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This page is dedicated to helpful hints, tips and tricks and other suggestions to help us all with home ownership in Preston Hollow. If you've got a favorite tip or helpful hint that you would like to share with your neighbors, please send it to us. HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING LANDSCAPING
HEATING & AIR
CONDITIONING I have noticed that when walking or driving through the neighborhood that several homeowner's air conditioning units are not sitting level on the concrete pads. Over time, if left like this, the blades inside will become unbalanced and cause the unit to prematurely wear out, which can be very costly. If the concrete pad is sinking into the ground, fill the unlevel spot with sand, or place a wooden wedge between the unit and concrete pad itself. Use a leveler to make sure the unit is level, then sit back and enjoy years of maintenance free comfort! Submitted by:
LANDSCAPING I've noticed that when people in the neighborhood fertilize their yards with either a turf builder fertilizer with iron, or lay down granular Ironite in the summer, that they neglect to blow/sweep the excess off of the sidewalk. Once the grains become wet, they leave small rust spots on the sidewalk, which makes our neighborhood look horrible. I got this from the Scott's website and hope residents will take note: When a product containing iron is applied to a lawn area, there may be some product left on driveways, sidewalks, or other hard surfaces. This excess product should be swept from these areas back into the lawn. If it is not, moisture from rain, watering, or high humidity may cause the iron in the product to leave a small rust stain. To assist in the removal of these stains, Scotts has tested several rust removal products for use on these types of hard surfaces. The results are as follows: (All information herein is a result of tests conducted by The Scotts Company. The Scotts Company is not responsible for any adverse effects attributed to the use of these products.) We recommend testing any rust stain removal product on a small inconspicuous area to ensure that no discoloration occurs. Super Iron Out™ was the most effective product used to remove rust stains on concrete surfaces. It was more effective with a second application. Both of the applications of Super Iron Out are mixed in water (according to label instructions) and applied with a bristle-type brush. The concrete surface must be rinsed thoroughly after the application. In our test, Super Iron Out showed no sign of damaging the surrounding turf. Master Plumber Iron & Rust Remover™, Whink Rust & Stain Remover™, CLR™, and Naval Jelly Rust Dissolver™ were also effective in removing the stains caused by iron leaching. Use caution when applying products to any coated concrete or ornamental paver-type bricks. These products may damage finished surfaces. NOTE: All claims are based on tests conducted by The Scotts Company. Results may vary. All applications should be made according to product label instructions. Please contact product manufacturer for further product information. Submitted by: Tips for Beautiful Landscaping by Dan (Vol. 1, Spring 2002)Here are some tips for those of you that enjoy gardening at home. During the next two months, there are several actions that take place in the landscape that helps to make the coming growing season more successful. The first is pruning of the crape myrtles. This is done to shape and help contain the size of the tree. Also, it removes the unsightly seedpods on the tops. To hold a crape myrtle at it’s current size, you should cut each limb back to approximately the diameter of a number 2 pencil. Thought should be given to the overall shape of the plant – some parts may be required to be trimmed more, some less, to give a balanced appearance. The next project to begin will be the application of pre-emergent grassy weed control. This is a granular material that, when wetted, will release a barrier of chemical that inhibits the germination of seeds. It is generally used to prevent weeds such as crabgrass, dahlisgrass, foxtail, etc. It does not actually kill existing weeds. You can find these products at most garden centers for use at home. It usually is referred to as Crabgrass Preventer, and there are a number of manufacturers. Another type of weed control procedure that is coming up is the application of broadleaf weed killer. Unlike the pre-emergent, this product actually kills the existing broadleaf weeds. Broadleaf weeds are plants like dandelions, henbit (the one w/little purple flowers), clover and dollar weed. They can get to be problem this time the year. This is the primary growing season for them, but the Bermuda and St. Augustine are dormant. The best product for use at home is Weed-B-Gon by Ortho. During this period, it is important not to ignore the maintenance of your annual color. All flowering plants need to have the dead flower blooms removed to promote continued flower production. The seedpods need to be removed, also. This is a good time of year to add mulch to your shrub beds, if they need more. Regularly adding organic material, such as mulch, helps to condition the soil. This is especially helpful in our area where we have poor soils. Mulch, also, helps to control weeds in your beds. There should not be more than about 2” of compost and mulch on top of the soil. If there is mulch remaining from the last application, I recommend that you rake it out evenly across the bed, then top dress with the new mulch. This leaves the valuable old material, and reduces the amount of new mulch required. I prefer shredded hardwood mulch. Finally, this is the time to do most of the important work on your trees. If you have trees that need major trimming and shaping, now is the time to do this. (No, not while it is snowing.) The trees will suffer much less stress during the cool time of year than they will later on. It is also the time to fertilize your trees. The simplest, and best method for the homeowner is to buy the fertilizer spikes sold in garden centers. They are poked into the ground along the drip line down to about 12”. If you leave them too shallow, your grass will steal all of the nutrients. Remember that your trees need care as much, or more, than your lawn. This is because they live much longer and are harder to replace.
On another note, I am
often asked what you should do to take care of the lawn. Well, here is the Dan
Turf Maintenance Schedule (also very similar to the Texas A & M
recommendations):
Submitted by: Hara Murphy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
