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Review and inspection of plant material
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Automatic Irrigation Information
Your automatic irrigation system has been professionally installed and programmed to be most effective for this time of year. The controller/timer is usually located on the side of your house near your electric pane. We have outlined below an example on how your controller may initially be programmed. The program should be changed after 1-3 weeks from installation.
Grass value (lawn areas)
Program A is set for your lawn area (if you have one). It is set to water at around 7:00am, 11:00am and at 4:00pm, everyday. It is important to adjust this watering schedule to approximately two (2) times a day for approximately 6 minutes each time. During the winter it is only necessary to water every other day, to once a day for 6 minutes.
Drip value (drip irrigation)
Program B is set for your drip irrigation system. NOTE: if you do not have drip irrigation, system will be set up on program A. The timer is set for watering every other day for one (1) hour. During the summer water the plants for 1.5 to 2 hours every other day and the cooler months 1 to 1.5 hours every other day. Use your best judgment for your plants. If the plants look like they are wilting then add some time to the timer so they are getting more water. Trees and bushes: 4:00am, M-W-F-SU for 45 minutes.
Drip value (optional: trees and flowers)
Program C is set for trees and/or flowers. NOTE: your trees and flowers may be on a program with more emitters to receive the water they need). Your timer is set for watering the trees once every day for 1 to 1.5 hours in cooler seasons and 1 to 2 hours in the summer. If it is set for flowers the timer needs to be set for two (2) times a day for 5 to 10 minutes in the summer and once a day for 5 to 10 minutes in the cooler months. Again, change the timer programing to best suit your trees or flowers.
Decomposed granite
Granite is mined and is natural in color. Some colors may not be acceptable in certain subdivisions due to design restriction of the subdivisions. Granite colors are not 100% consistent. There can and will be variations in the shades and intensity of color. Some granite also darkens with age. Please note some of the red or pink toned granites can stain.
Granite comes in various sizes and grades. Sizes can be range from ¼ to 1 inch and grades range from “minus” to” sized”. Fines have the appearance of dirt, and when first dumped the fines will be at the top of the pile. Part of our installation procedure involves washing the fined sown into the granite to create a consistent look.
The exception to this rule is ¾ inch screened Madison Gold. This granite has more fines than most of the other screened granites.
Sod lawns
Most sod is a hybrid Bermuda grass. In the fall and winter, the sod is over seeded with Rye grass when installed. Bermuda goes dormant in the winter lawn. This usually occurs around October.
New sod lawns require deep watering every day for approximately two weeks until rooting occurs. You will need to water two to three times per day, three to eight minutes each time. Established Bermuda grasses require approximately two inches of water per week in the summer. Winter Rye grasses require about half that amount. Your sprinkler system will apply approximately one inch of water for each hour of operation. You will need to adjust your system to accommodate your lawns watering requirements. Please be aware that shade, soil, sod conditions, wind temperature and type of sod play major roles in how much water your lawn will require.
Weed control
Pre-emergent will prohibit weed seed from germinating, but cannot stop growth of weeds already established. A herbicide can remain active for approximately 3 to 6 months. You may wish to apply pre-emergent to your landscape at this interval in order to maintain control over your weed population. Please consult your nursery professional for the appropriate brand and rate of application of pre-emergent. Black plastic can be used as a weed control when going from grass to desert landscaping. This is ideal when the area has very low traffic.
The sod should be watered daily to keep the sod moist until it is firmly rooted (about two weeks). You can water less frequently and provide deeper watering after this initial period. Weather conditions will dictate the amount and frequency of watering. Please remember, your new lawn must have enough moisture to survive hot, dry or windy periods. We also advise you to water areas near buildings more often because reflected heat dries sod. Watering new sod daily and for several weeks after installation cannot be over-started. We advise you and pets to stay off the sod for the first few weeks. This gives the roots and opportunity to grow into the soil and ensures the sod will remain smooth.
New Sod
Winter
Nut grass is on the top of the list when it comes to invasive weeds. This pesky plant has spread throughout the world, and it can be a major blight for farmers – not to mention a big headache for home lawns.
