GARDENING BY THE MOON: LET’S TALK LAWNS!

It is summer in Texas!   And with the summer heat comes the need to monitor watering of plants closely so that you do not over or under water and to control those pesky weeds growing in the turf. 

When watering your lawn and especially a new lawn, you want to make sure you are watering to a depth of 6 to 8 inches to encourage deep roots.  To be efficient with your watering, you may want to set up multiple run times on each irrigation zone to avoid water running off your property and down the street.  Turn your irrigation system on each zone, run and check when runoff starts.  For spray zones, that is usually 5 to 10 minutes.  On those spray zones, it might take 2 to 3 run times to wet the soil to a depth of 6 inches.  You can check soil moisture depth with a screwdriver. 

The drip zones in the curb median and in the beds can be run as per the irrigation guidelines for Pomona:

If weeds are a problem in your lawn, you have to attack back in two ways.  One, you can control them as they start to germinate by using a pre-emergent herbicide.  Pre-emergent needs to be applied in mid February for spring weeds, mid May for summer weeds.  If you missed these applications, or if you did not get total control, you can use a post-emergent weed killer.

The product to be selected needs to target the weeds to be controlled.  Weed control can be broken down into these categories – grassy weeds such as crabgrass, dalisgrass and poa annua; broadleaf weeds such as dandelions, clover and dollarweed and nutgrass.

Grassy weeds can be controlled with any of the many brands of Weed Control for Southern Grasses, control Poa Annua with Bayer Revolver, control nutgrass with Image and broadleaf weeds with Bayer Advanced Southern Weed Killer for Lawns.  These are just examples of products you can purchase.  Just make sure any product is targeted for your specific weed problem and follow all label instructions when applying.  Some of these products will control many kinds of weeds and reading the label will give you this information.

GARDENING BY THE MOON: VERTICAL GARDENING - PLANT A GARDEN IN A SMALL AREA!

My wife knows how much I love to garden, so for Valentine’s Day, she gifted me with a vertical garden so I could start early to plant salad greens and herbs. It has been a real hit for my family. We just walk out the back door and harvest a fresh salad. This has been so much fun! You can cut the lettuce greens and arugula (all varieties) and plants will quickly regrow so you can have a continual source of salad. If this piques your interest, go to OutlandLiving.com to order a vertical garden (or Amazon)! These vertical gardens come in 4’ or 6’ height. Since mine was 6’, I also planted a few flowers to provide color and add interest. This was easy to assemble. The trays are sturdy plastic and I drilled holes for drainage as shown on the diagram provided. Make sure you drill the holes!! Once assembled, I added about 1-inch of gravel to the bottom to help with drainage. The instructions tell you how much soil is needed for each tray. I used Miracle Gro Potting Soil and filled tray to about 1” from top. I lightly firmed the soil so level would not sink. As you can see from the photograph, I planted several types of lettuce, Ruby Leaf, Oak Leaf, Black Leaf, and Butter as well as Arugula. I also planted mint, sage and parsley. The flowers were for fun and color. You can plant from seed or plants.

I planted plants 4 to 6” apart on triangular spacing. The Miracle Gro Potting Soil has fertilizer in the soil. I suggest you continue to fertilize every 2 to 4 weeks with Miracle Gro Liquid All Purpose Plant Food. Once seeded or planted, gently water the soil with low water pressure so you don’t blow out the seeds or dislodge the plants. Let plants grow until full and about 6 to 8 inches in height. Once mature, use your scissors to cut back the lettuce leaves to a height of 2 inches. You can harvest fresh lettuce weekly once they are vigorously growing. The herbs can be clipped as needed. Continue to harvest the lettuce until we get into the heat of summer when it may start to die out. When that happens, convert your vertical garden to other summer vegetables or plant flowers. You can plant lettuce again in the fall. I am planning to have fun with my vertical garden so you might want to give it a try.

