The HOA Board Quarterly Winter 2015 Issue #12 | Página 6

GREEN – Long Before It Was In-Vogue by Steve Economou L andscape beauty is widely accepted to be one of the largest contributors to curb appeal, and subsequently – property value. Many years ago I ran into a very seasoned gardener who I knew when I was the sole employee at Rainscape Environmental Management. I asked him how he had stayed in business all these years through good and bad times. He had simple but genuine advice – “don’t put your jobs off and keep your lawns GREEN.” It was true then and it’s true now. The beauty of pure turf in spring The Verrazzano HOA As spring approaches there is a critical step that must be taken no later than the end of March. In order to keep turf areas green and strong year round it is important not to allow infestations of weeds and undesirable warm seasonal grasses that turn brown in winter. Fortunately, there are chemicals that can stop these infestations before they begin. These products are known as pre-emergent herbicides. The granular chemicals should be spread on all turf areas BEFORE temperatures start to warn in an effort to stop the seeds of weeds and other grasses from germinating. There are a variety of products ranging in cost and effectiveness. It is important to ensure that your Association has a professional landscape management company in place. If you do, then these applications should be taking place automatically. Confer with your Landscape Manager. Ask what product has been applied and exactly when. The question to ask is: “Have we or when will we be applying pre-emergent herbicides on the turf areas?” California state regulations require that a log of such applications be maintained so such information should 6 | The HOA Board Quarterly | Issue #12 | Winter 2015 be readily available to your Manager. The careful and proactive maintenance of your turf will result in grass areas that remain green year round and last for decades. HOA Contributed by Steve Economu, Rainscape Environmental Management 619.229.0360 [email protected] or visit them at www.rainscape.com