Characteristics of nut grass
Nut grass is a perennial plant, and one nut weed may live for years. The plant itself is a thin stalk with long thin light green leaves and small flower and seed bunches on the top. The grass can reach up to three feet in height, and as it grows it shoots out complex underground systems of tubers and roots which spread and reproduce. Eventually a thick bunch of the grass forms and expands; plants and grasses are quickly choked out by the hardy weed.
How they grow
Both yellow and purple nutsedge grow by sending up a shoot in the spring from underground tubers (nutlets). Each nutlet has 3-5 eyes just like a potato. One “eye” sends up one shoot. When the shoot reaches the surface, green leaves form on a stem. At the base of this stem is a swollen bulb, called a “corm”. This corm contains leaves (like an onion bulb). At the base of the bulb new runners emerge, to produce another plant 2-3 inches away from the original shoot. This process is repeated until the nutsedge fills in between as many turf grass plants or open bare ground as it can! One “eye” from one nutlet can produce over 150 plants in one growing season!
You can see how easy it is for nutsedge to spread quickly, and why it grows back after either mechanical or chemical treatments.
Why is Nut Grass so Invasive?
Nut grass is highly invasive because of its intense reproduction characteristics; this weed is also invasive because it is adaptable and difficult to eradicate. Nut weed flourishes in warm and wet climates, but the weed has also spread to temperate regions and into drier climates. The complex and deep root system of nut grass contributes to its awesome strength as a plant; strength which allows the plant to overtake other types of plants and which makes it hard to completely remove the reproducing roots from the ground.
Nut Grass Control
Effective nut grass control may require a combination of mulch, herbicidal applications and pulling the weeds out by hand. Nut weed has become resistant to most types of herbicides, so if you have nut grass be sure to choose an herbicide that is targeted for nut weed eradication; it is also important to apply the herbicide at the right stage of growth.
Plastic sheeting will not prevent nut weed growth as the sharp and fast growing roots and tubers will puncture through the sheeting. However, non-herbicidal eradication can be achieved in gardens and flower beds by maintaining a thick and fresh layer of heavy mulch; pulling out weeds by hand can also help to reduce nut weed populations in small areas.
Hawkeye Landscaping, Inc. does not warranty against Nut grass.
How to maintain and care for your synthetic grass. Maintaining synthetic grass is almost too easy! You will save plenty of time and money by not having to mow, fertilize, or heavily water your lawn to have a lush green yard.
The amount of maintenance required depends on your specific situation. Customers with pets, children or are surrounded by trees or live in a dusty area will need a little TLC when it comes to caring for your artificial lawn.
Use a rake or leaf blower to clear off fallen leaves, branches, and other rotting debris that may land on top of your artificial grass. This will help your grass maintain a clean and groomed look.
Water is okay
Gently spray down your lawn occasionally with a hose to remove dust, dirt, or pollen. Occasionally watering your synthetic grass lawn also helps prevent unequal distributions of infill.
Cleaning up after your pet
Artificial grass is safe for pets and cleaning up their solid waste is just as easy as on real grass. So plastic bags and pooper scoopers work just fine! Following pickup, hose down the target area. In addition, weekly rinsing will help your lawn smell fresh and odor free.
Cleaning up after life’s little messes
Your lawn is meant to be used and we encourage everyone to enjoy it to the fullest. Don’t worry about staining your yard with spills of any sort. Your artificial grass is stain resistant and most spills can be washed away with a bit of water. For those tougher stains using a mild soap with lukewarm water or use equal parts vinegar and water to scrub it out. The faster you tend to a spill or stain the better.