GARDENING BY THE MOON: Dreaming of Gardening – Container Gardening Ideas

I know everything in our world is upside down due to COVID-19 and hopefully your family is doing well. If you are like me and the walls are starting to close in, you might like to begin dreaming and planning for when you can garden again. Containers to be the most effective should contain a thriller, filler and spiller technique of planting. You can use these same ideas for hanging baskets also. Thriller Plants – These plants give height to the pot adding drama and a vertical focal point. These plants can be flowering plants, foliage plants, ornamental grasses or shrubs. These plants should be placed in the center of the container or on one side of the container if the container is to be viewed from one side. Filler Plants – These plants fill in around the center planting, they are shorter in height, have rounded or mounded growth and can be several different varieties depending on the size of the container. These plants are planted halfway between the edge of the container and up to the thriller planting. Spiller Plants – These plants are trailing plants that grow over the side of the container and add depth and interest. These plants are planted around the edge of the container and can be different varieties depending on the size of the container. Click HERE for the full article with photos.

COVID-19 Resources

CITY OF MANVEL STAY SAFE AT HOME ORDER

To protect the community and reinforce regional efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, the City of Manvel has placed a Stay Home Order. This order limits activities within the city community to those that are essential. For the purposes of this order, essential businesses include essential healthcare operations, essential government functions, essential critical infrastructure, essential retail, providers of basic necessitates to economically disadvantaged populations, essential services necessary to maintain essential operations of residences or other essential businesses, news media, childcare services, and labor union functions.

Resources that can provide assistance during this disruption

Small Business Administration Programs

Federal Income Tax Filing Deadline

Federal Tax Credit for Required Leave

Tax Provisions for Businesses

Unemployment Benefits

Texas Workforce Commission – Shared Work Program

City of Pearland Stay Safe at Home Order

CDC: Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers

Local Public Health Resources

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA)

There are two loan programs from the Small Business Administration to assist businesses impacted by COVID-19. A business may qualify for both the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) as they cover different items. EIDL is directly through the SBA and is now taking applications. The Paycheck Protection Program will be through your local lender and the rules and process are still be worked on at this time. See below for more details on both programs.

SBA INJURY DISASTER LOANS (EDIL)

Background

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as the result of COVID-19. The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.

These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses without credit available elsewhere. Once approved, an initial disaster bridge loan of $25,000 could be available within 5 days.

Criteria reviewed includes credit history, ability to repay and losses related to the disaster. There is no cost to apply with funds coming directly from the US Treasury and not your bank. SBA will calculate the businesses’ ability to fund itself for the next six months and if it cannot, it is eligible for a loan. The maximum unsecured loan is $25,000, but a loan will not be declined for a lack of collateral, however will require borrowers to pledge what is available. Payments start the 12th month after the date of the note. There is no obligation to take the loan or draw down entire amount offered.

SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.

The Process

We encourage you to first reach out to your local bank/lender to see what credit/assistance is available. Also, determine if you are a small business by taking the size standard test.

There is a three-step disaster loan process:

1.   Download two forms, fill in and upload forms: 3 pages of application estimated to take only 30 minutes to complete, can be scanned or can be taken as a photo and uploaded. Forms are not being completed on the web, only via upload.

2.  Loan processing decision: Information will be verified and credit checked and more information may be requested to determine the loan amount. A loan office will contact you to make a recommendation and discuss the next steps. A decision can take up to four weeks.

3.  Loan closes and funds disbursed: Once you sign and submit loan documents, an initial disaster bridge loan of $25,000 will be available within 5 days.

What You Will Need to Apply

·    Loan Application: Sole Proprietor (SBA Form 5C) or Business (SBA Form 5)

·    Check EIDL box

·    Do not fill out blocks 15 or 20, as there is no property loss

·    Supporting Information: SBA Form P-019

·    If business is less than a year old, can still apply.

Other Information You May Be Asked for Later

·    Up to two years Tax Returns with all schedules: IRS Form 4506-T

·    Complete copy, including all schedules, of the most recent Federal income tax return for principals (own 20% or more), all general partners or managing members and each owner who owns more than 50% of an affiliate business

·    If the most recent Federal income tax return has not been filed, a year-end profit and loss statement and balance sheet for that tax year is acceptable.

