Aftershock

If you had advanced notice of the economic crash of 2008, would you have taken step to protect yourself, your business, your job, retirement fund, home, family, friends, and community?  Yes!  Here's your chance to do what you couldn't do before.  A second crash is coming and the link below will show you the proof. 

Why Does Bermuda Grass Look so Bad but Rye Looks so Good?

For those communities that have problems growing summer Bermuda grass year after year it can be frustrating.  The same places are bare with soil, dead grass, sunk-in and slowly grow bigger each summer.  Water  seems to run-off the lawn even after aeration, chemicals to soften the soil and fertilizing do nothing to fix or help the problem.  Yet the overseeded winter Rye grows beautifully without problems. 

Many landscapers will tell you it is because our water in Arizona contains a high salt and high calcium content.  That will turn white when the water evaporates causing the water to not penetrate causing run off and grass death.  It takes a lot of years to build up enought salt for it to be seen on the soil surface and summer monsoon rains flush it out.  If salt was the reason causing the summer grass not to grow, the winter grass would also be affected. But, they are the landscapers and you try it and it does nothing.

Next you fertilize yet nothing so you even try replanting yet nothing works.  It's because those aren't the reasons why the grass will not grow.  It has nothing to do with the salt content of the water, fertility of the soil, or any other problem that can be solved by softening the soil or watering more.  In fact watering more caused the problem to worsen and allowed mosquitos, chiggers, & aphids, to lay eggs in the soil resulting in a potential health problem .  So, what do you do?

Suntree or Indian Bend Village this exact problem with the summer grass and it has nothing to do with salt, sun, soil fertility, or any other problem that has a cheap or quick fix.  The photo below shows the plugs left on the lawns after landscapers aerated in 2011.  All the plugs came from the same area in the same lawn where the grass will not grow in the summer.  Notice one of the plugs has a something white on top and at the root zone below (previously joked about being bird poop).  Notice that the entire plug isn't white and not all of them are white.  That is because it isn't salt build up; it is one or more kinds of fungi. 

Once Suntree Board Members start taking an active interest in the community and begin researching the problem themselves.  They will figure out they have to take matters into their own hands and sends soil samples they collected themselves using sterile tools for testing to a facility (not ASU) to determine what kind of fungus it is and how to treat it, the problem will just continue to grow.

I just don't understand why people are so quick to run to the doctor for something like a runny nose then refuse to believe that anything else can get sick.  Plants, grass, shrubs, trees, pets, soil all get sick too.  They think the only problems that plants have is from watering to little or to much, not enough sun or too much.  They don't consider pests that may have infested the plant due to over watering, stress, bacterial infections, viral infections, and certainly not fungus.    All plants need water, sun, and be able to obtain air through the roots.  If the soil is compact and hard the roots cannot get air and they will come to the surface to get it or die out.  But, more importantly, they need soil that drains and dries out between waterings, is free from fungus, bacteria, viral infections, and undesirable pests.   

You can learn what different infections look like and the symptoms from the following books.

Change Your Heads and Reduce Water

Changing your pop-up sprinkler heads to Hunter MP Sprinklers will reduce usage by 30% according to an independent study.

HOA BoD Spend Wisely

A temporary agreement by the US Government is just that temporary, but nothing fixes the problem.  Our government has to reduce spending, raise interest rates, and lower its investing.  Which means the state will not get money they have become dependant upon.  This puts states and cities at risk of defaulting and higher taxes.  City and state building contracts would be greatly reduced causing businesses to lay off employees or close their doors all together.  This means more bank defaults, bankruptcies, unemployed, mortgage defaults, higher taxes, new tax laws, etc.

Communities Declined by FHA for "First Right of Refusal" Clause.

If your community is having to reapply for FHA approval and the documents contain a "First Right of Refusal" clause don't be surprised if your application is declined.  But, all is not lost.  Thanks to the HOA Leader (first link in the right hand column) there is something you can do.  To find out more go to the site using the link as previously stated then go to the Forums to find out what you need to do. 

Suntree BoD Use Your Heads!!

In Suntree, for some unknown reason they have been running the sprinklers in the yards 4 times a day.  We did not plant grass seeds or anything else to justify watering the entire community 4 times a day.  Unless a professional guaranteed that watering 4 times a day would fix the problem.  Then do not conduct costly experiments on the entire community.  You use one or two zones as your test zones to prevent incurring huge expenses!  Use a little common sense, please.  Don't make it cost more than it has too or come to terms that our summer lawns will always look like crap.

Directors and Board Members Job Descriptions

Know what your signing up for when you run for your HOA BoD or if you just want to know how the board functions.  The HOA Leaders have a great book for download that details out each director and board members job description.  Yes, it is a job and one each homeowner expects you to do.

Go to www.blogspot.arizonahoaownersvoice.com then click on the HOA Leader link on the top right of the screen.

Energy Usage by Item **Update**

Previously I posted a spreadsheet showing how much it in electricity it costs to operate certain items.  The rates used to calculate the costs is based upon the rate per KWH at the time of the post.  SRP changes it's rates four times a year.   The rates increase in March, May, June, Sept., and December with the highest rate charged during months July, August, & Sept.   

Minding the Store

Who is minding Suntree vendors, it's not the management company who drives by once a week & it's not the board members who are entrusted by all the owners to do exactly that, so who is it?  Nobody! 

There is nothing to value about this board

For those of us who live in Suntree, we can say the grass is always greener on the other side.  Because the grass is always greener on any side of this community.