Over seeding with perennial rye grass for winter lawn
Starting at the ending of September and into October is the ideal time to over seed in the Phoenix areas. If you plan on over seeding in the fall, you need to begin reducing the frequency of how often you water the lawn and stop fertilizing. Less food and water will help the lawn go into dormancy quicker. Mow your lawn ½ inch high when you are ready to over seed. Next, spread the seed evenly over the lawn immediately after spreading seed, apply Fertilome tm new lawn started on top of the seed to increase the germination Rye and provide the seed with a strong root base. Once the seed and starter fertilizer are down, the final step is covering with a much dressing. Start watering the seed immediately 3 to 5 times a day for a few minutes at a time. Avoid standing water. The key is to not let the seed dry out after water hits it the first time. Dry seed is dead seed.
The most common options for winter rye are annual and perennial rye grass. Annual rye grass is a coarse, wide bladed grass. Annual rye is very wet, sticks to mower blades, and will stain easily. Perennial rye grass has great color, a much finer blade than annual, and is heat tolerant.
Transitioning your lawn from summer to winter lawn
April and into May is a great time to begin the transition of your winter lawn to your summer lawn. Bermuda grass becomes active when the nighttime temperatures are in the 60’s. Over the last few years we have heard many homeowners having problems with Bermuda grass growing very thin with many bare areas. This is usually attributed to the fact that homeowners let their rye grass to die naturally with the heat of the summer rather than killing it off early. If you allow rye grass to grow well into the latter half of May and June you are not allowing your Bermuda grass enough time to reach its peak performance before you over seed again in September. Doing this year after year can cause your summer lawn to become very thin, for it has to compete with the rye.
The best time to make the transition is once we have consistent 90 degree temperatures. When making the transition, it is best to mow the lawn set at the mowers’ lowest setting and turn off your sprinkler system for up two to weeks. The lawn will look rough for a few weeks but remember, it is only two to three weeks and it’s what’s best to get a great looking lawn. After a couple weeks, fertilize the Bermuda with ammonium phosphate or Turf Royale then water thoroughly.
Your new trees and plants
The purpose for this advice sheet is to help proud new tree and plant owners get a feel for watering and fertilizing effectively to prevent stress on other plants. Desert gardening requires careful attention to the watering needs of each tree or plant in the landscape. With extreme heat, wind and low humidity common in our climate, watering properly can be difference between a lush, enjoyable, healthy landscape and a so-so, barely surviving landscape. The following guide is just that a guide; it is not set in stone and may vary yard to yard or tree to tree.
Watering trees and plants
New plant material, including native trees, plants and cacti require some initial care in order to survive. All new plant material, with the exception of certain cacti, requires extensive watering when first planted. Your new plants will need to be watered approximately two hours every other day. The actual time needed depends on many factors including soil conditions, climate, season, plant type and placement. If you have an automatic irrigation system, your clock will be set to the proper initial watering schedule. After the first couple of weeks, effective watering requires close observation by you. You now want to observe how wet (or dry) your soil is between watering schedules.
To make certain your plants are receiving water make an inspection of the area beneath your plants while the system is operating. Look closely at your emitter for water output. If there is any doubt, use a probe type instrument, such as a screwdriver, to probe the soil near the plants while taking precautions not to damage the roots. The soil should be moist 4 to 6 inches into the sub-surface. An indicator of too little water is wilting and curling of the leaves of the plants. Often the edges of the leaves will appear burned. Conversely, if the ground remains wet growth will be dried out. Too much water damages roots by removing oxygen from the soil and can cause some types of root rot. Education is your key to success with your landscape. Please consult your local nursery or garden center for additional assistance and specific requirements regarding your yard.
Example: You watered everything thoroughly yesterday, and today, you notice the ground is still wet on the surface or maybe half wet and dry. Now probe the soil. Take a screwdriver and push it into the soil, near the outer edge of the well. If the tree is watered properly, the probe should push in, fairly easily to the depth (2 inches for trees,1 inch for shrubs). If it doesn’t reach the proper depth, you will need to water again, until the probe reaches the proper depth. Keep checking each day with the probe will you develop you own “customized” watering schedule. You may find that your trees need more or less water than the general water guide. This is true because although temperatures are fairly similar across our entire valley, other factors can vary drastically. These factors include, but aren’t limited to humidity, wind, method of watering, rainfall, soil drainage (or lack of drainage), position of plant in yard, and type of plant. This is why probing soil is crucial to creating a custom watering schedule for your yard. Remember….frequency depends on the time of year and how fast your soil dries out. Use your probe as a watering guide.