·    Fee Disclosure: SBA Form 159D

·    Monthly Sales Figures: SBA Form 1368

·    Personal Financial Statement: SBA Form 413D

·    Schedule of Liabilities: SBA Form 2022

·    A current year-to-date profit and loss statement

Additional information can be found on the COVID-19: Small Business Guidance and Loan Resources page on the SBA’s website and Application Instructions.

SBA PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM

Background

The Paycheck Protection Program will provide 8 weeks of cash-flow assistance through a 100 percent federally guaranteed loan to small businesses (less than 500 employees) who maintain their payroll during the COVID-19 crisis. If the employer maintains its payroll, the portion of the loans used for covered payroll cost, interest on mortgage obligations, rent, and utilities would be forgiven.

This SBA program will be offered by local banks, credit unions and other SBA certified lenders. To increase the approval time, lenders will have the authority to process, close and service a loan without SBA review. The program was part of the CARES Act approved by Congress and the rules of the program have not yet been finalized.

Loan

Small businesses, sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed individuals are eligible. The maximum loan amount will be the lesser of $10 million dollars or 2.5 times the average monthly payroll and employee benefits, excluding compensation above $100K, based on the prior year’s payroll. The requirement to have credit elsewhere, collateral requirements and all requirements for a personal guarantees are waived. All principal, interest and fees for six months will be waived.

Loan Forgiveness

To encourage employers to maintain payroll from February 15, 2020 through June 30, 2020, the employer can be receive loan forgiveness for an 8-week period after the origination date used on payroll cost, interest on mortgage obligation, rent and utilities. Employers that rehire workers previously laid off will not be penalized for having a reduced payroll at the beginning of the period.

Additional information with links will be posted when available. In the meantime, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued a guide to help small businesses and self-employed individuals prepare to file for a loan.

FEDERAL INCOME TAX FILING DATE DEFERRED TO JULY 15

Federal income tax returns, along with Federal income tax payments, that were due April 15, 2020, have been automatically postponed to July 15, 2020 without any interest or penalties. Originally, the IRS was allowing tax payments to be deferred until July 15, but returns would still be have been required to have been filed by April 15, but this was later revised to also extend the filing of tax returns to July 15. Learn more.

FEDERAL TAX CREDIT FOR REQUIRED PAID LEAVE

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Act), signed into law on March 18, 2020, allows small and midsize employers two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing the act’s required Coronavirus-related leave to their employees. All businesses with fewer than 500 employees are eligible to receive funds to provide employees with paid leave, either for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members. The legislation is designed to enable employers to keep their workers on their payrolls, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus.

Eligible employers who pay qualifying sick or child care leave will be able to retain an amount of the payroll taxes equal to the amount of qualifying sick and child care leave that they paid, rather than deposit them with the IRS. The payroll taxes that are available for retention include withheld federal income taxes, the employee share of Social Security and Medicare taxes, and the employer share of Social Security and Medicare taxes with respect to all employees.  Learn more (including examples) on the tax credits.

TAX PROVISIONS FOR BUSINESSES

The CARES Act has multiple provisions to assist business with cash flow and liquidity to encourage businesses to keep employees on the payroll during the COVID-19 crisis. We encourage you to reach out to your accountant/tax preparer to see which provisions can benefit your business. A few of the provisions include:

·    Eligible employers receive a credit against applicable employment taxes for each calendar quarter in an amount equal to 50% of the qualified wages for each employee. Credit is not available if taking advantage of the small business interruption loan.

·    Payroll taxes deferred for most employees from March 27 to December 31, 2020. Half deferred until December 31, 2021 and the other half to December 31, 2022.

·    Net Operating Loss provision allows businesses to apply losses from 2018, 2019 or 2020 to past years’ profits and claim refunds.

·    Business interest provision temporarily allows increase in the interest deduction from 30 to 50 percent for 2019 and 2020.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Employees working reduced hours or that have been laid off/furloughed because of COVID-19 will be eligible for unemployment. The CARES Act passed by Congress increases the amount customarily available for unemployment by $600 per week until July 31, 2020. Total benefits may not exceed 39 weeks.

