Common area landscape maintenance

Vickie Hamilton

Early spring through the end of summer are major landscape growth periods in the Southwest and can be quite a challenge for maintenance landscapers. Preserving and maintaining the HOA’s investment in landscape and enhancing the community’s appearance is an ongoing process that requires constant diligence. The HOA’s Director of Common Area and Golf Course Maintenance Paul McGinnis works with the HOA’s contract landscape maintenance company, DLC, to stay on top of this massive job which includes maintaining nine acres of grass, 117 acres of common area granite and 66 irrigation controllers over 2000 landscape lights in addition to over 4,000 trees. The over 6,000 palm trees are trimmed annually by a vendor who specializes in the care of palms at a cost of $130,000. Palm trees are generally trimmed in July or August after the seed pods are mature. The total budget for Common Area Maintenance is $1.4 million.

To keep up with the ever growing landscape, the HOA works with a team of trained landscape professionals who provide landscape management services that include: mowing, pruning and fertilizing trees and shrubs, analyzing and responding to shrub and tree health issues such as insect infestations, replacing dead trees and plants; replacing granite in bare spots, weed control including the application of pre-emergent and post-emergent, managing monsoon and wind damage and general clean-up plus management of the irrigation systems such as adjusting irrigation controllers according to season to minimize water usage. In addition, the same workers remove and replant the flowers around the clubhouses and entrance roadways at least twice a year. DLC has a crew of six full time employees maintaining the common areas as well as one full time detail man who works on flower beds and checks for site line obstructions such as the blocking of street signs. In addition, specially skilled and certified crew members work on espraying for weed control, irrigation and other specific areas as needed.

Obviously, a massive job such as this inherently has a number of challenges. The Director of Common Area and Golf Course Maintenance works closely with the contract landscapers to establish a schedule that moves the crews from site to site and thereby provides a planned, methodical approach that ensures all areas are maintained on a regular basis and with maximum efficiency. Landscape maintenance programs must include the ability to customize scheduled maintenance routines to suit the property’s needs and budget. PebbleCreek’s common areas are on an eight week trimming cycle.

Trimming and pruning, however, are dependent on the type of plant in that each type of plant has its own growing and blooming cycle. Therefore, trimming is also based on these cycles as well as frost and every plant is not trimmed each time the workers come through each area. Plants are trimmed to their natural shapes, not geometrically. Trees are addressed primarily twice a year—in the spring and fall.

This scheduled and methodical approach may require some patience on the part of property owners. Weeds are a challenge in the spring but become less burdensome after temperatures reach 100. However, during the seasons when mesquites, Palo Verde and other plant life grow at a faster rate than normal and vegetation appears heavier than usual, residents may have to exercise some patience. Continuously restaging crews from area to area throughout the complex to respond to individual issues is not efficient, nor cost effective, and makes it difficult to maintain the planned schedule. Unless it is an emergency, such as a safety hazard or irrigation system failure, it is better to wait until the regularly scheduled maintenance of the area.

To help keep DLC workers on their regular schedules, Ron Sawyer, Landscape Maintenance Supervisor, and his Hot Shot Team respond to green cards and miscellaneous complaints such as broken branches, broken trees, storm damage, re-plantings, etc. as well as blow off and maintain the clubhouse patios, entrances, parking lots and all the courts—bocce, tennis and pickleball.

Landscaping is a homeowner association asset that can and should improve with age. However, maintaining this massive asset is a challenge and planned, scheduled attention is the best way to make this happen.