Signs which indicate water stress:
Fertilizing Trees and Shrubs
For your landscaping, we do not apply and fertilize at the point of installation. In fact, we do not recommend fertilizing new shrubs and trees for at least 90-120 days after planting. Please consult your nursery or garden center for proper fertilizers along with application rates and techniques for the plants in your landscape. It is important to only use the recommended amount at the specified intervals. Most fertilizers, if used in excess, will harm the plant they are intended to help.
* Frost-tender plants should not be fertilized after July as this will encourage new growth and can cause the plant to be killed by frost.
General Purpose Fertilizer
When: Second half of February, second half of May, & mid-September
Manganese Spikes or Manganese – sulfate 31%: Apply with general purpose fertilizer
When: Second half of February, second half of May, & mid-September
Apply a slow & thorough deep watering to area of treatment immediately after application to prevent burning.
Dispersal TM (soil conditioner)
When: First half of February, first half of May, & second half of August.
Apply a slow & through deep watering to area of treatment immediately after application.
Monsoon activity
Fast growing trees can act as a sail in the wind during the monsoon and usually blow over. This can be prevented by thinning out the interior canopy of the tree. Doing so will take a lot of weight out of the tree. Also, properly staking your trees, i.e. double staking, when they are young will greatly benefit the tree during wind storms and also aid in the development of the tree.
Take advantage of the rain by turning off your watering system for up to a few days or more, depending on how much rain you receive.
Tree staking
Periodic tying or re-staking of your tree is as necessary to vigorous growth as proper water or a good pruning. Please note: double staking does not guarantee that the tree will be secure from wind or rain damage. Hawkeye Landscaping, Inc. does not warranty against tree loss due to wind or rain damage.
Transplant acclimation
Please be advised that most trees and plants, especially those with larger leaves, may go through an acclimation period after being planted. This is commonly referred to as “transplant shock”. This is due in part to the tree or plant moving from the cooler, shadier environment of a nursery to your hotter, probably sunnier yard. This is most common during summer months. The digging and agitation of roots that is normal during the transplanting can also contribute to a temporary decline in appearance of newly planted trees and shrubs. Don’t fret! Your new plants will settle in and get used to their new home with time, patience…and proper care.
Hawkeye Landscaping, Inc. does not encourage or warranty any transplant materials.
Frost protection for plants
A number of landscape plants are susceptible to frost damages in the colder locations of the valley, or during abnormally cold evenings. This damage can be fatal to our lawns depending on temperature, length of cold, age and strength of the plant; a condition is a cold frost following a warming trend in and around January or February.
*A frost reduction tip: Water plants and trees the night before a frost.
Do not trim the frost-damaged portion from trees or shrubs until after all danger from frost has passed, usually mid-March, as the damaged plants material protects the plant from more serious frost damage. In order to protect your plants from frost, there are many methods from which to choose. The simplest is to cover your plant material with cloth or burlap. The use of non-porous materials, such as plastic, is not recommended for covering plant materials. During winter, there are many articles in the papers and reports on the news about additional ways to prevent frost damage.
Hawkeye Landscaping, Inc. does not warranty against frost damage.
Plant Sizes and availability
Plant materials throughout the year will vary in size, fullness and availability. Some plant species may be in short supply in the Phoenix area along with California and Texas, and this can affect our selection process. Also, some native species do not have a vigorous appearance inside containers but, however, once in the ground will perform magnificently. We do not accept plant material which we believe is unhealthy or not in accordance with Arizona Nursery Association standards. Our foremen take time to hand select the plant material at the nurseries.