Congress recently expanded benefits to self-employed, independent contractors and “gig workers” who normally don’t qualify for unemployment benefits, but may qualify under Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). You should first apply for regular unemployment so the state can determine you are ineligible for benefits before applying for DUA. The expanded benefits for independent contractors or self-employed individuals are being funded through the CARES Act.

Additional information for employers from the Texas Workforce Commission for employers and filing for unemployment.

More documents on the CARES Act -

US Chamber Summary of CARES Act

CARES Act Summary & Provisions

CARES Act for Small Businesses

CARES Act Small Business Loans

CARES Act Way and Means Phase III

CARES Act Paycheck Protection and Loan Forgiveness

TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION – SHARED WORK PROGRAM

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) encourages employers to enroll in Shared Work program as an alternative to layoffs. The voluntary Shared Work program was developed to help Texas employers and employees withstand a slowdown in business such as the impact of COVID-19.  For more information on the Shared Work Program or to apply for the program, click here.

TWC resources for employers can be found here.

CDC: INTERIM GUIDANCE FOR BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYERS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released an interim guide to assist businesses and employers plan, prepare and respond to Coronavirus Disease. The CDC will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available. 

LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH RESOURCES

The city continues to work with local, regional and state partners to monitor and prepare for Coronavirus. We encourage you to visit the local County Public Health information pages for the most recent local information.

·    Brazoria County

·    Harris County

·    Fort Bend County

GARDENING BY THE MOON Are you Leaking or Not? (This is not a political question!)

The weather is hinting that warm weather is about to return, but before it arrives, you need to prepare your irrigation before it becomes needed with the hot months ahead. To prepare, turn your irrigation system back on and check each irrigation zone for leaks. Your system is a pressurized system and when there are leaks, the system will not work efficiently, wasting precious water and not providing adequate moisture for plant material. Your trees, shrubs and turf cannot thrive in the heat of a Texas summer without a fully operating irrigation system. These steps will help you diagnose your irrigation system for needed repairs:

1. Turn your controller to the “on” position and switch to a test cycle. This will cause your zones to run and while they are operating, walk around your yard and check for any leaking heads, missing heads creating geysers, or clogged heads causing low flow, no flow or uneven flow.

2. Check your drip irrigation zones by looking for broken or cut lines. If you have a leak, the water will bubble up and you will need to repair. Sometimes our animal friends will cut a line as they are looking for a source of water during the winter months.

3. Also, check for zones not coming on indicating a wiring issue or a non-operating valve problem.

4. Once check is complete, turn your irrigation system back to the “off” position.

If repairs are needed, make them now before hot weather arrives and damages your plants. Problems with heads and drip are easier to repair but wiring or non-functional zones may require a professional irrigator to repair. If you do need a professional, it will be easier to find one now before the heat of summer. When making repairs, always use “like kind” irrigation replacement parts. This will insure proper coverage.

Shamrock Hunt

Amidst the current situation in our community, residents still found a way to unite while social distancing with a shamrock hunt! Residents created and colored shamrocks, then placed them on their doors and windows for their neighbors to find. Little did they know they were already over the rainbow in the best community around!!!

GARDENING BY THE MOON: Spring is Around the Corner

It may only be February but spring is around the corner. But before we discuss upcoming gardening activities, I want to talk weeds! For those of you who did not use a pre-emergent weed control last September or you did but have a breakthrough of weeds, don’t despair. You can control actively growing weeds in your turf with one of the weed killers for Southern Turf such as BioAdvanced Weed Killer for Lawns. There are several manufacturers for southern turf weed control, so pick the one you like.

To get a head start on improving the appearance of your landscape, this is the month to do the following gardening activities.

• Freshen your beds and rings to improve appearance. Pull out all weeds in beds and tree rings and add a double ground, dyed-brown, hardwood much. Maintaining 2 inches of mulch will provide great growing conditions for your plants, reduce water use and make it easier to remove those pesky weeds. Remember, no red mulch in beds. Brown will provide a more natural appearance. You want your beds to look their best.

