drops. I will be turning my controllers back starting on Tuesday, Monday being a NO-water day, but I will only be running them at 50% of their normal run times. With the cooler temperatures, over watering can lead to fungus or brown patch.

130923 RAIN FALL

Depending on where you were in Sun City you received anywhere between 3 and 6" of rainfall according to my sources; at my office I received 3.75 inches. With that in mind those of you who haven't turned off your irrigation system, please do. There was enough rainfall to leave the systems off for the entire week if not longer. Forecasts for the upcoming weekend are hopeful that we will receive another round of showers, allowing us to leave the irrigation off even longer. With the cooler evening temperatures, it is also important to reduce watering to avoid fungus forming in the turf areas.

I also received word from the city that they are discussing reducing watering days down to 2 days per week. Your regular water days will not change, except that you will only be able to water on two of them. I would recommend that you omit the Thursday or Friday watering day as it applies to your address. When I receive something formal, I will post more about it.

NH 46

130913

We are currently behind the residents of NH 46 that borders CCGC Hole 7. We are focusing our efforts to extend the average fuel break behind these homes from 30 feet to at least 80 feet. In addition, we are removing all dead Ashe Junipers, and doing extra clean up along the sidewalk bordering this native area.

NH 46

We have also performed some creek and trail maintenance along Blue Heron Trail. We had a large dead branch overhanging the trail that was better removed on our terms than the trees. We also addressed a number of smaller limbs and piles while there just to enhance the overall view.

The Branch of Damocles, Blue Heron Trail