Home Page

One homeowner is personally protesting the NRCA regarding the condition of the grass. For the benefit of the protesting resident (who did not see this website until 2 weeks ago)  and the few homeowners who remain uninformed, the Round Up is reprinting the article from September (below) which explains why there was no winter lawn.

 

The NRCA also encourages homeowners to get your hands dirty by getting involved with committees. don't let yourself become a caricature of the stereotypical "complainer who doesn't get involved."   Join a committee instead!  (SEE WHO DOES WHAT IN NORTH RANCH!)

 

100% of the volunteer work done in the community is still done by 2-3% of the residents.

 

A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE GRASS:

  • Weeds had taken over 50% of all turf areas by 2007

  • To control weeds, a  winter lawn was not planted in 2007. The winter lawn was allowed to go dormant. If this had not been done the lawns would have eventually become 100% weeds like the basins (where nothing was done...just continued watering).

  • The Dicondra (pictured below) which formerly occupied the area near the big pool gate was destroyed by an ex-contractor in an ersatz effort to control weeds.  The area is being fertilized and watered daily but new grass (sod) may need to be planted.

  • Turf care for 2008 is right on schedule (aerating and fertilization is DONE. Watering is every day!)

NOTE: Unlike places like Gladden Farms, reclaimed water is not used in North Ranch. There is a possibility that the state or county may one day limit our water usage through confiscatory surcharges or other controls.  Rather then putting our heads in the sand, the NRCA is being proactive.

 

The landscaping committee has also discussed replacing grass on the corners along Cactus Canyon with xeriscape to reduce water usage, so the grass can be preserved at the entrances and pools. The landscaping committee meets monthly and is always looking for volunteers.

 

Screaming or speaking in a loud voice does not qualify as volunteer work. Coming to committee meetings does.

 

Over the last 8 months the association has worked hard to locate, repair and eliminate major sources of water waste. We are not talking about a broken sprinkler head but rather irrigation lines which traverse the common area of North Ranch behind common walls and in washes.  A huge effort has taken place to ensure these water lines have been capped. Many major leaks were discovered and repaired.

 

Because reliable irrigation mapping is unavailable, there may still be more lines watering the desert.

 

If we as a community want to have green grass it is incumbent on all of us to do all we can to conserve water. If anyone is aware of water leaks in common areas please contact 624-4404 thank you!

 

LAWNS AERATED 4/30

 

FERTILIZER ON BROWN SPOT 4/30/08

 

 

 

 

(From September 2007 Round Up)

PER EXPERT: LAWNS SHOULD GO DORMANT FOR

WINTER TO CONTROL WEEDS
 

September 21st 2007

Nutsedge, dandelion, crabgrass and other weeds are choking out the grass in North Ranch. Approximately 50% of the "grass" is now made up of weeds.  The situation is so bad a lawn expert is recommending not over seeding with winter rye to control the weed problem.

Below is the text of a letter sent to the manager regarding the situation from lawn expert John Salgado of Santa Rita Landscaping Inc:

"Chris,

You have requested prices for de-thatching, scalping and overseeding with winter rye for North Ranch.  While I can certainly provide you a proposal for the work, I feel it would not be money well spent by the North Ranch HOA.

Specifically, the lawns are in very poor condition due to the health of the grass which has allowed the weeds to flourish.    Unfortunately, long term mismanagement of the turf areas has contributed to the poor health, and continues to do so.  Preventive practices would have certainly prevented the more drastic treatments the lawns now require.  

Over-seeding will only damage these areas even more.  While the rye grass will germinate and will certainly look good for the winter, the seeds that have been broadcasted this summer by the weeds will also flourish from the addition of water and fertilizer.  The result will be an even bigger weed problem in the spring and summer when the Bermuda grass will be attempting to grow.

It is our experience that weeds are opportunists.  They find bare spots or places where the grass is weak and they exploit these areas to their advantage.  The turf areas at North Ranch contain a surprising number and variety of noxious weeds including nutsedge, dandelion and crabgrass.  There are both perennial weeds (those that re-grow from their roots every year) and annual weeds (those that die at the end of the season and come back from seed the next year).  The perennial weeds have spread and taken over large portions of the turf.  Annual weeds account for many of the large bare spots that are vulnerable to runoff from irrigation and rainfall.

In order to try and eradicate the majority of the weeds and weed seeds present in the turf areas, a combination of selective herbicide and pre-emergent treatments need to be done.  This, along with manual removal of the weeds, will probably need to be repeated several times to achieve the desired effect.  This means the turf areas will need to be in a dormant stage – thus the recommendation to forego the over seeding this year.  During this time, the areas would be treated and we would be able to get a true picture of how much actual viable turf there is.  It is my opinion that there will be a large amount of turf that has been choked out or is being choked out by the weeds.

Once the majority of the weeds have been eliminated, accepted preventive horticultural practices must be implemented.  Repair of bare spots and soil compaction can then be addressed."

Note: Santa Rita Landscaping Inc is one of several firms which have submitted a bid for the North Ranch landscape maintenance contract.