• To avoid future weeds, between February 15 and March 15, apply a pre-emergent weed control to your planting beds and turf. This pre-emergent will help control all spring and early summer weeds. Apply Preen to planting beds and Halts to your turf. As always when applying any product, follow the label directions closely.

• Feed your trees, shrubs, ground covers, ornamental grasses and perennials. Fertilize with Scott’s Southern Lawn Food and your plants will respond going into the growing season. Follow the application rates on the bag. Fertilize your trees by applying 2 pounds of this fertilizer around each tree spread evenly from tree trunk out to drip line. It is always good to water after fertilizing but fertilizing before a rain will also work.

All the above gardening activities will give you a jump start on the growing season. The good news is – Spring is just around the corner!

GARDENING BY THE MOON: Happy Holidays!

The Holiday Season is in full swing and I am wishing all of you a Happy Holiday. I thought I would address some of the questions most asked by homeowners during this time of year.

Mistletoe and Poinsettias are always popular decorations but some people are afraid to use these plants when they have kids or pets due to misinformation. Nothing says “holiday” like a beautiful poinsettia. The poinsettia plant is not deadly. If ingested by plants or kids, it can cause a mouth rash or skin rash from the juices and depending upon the amount ingested, it can cause a stomach upset but I don’t think most kids will find it their favorite treat. If you have concern, you can always set it out of reach,

Until recently, mistletoe was widely considered extremely poisonous. Swallowing mistletoe can cause slight stomach upset symptoms but it is not highly toxic. Since the “kissing, ball” is usually hung high, it is out of reach of most children and pets, but if a piece falls off and is ingested, studies have shown no fatalities.

Homeowners are always interested in how to protect plants during winter cold weather where freezing temperatures are expected. The number one protection and the easiest is to make sure plants have sufficient water in the soil before cold weather arrives. This can be provided by natural rainfall or if conditions are dry, by using your irrigation system. Hand watering can also provide moisture if you do not want to run your irrigation system. No matter how you choose to add water, do so!

Enjoy your holidays and this break from most landscape maintenance. Spring will be coming and your maintenance chores will return, but for now, have fun. See you in the New Year!!

2019 ANNUAL HOA MEETING PRESENTATION AND MINUTES

A note from the General Manager:

We were excited to see so many residents at the annual meeting last week.  Click here to view the presentation and the minutes from the meeting.

To recap on a few of the important takeaways.

·        Annual dues will be increasing by $26 or 2% in 2020.  The annual assessment for 2020 will be $1190.  You should receive your assessment statement next month.

·         New Social Hall hours are 10am-7pm, every day, unless reserved for a private party. You must have access card to enter.

·         Social Hall rentals will begin in January 2020.  Reservations will be accepted up to 60 days prior to rental date.

·         The cost to rent the Social Hall will be $450 plus $400 deposit (deposit check will not be deposited, unless there are damages).

·         There is no fee to use the Courtyard and Back Porch spaces. Access card hours for Courtyard are 6am-9pm.

·         You must check out a key to use the grills.

·         The Fitness Center is scheduled to open in December 2019. You will have 24/7 access with your amenity card.

·         The Backyard Park is scheduled to open in December 2019

Happy Thursday!

GARDENING BY THE MOON: Irrigation System Maintenance

As a homeowner, maintaining your irrigation system is extremely important.  It is your responsibility and now as we are approaching winter, it is a good time to conduct a zone by zone inspection of your system.  Like any water system, it works under water pressure and when there are leaks, the system does not perform efficiently.  When checking your system zone by zone, turn on the water and check for the following:

-to make sure zones are coming on (if not, it could be a clogged or broken valve).

-for breaks in the lines

-for leaks

-for heads that are raised and not flush with the ground

-drip irrigation to make sure it is covered with soil or mulch for protection from lawn equipment

-irrigation heads for clogged nozzles creating coverage problems

If you find problems make needed repairs so that your system is working properly to maintain your landscape.  If you do not know how to make repairs, contact an irrigation company to make needed repairs.  This inspection needs to be done annually. 

When checking your irrigation system, make sure all valve boxes are flush with the ground to prevent damage during lawn maintenance.