Plant material
If you are using a manual irrigation system your plants are not under warranty. An automatic irrigation system installed by Hawkeye Landscaping, Inc. warranties the plants for ninety days after installation, providing the plant material installed by Hawkeye landscaping, Inc. is maintained and watered properly. Our warranty does not cover materials damaged by frost, wind, storms, any acts of nature, vandalism, animals or mistreatment. In addition, please notify Hawkeye Landscaping, Inc. (623-582-1122) immediately if your plant material appears stressed during the warranty period.
Hawkeye Landscaping, Inc. does not warranty Ocotillos or Roses.
Recommend Queen Palm care
Syagrus Romanzoffiana: A moderate growing palm for full sun or afternoon shade that grows to about 25 to 30 foot tall, with a 12 to 15 foot wide canopy. They are cold-hardy to approximately 28 and 25 degrees F.
Regular deep watering in summer is required to keep fronds looking their best and applications of potassium, manganese, and magnesium soil amendments in our soil. They may also need to be treated with fungicide to prevent bud rot in the crown of the tree. Queen palms do provide an elegant accent to a tropical or formal looking landscape
Watering by far is the most important element necessary for the health of a queen palm. Queen palms are native to very wet areas of the world. They grow very well here in the valley, but they do need more water than nature provides. A good rule of thumb is that it is practically impossible to over water a queen palm, especially crucial for the summer months.
As a queen palm grows older, its roots spread wider, but not much deeper, so make sure to apply water thoroughly across the area of about 3-5 times the width of the tree trunk.
How often to water is dependent on how the air temperature is. As the air gets hotter, water evaporates out of the soil much faster. To keep a good, healthy level of moisture for queen palms, we recommend the following schedule:
If the temperature is:_____water times per week:
Fertilizer requirements
Follow all manufactures’ instruction for the handling and application of fertilizers. Fertilizers that contain metal ingredients will causing staining of concrete, gravel, stone, and porous surfaces.
Application requirement
Apply fertilizers and soil conditioners to the soil in a large ring at least 2 foot from the trunk to beyond the perimeter of the canopy. Fertilizers and soil conditioners work best if they are turned into the top four inches of soil. After the application of fertilizer, immediately follow by the correct, heavy application of water. This will result in a reduced chance for chemical burn to the fronds of the queen palm.
Pruning
The healthiest time of year for pruning queen palms is September through October (which removes summer-damaged fronds) and March through mid-May (which removes frost-damaged fronds). Remove only the minimum amount of fronds to keep a nice look to queen palms; excessive pruning to queen palms can result in stress and disfigurement to the plant. Remove old fronds with an arbor saw at the base of the leaf stem just above where the stem flattens out to attach to the trunk of the queen palm. Old leaf bases can be removed when they are completely dried out by pulling them off the trunk or by using a utility knife at a shallow setting to cut them off the trunk. Make certain to not cut into the trunk of the queen palm with the knife blade.
Fungicide
Bordeaux Mix fungicide is the most cost effective and reliable fungicide available for the treatment of bud rot (also called crown rot) in queen palms. It is easiest to apply Bordeaux fungicide for the prevention of bud rot; however, more applications will be required for the treatment of queen palms that are already infected.
Preventative applications
Apply in November, February, and June.
Mix thoroughly 4 to 8 Tbsp. Bordeaux Mix to ½ gallon water, and then pour mixture directly into the crown (the area where new fronds emerge) of the queen palm.
Remedial applications
Apply in November, February, June, and August.
Mix thoroughly 8 Tbsp. Bordeaux mix to ½ gallon water, then pour mixture directly into the crown (the area where new fronds emerge) of the queen palm.
We hope that this guide will help you keep your landscape healthy and beautiful.
Hawkeye Lansdcaping, Inc., is committed to match your dream vision and budget with our expert designers to create and build a quality outdoor environment. Behind the scenes, our entire organization will work to make your dreams a reality.
Our team members have many years of experience, with highly developed skills in the industry.
We take great pride in our knowledge of the local climate, soils, and plant materials.
We will utilize our extensive experience to create a wonderful and enjoyable landscape customized to fit your lifestyle.
Quality and professionalism you can trust!
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