Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Spring 2010


Welcome to the new Fairfax Meadows Homeowner's Association website.

We hope this website will provide you with valuable information as well as a forum for discussions on ways to improve our neighborhood and bring us together as a community.

We plan to post often with information regarding our neighborhood such as Yard of the Month winners, HOA meetings, helpful homeowner articles as well as community happenings. Please feel free to send an email to fairfaxmeadowshoa@gmail.com with any ideas or information you would like to see here on the website. This could include anything from a lost pet or a wild animal sighting (coyote, fox) to your teens babysitting or lawn mowing services.

Have a great spring everyone and let's keep our neighborhood looking GREAT! Let's keep our lawns mowed and watered on a regular basis and our flowerbeds clean of any overgrowth etc. Please remember to always clean up your grass and shrub clippings. Let's also make a concerted effort to pick up any garbage that may find its way into our yards and/or neighborhood. Keeping our neighborhood looking its best benefits us all when it comes to property values!

Remember to check back often for news and announcements!


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Lawn Watering Tips from The Lawn Doctor



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.

Always follow any lawn watering restrictions in your area during a drought. A drought can be tough on your landscape as well as the environment, causing extensive damage to land and livelihoods. Since droughts affect everyone equally, it is crucial that we respect our environment by making an effort to conserve water.

Prevent runoff and waste by closely monitoring your lawn watering and direct sprinklers away from sidewalks and streets.

During short droughts, if the grass is still growing, mow on the high side to help shade the roots and water less frequently, but long enough to encourage a strong, deep root system.

Watering your lawn just a little bit can cause grassy weeds to grow.

Reconsider your landscape by grouping plants and shrubs with similar water requirements to prevent wasting water and also by planting drought-tolerant and pest-resistant species of grass, trees and shrubs.

If you’re having drainage problems, fill in any low spots or depressions in your lawn and grade slopes so water drains away from the house and its foundation. If you’re still having drainage problems, consider installing a drain tile.

Lots of wet weather often causes the growth of mushrooms, which work to break down old organic matter in the soil. Mushrooms are not harmful, so you can mow them down if you like.

However, if mushrooms grow in a circle, with a center of dark green grass, it is called a Fairy Ring. This can be harmful to your lawn, as the grass within the Fairy Ring may die as they both compete for water.

Moss and algae are caused by poor drainage or too much shade. Moss may be controlled by raking, but your local lawn professional can help you treat these two conditions as well. Ultimately, these problems will continue until the drainage or shade issues are addressed.