As we approach winter, turn off your irrigation system.  There is plenty of natural rainfall between October and May so you do not need irrigation to keep plants healthy.  If there is an unusual year and rains are scarce and your yard is dry, turn you irrigation on and run but then turn it back off.   Leaving your system in the off position, will prevent icing when running during periods of extreme cold.   This icing can damage plants and causes walks and roadways to be a danger to pedestrians and cars.

By keeping your system in working condition, you will avoid plant damage and water waste due to leaks and excessive watering.  This means more $$ in your pocket.

BOO BASKETS!!!

Boo baskets start today, October 1 so keep an eye on your front door!!!  Getting "boo-ed" is a fun Halloween tradition where a neighbor will leave a fun basket of goodies on another neighbor's door step.  There will be a note on what to do next after you get "boo-ed".  Make sure to share all your fun pics on the private Homeowners Facebook page.  See below for the print outs in case you need them.  Have fun!!!

Below is what to do once you have been booed! Please make sure to print this sheet AND the We’ve Been Booed sign to place in the basket when you boo someone. Once you’ve been booed, post the sign on your window or door immediately so prevent double booing and to help spread the boo love!

Gardening by the Moon: Pruning Your Landscape

Dr. Moon is the horticulturist for our community. He knows anything and everything plant life. 2 weeks ago he gave a class on how to prune your landscape. If you missed it, never fear because you can CLICK HERE for the presentation for you to review:

GARDENING BY THE MOON: FALL TREE CARE! PROTECT THIS VALUABLE ASSET!

The trees in your yard are the most valuable asset in your landscape.  If you like trees as much as I do, and you want to protect this asset, the following information will help you care for your front and back yard trees.

Remove all dead wood or branches out of your trees.  Do this now before deciduous trees drop leaves so you can see what needs to be removed.  Make all cuts back to a branch or back to the tree trunk.  The cuts should not leave stubs but the cut should leave a branch collar.

Remove staking and guy wires from trees when your tree is well rooted.  Check by shaking the trunk and if the root ball does not move, then all staking materials can be removed.  Never let guy wires cut into the trunk, permanently damaging your tree.

If the trunk of your tree has borer insect holes, then treat the tree with Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub.  This will systemically treat your tree and it also feeds your tree.  Apply as per label instructions.

Remove the grass from around the tree trunk out to 2 feet around the tree and apply mulch to a depth of 2 inches.  Use dyed-brown mulch and once installed, pull the mulch back 6 inches from around trunks.  This helps conserve moisture for your tree over the winter and prevents competition from other plants taking away fertilizer meant for the tree.  Install only 2 inches of mulch.  Do not build a mulch volcano around the tree!

Fertilize your tree to get trees ready for the coming winter.  If you tree is 3 to 4 inches in diameter, apply 2 pounds of fertilizer from trunk spread evenly out to drip line of the tree.  Young trees need extra fertilizer after being planted.  Trees turn yellow if they do not get extra fertilizer.  These trees were grown where they were fertilized regularly and if they do not get this fertilizer, tree health and vigor will suffer.  Young trees have to be fertilized at least 3 to 4 times per year.

Protect your valuable asset!  Take some time to follow these maintenance practices.

GARDENING BY THE MOON: HOT NOW – BUT FALL IS COMING!

Even though it is hot outside, school has started and the calendar is telling us we are headed into fall.  I love fall, even thought it can still be hot.  It is Texas!  I know your schedule is busy, but here are a few items that you need to work into your schedule to keep your landscape healthy and vigorous.

Shrub Beds:

-Trim back your shrubs and perennials.

-Clean weeds and Bermuda grass out of your beds.

-Fertilize your beds with with a fall fertilizer.  If you recently fertilized, fertilize 6 weeks after last application.  Water in or apply before a rain.

-Mulch your beds with a dyed-brown mulch.  Only apply enough mulch to maintain a depth of 2 inches.

-Apply pre-emergent weed control to your beds.  You can use Preen or Halts to control winter weeds in your beds.  Water in or apply before a rain.

