Lawn Watering Tips, Techniques and Advice
If you have questions, please contact the Centennial Water & Sanitation District at 303-791-0430. Additionally, the District has coordinated with the Conservation Center of Boulder, Colorado to provide Highlands Ranch residents with a free irrigation consultation survey at their residence. Residents are encouraged to call 303-999-3820 to arrange the survey at their property.

Lawn Watering Techniques

• Look for early signs of wilt and dehydration to determine when your lawn needs water. Common indicators include a bluish-green color, curling grass blades, and footprints that remain on the lawn.
• Most lawns require about an inch of water per week. If you’re unsure of how long to water, put a mark one inch from the bottom of several plastic containers and spread them around the watering zone. Clock the time it takes to reach the one-inch mark and water for that length of time in the future.
• Water may be applied any time of day, but morning is usually the most efficient time for watering your lawn because that is when the least amount of water is lost to evaporation and wind drift.

Lawn Watering Methods - Sprinklers and Irrigation Systems

• Portable sprinklers are a fairly inexpensive way to water your lawn. Because sprinklers vary in their range and distribution methods, choose one based on the size and shape of your landscape watering zone.
• Stationary sprinklers are best used in small areas that other sprinklers miss or that need supplemental water.
• Impact and rotary sprinklers are meant to water circular-shaped watering zones on medium to large lawns.
• Oscillating sprinklers move a fan of water over a large, rectangular area, while revolving sprinklers shoot jets of water in a circular pattern in smaller areas.
• If you want to maximize efficiency, consider installing an irrigation system. These are controlled by a timer, eliminating the need for you to interrupt your schedule in order to water your lawn. Irrigation systems also help conserve water and are ideal for vacation homes or for the homeowner who travels often.

With the arrival of warmer weather, everyone is anxious to get outside and enjoy their yards and the sunshine. However, spring is often a windy time of year in Colorado. Loose trash blowing around the neighborhoods is unsightly and can be dangerous if it gets into open space areas or is washed down the storm sewer and collects in the wetlands where many bird species nest.

Both the HRCA and the HRMD are partnering in an effort to alleviate unsightliness in the community and to maintain the open space by requesting that residents and business owners ensure their trash and recyclables are properly secured. This can easily be done by not overfilling recycle bins, placing heavier items on top of lighter ones, compacting your trash as much as possible to make heavier and less likely to blow over, placing it in secured trash bags, and by using trash and recycle bins with lids. Even in the best of circumstances, it is sometimes difficult to keep trash contained, but with high winds it’s even more important that trash be kept in trash cans and that cans be kept upright when they are at curbside.

A reminder that trash can be placed at the curb the evening before your scheduled pick-up day, and cans are to be stored out of sight again the same evening of pick-up. If cans are out at the street or visible from the street any other time, then they are in non-compliance. Being conscientious about when trash cans are put out will keep our neighborhoods looking and smelling better in the warmer weather, and a few extra minutes spent appropriately bagging, and securely tying down trash can make all the difference.

We can all do small things as residents that will make a huge impact in the community such as carrying a plastic bag to collect dog waste when walking dogs in the common areas, or picking up stray trash along the streets or in the parks and open space. Taking pride in our community and doing our part to ensure that it remains clean and beautiful will ensure that Highlands Ranch will continue to be a great place to live, work, and play.

Last winter was a dry one for lawns along the Front Range. The Covenant Compliance and Assistance Department of the HRCA observed many lawns that had large areas of dead or damaged sod that homeowners seemed unable to remedy with water and nutrients.  The causes of these problems can vary, but turfgrass mite could be the problem. 

Three spider mite species are among those that damage Colorado turf: clover mites, Banks grass mites, and brown wheat mites.  The injury caused by turfgrass mites further damages turf already under stress from lack of water.  Most damage occurs during early to mid spring.  During early to mid-spring, clover mites damage turfgrass around building foundations and other warm, dry areas of the lawn may be totally killed, appearing as light brown, irregular dead patches.  Clover mite injury to turf is commonly mistaken for winter kill and usually is found in the same sunny, dry areas of the lawn where winter drying problems occur.  Banks grass mite is a common mite species in Colorado.  It causes grass to turn a bleached straw color, often killing it rapidly.  South facing hills are particularly vulnerable to this type of mite damage. 

The purpose of winter watering is not to stimulate the turf, rather it is to keep the roots and the crown from drying out.  Depending on the amount of damage done, with proper care, lawns can recover.  Some lawns will sustain significant damage, which can be so extensive that lawn renovation can be necessary.  In order to prevent problems next spring and summer, please ensure adequate watering during the fall and winter if nature is not providing it.  This will help in preventing the mite damage that could seriously impact your lawn’s health in the spring.  For more information about mites, consult with the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Office for Douglas County at 720-733-6930 or see www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/insect/05507.html.