Turf:

-Check your yard for grubworms.  In brown areas, if your turf pulls up easily, check for this pest and treat with a grubworm control product.

-Spray any weeds in turf with a weed control for southern grasses.

-Fertilize your turf with a fall fertilizer.  If you recently fertilized, fertilize 6 weeks after last application.  Water in or apply before a rain.

-Apply pre-emergent weed control to your turf.  You can use Preen or Halts to control winter weeds in your turf.  Water in or apply before a rain.

When applying any product, make sure to read and follow all label instructions.

By doing this landscape maintenance between now and September 15, your landscape will be greatly benefited.  Hopefully the Texas heat will cooperate and allow you to complete these tasks in cool fall-like temperatures!

Teens raise funds for Pomona elementary PTO!!!

Saturday, August 3rd our very own Pomona Teen Advisory Board held a car wash in the community to raise funds for the Pomona elementary PTO. They each put in lots of hard work on one of the last Saturdays before school started. They worked together, communicated and surpassed their goal of what they wanted to raise. It was a great day for our teen group. Not only did they get involved for a great cause they also earned volunteer hours for their resumes!!!

GARDENING BY THE MOON: IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR!

Yes, it is that time of year in Texas!  The heat has arrived and all the beneficial rains have stopped.  When I am on site walking properties, I not only feel the heat, but I can see the stress the heat is causing plant materials.  Monitor your plants closely and if you observe wilting or yellowing, and your soil is dry, water!

If you are watering and your soil is wet, but you observe yellow or browning leaves, this could be due to the plant not keeping up with water loss from the leaves and the plant is adjusting to the heat by self-pruning leaves to conserve water loss.  This is not a bad thing to see leaves falling off plants.  The remaining leaves are what the plant roots can sustain in the extreme hot weather.  Your job in this process is just to make certain the plants receive adequate moisture.

If your turf is browning and soil is dry and cracking, probe to a depth of 6 inches and if dry at that depth, add water.  If you are applying adequate moisture and soil is moist at that depth, the brown turf could be due to heat stress.  During excessive heat, turf will go into dormancy for protection.  Fortunately, your turf can tolerate much drought and as soon as adequate moisture is applied or the extreme heat breaks, the turf will start growing again and green up.  Turf likes water and fertilizer so make sure you are doing both of these things if you want to keep  your turf green. 

Browning turf can also be caused by grubworms and sod armyworms.  If grubworms are present, the brown turf will lift right out of the ground and you will see white grubworms.  If armyworms are present, you will see a hoard of worms eating your turf.  If present, treat either of these worms with a granular turf insecticide.

This is Texas so the hot weather is here to stay for a while.  Assist your plants with the water needed to survive this heat.

POMONA IRRIGATION FACT SHEET by Dr. Robert E. Moon:

Fact 1 – Water Efficient Landscaping:  The landscaping at Pomona is a major part of the overall plan of the community.  Plants on the approved plant list are water efficient, well adapted, native Texas plants that perform well in south Texas climatic conditions.   Planting techniques such as soil preparation, drip and spray irrigation and mulching are designed to provide optimum plant growth with reduced irrigation.  Reducing water use in the landscape is a vital part of the overall planning, design and strategy for Pomona residents.

Fact 2 – Water and Oxygen:  All plants need water and oxygen in the root zone to survive.  It is important to balance the use of adequate water for plant growth but also allow time for soil to breath between watering so soil does not become water-logged.  In Texas, more plants are killed from overwatering rather than not enough water.

 Fact 3 – Watering Needs:  Plant water needs vary depending on direct sun exposure, amount of shade, temperature, humidity, wind, soil and rain.  The best way to determine water needs is to watch for plant stress – wilting of leaves and/or yellowing of leaves.  You can also determine water needs by probing the soil to a depth of 2 to 4 inches with your fingers to check for soil moisture. 

Fact 4 – Optimum Water Use:  It is best to water in the early morning hours to avoid plant disease and when water loss through evaporation is minimal.  Do not water between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.  When watering, apply water with multiple run times to avoid runoff into streets.   Water as infrequently as possible, but water thoroughly at each application.  Soak the soil to encourage deep root system growth to help plants better tolerate drought conditions and stress due to hot temperatures.  Well rooted plants will use water efficiently stored in the soil.

Fact 5 – Watering of New Landscape:  How new plants are watered will affect how plants survive.  Water guidelines for new plantings should be as follows:

·        Thoroughly water plants after planting.

·        Make sure all plantings are mulched to reduce evaporation of water from around root balls. 

·        Water all newly planted landscaping every other day for the first four weeks.  Run times will vary in each yard due to location and amount of sun or shade.  Soils should be kept moist to a depth of 6 to 12 inches or throughout the root zone for plant establishment.   

·        Transition watering from every other day to two times per week after 4 weeks.  Transition to watering for established landscape as soon as possible.

Fact 6 – Watering of Established Landscape:  Water guidelines for established plantings should be as follows:

·        Landscape water use depends upon the climatic conditions and soil moisture.

·        Replenish mulch yearly to reduce evaporation and water use around root systems and planting beds.

·        Water so soil is moist to a depth of 6 to 12 inches so plants are more resilient to drought conditions and stress due to hot temperatures.

·        Check irrigation settings and soil moisture throughout the year and make adjustments as needed depending on plant’s water needs.  

·        Refer to following chart for monthly Controller Settings and Run Times. 

POMONA IRRIGATION CONTROLLER MONTHLY SETTINGS 

The irrigation system will be switched to OFF position October through May and the following run times in those months will only apply during periods of drought.

These suggested settings and run times are general guidelines and may need to be adjusted for individual landscape conditions, soils, rainfall and climatic conditions.  Run times can be broken into multiple run times to prevent runoff.

Note:  The above guidelines are suggestions for a starting point.  Continue to monitor your soil by probing for adequate soil moisture.  If you experience wet or dry areas in your yard, adjust your irrigation system accordingly.   Natural rainfall will affect these guidelines. 

GARDENING BY THE MOON: VALUABLE ASSET - TREES

The trees in your yard are a valuable asset and vital part of the community planning so that their beauty will set the desired atmosphere for years to come.  With proper care these trees will grow and thrive providing shade, cooling and year-round beauty.  

For these trees to remain healthy and vigorous, there are maintenance items that need to be observed: 

·        Keep your tree’s root flare free of soil cover.  The trees in front of your home between the street and sidewalk should not have stone edging installed with soil added on top of the root ball.  This practice is very detrimental to tree health and in many cases, causes the tree to lose vigor.  It can also cause death due to bark deterioration.  Edging around trees can contribute to water holding around the tree preventing needed root/air exchange that is essential for healthy root growth.  It also makes it more difficult to provide needed nutrients to roots.   Just remember, tree feeder roots are shallow and they do not like to be covered. 

·        The mulch rings around trees can also be eliminated after the first 2 years.  The rings are there for establishment but once trees are established, rake the mulch rings level and let the grass grow up to the trunk.  If you want to maintain mulch, keep it pulled back from the root flare and do not have more than 2 inches of mulch at anytime.

·        Fertilize your trees now by applying 1/2 pound fertilizer per inch trunk diameter spread evenly from outside root ball to 2 feet past canopy drip line.  Most of your trees are 3 to 4 inch in diameter. 

·        Trees can grow quickly in the spring so check the staking materials on your trees monthly.  Do not let the materials cut into the bark, damaging trees.  If your tree has been in for one year, shake the trunk and if the root ball does not move, it is time to remove all staking materials.  If the root ball is still moving, leave on staking materials but make sure to loosen all ties as needed to prevent damage to branches and tree trunk. 

Do not allow ties to grow into trees!!!



Congrats to our winners!!!

What a fun college basketball season! Something you can’t make up…Virginia ended up taking home the title and so did resident, Meredith Wheeler, for winning the 2019 Pomona NCAA Bracket!!!

Also, a special shout out to all our teens and players on their hard work in putting together the 2nd Annual 3x3 Pomona Basketball Tournament. In the end, the Reign Gang took home the gold but there was so much heart shown on the court that everyone was a winner that day!!!