Winter is here!! To minimize the risk of freeze damage to your irrigation system, you'll need to "winterize" it to prevent water from freezing and rupturing the pipe walls. These are the basic winterizations steps -

1. Shut off the water and all automatic systems.
2. Analyze the system to final all possible locations for entrapped water and drain them. Also drain irrigation components that hold water and open any component that allows water flow to make sure that no water is stored above the shutoff.
3. Drain the water from the pipes either by using gravity or by blowing out the pipes – best left to the professionals.
4. Insulate the components and valves above ground.
5. Finally, turn off the automatic controller or put it in “rain mode", install threaded caps over the open ends of the backflow risers, anti siphon risers, and any blowout fittings. Store the backflow preventer inside for the winter. 

A house is one of the biggest purchases a person will ever make, and most want to keep their homes looking beautiful not only for themselves, but also to entice future buyers. From time to time, it’s a good idea to invest in some home remodeling to add to its appeal. Of course, before making any major changes to your home, you’ll want to be sure you go through the proper channels—such as the association architectural committee for approval and the city for the necessary permits—to make sure that you don’t run into any legal issues.

So when it comes time to give your house a facelift, consider these touch-ups and renovations that will not only make your home look better than ever but also help increase its value:

Re-paint Your Rooms: One of the easiest (and cheapest!) ways to dramatically change the entire look of a room is to add a fresh coat of paint. Not only will it immediately make your walls look crisp and clean, but also, because wall color can greatly dictate the feel of a room, it’s a simple way to change the ambiance of your home. Since darker colors seem intense on walls and can make a room look smaller, it’s usually best to stick with lighter, warmer hues for your overall color to make your home feel open and welcoming. If you want to paint with darker colors, consider limiting them to an accent wall so that the color isn’t overwhelming and pops against the lighter colors.

If you’re doing the painting yourself, here are a few tips so your paint job looks professional:

Apply a coat of primer first so that walls won’t soak up as much paint. Use two coats of paint to ensure a rich, even coverage.
Use painters’ tape along the outside edge of the area you’re painting to get sharp, even lines.
Update Your Kitchen and Bathrooms: If your kitchen or bathrooms look like they belong in an era long since passed, it might be time to update them. That can be as simple as retiling the floor and replacing faucets and cabinet hardware or as complex as completely remodeling the rooms. When you remodel, consider avoiding too-trendy decor and instead stick with classic looks that will stand the test of time–this will keep you from redecorating again in five years and also make your home all the more appealing to potential buyers.

Add a Home Office: People’s work and home lives are drastically merging as more and more workers telecommute from home. Because of this, turning an empty basement, attic or bedroom into a dedicated home office can give you a peaceful place to work and also be a real selling point for potential buyers.

A good home office will have enough space to comfortably work in and have easy access to the Internet, electrical outlets and cable and phone jacks. Touches like built-in bookcases and desks can add that extra something that makes your home office a productive place to work.

Let There be Light: When a room doesn’t have enough light, it can feel very drab and enclosed. Bring in some much-needed brightness by adding new light fixtures to a dreary room. Don’t be afraid to use different types of fixtures to get the best results—for example, in a kitchen you could use a hanging pendant to spotlight a specific area (like the kitchen’s island), recessed light fixtures to spread the light over the entire room and track lighting under the cabinet to make the kitchen feel open and bright. If you’re not sure which types of lighting fixtures will work best for you, consult a residential lighting designer to find out how to light your room just right.

Finish Your Basement or Attic: Utilize every inch of your home by turning your unfinished basement or attic into extra living space. These areas are untapped gems that can be used as game rooms or extra bedrooms, or, with enough space and the right design, a home all on its own complete with a living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. Basements and attics have special characteristics that need to be addressed. For example, basements are prone to water infiltration and attics often have slanted ceilings. It’s a good idea to bring in the professionals to guide you through these obstacles and make sure all major components like pluming, electric, walls and floors are done correctly.

Annoyed by the persistence of solicitors’ unwelcome knocks on the door? It seems like no matter what they do, they always manage to show up on your front porch. They come with fliers, door hangers, a rehearsed speech and the distinct ability to ignore the polite decline of the products they’re peddling—cleaning supplies, appliances, cosmetics, magazine subscriptions, home-improvement products, coupons for local businesses and other unwanted items—sometimes even making you feel trapped in your own home.

Homeowners associations are particularly easy, frequent targets of commercial, religious and political solicitors; part of the appeal is that population density makes our association an easy environment for them to canvas. Because of this, finding a way to keep solicitors away can be invaluable.

The simplest way to deter solicitors is by posting a “No Solicitors” sign in your yard, on your door or in your front window. Purchase a No Soliciting cling to post on a window, the cost is $1.00 each and they are available at all rec centers. If you get knocks on the door anyway, you also can ask solicitors for their license, permit or company identification; many don’t have it and will leave. If the solicitor doesn’t leave or keeps coming back, tell them the community has nuisance restrictions and there are legal ramifications for violating them.

While a visit from a solicitor is often annoying, they can sometimes be more than just a nuisance; some might have ulterior motives, such as fraud, canvassing a home to commit a crime or other unseemly behavior. If you believe a solicitor is acting suspiciously or you feel threatened, call the police immediately.

 

Go to DCWater.org for: rebates, where to buy, installation contractors, target run-times, and written instructions on how to set the clock.