Landscape Improvements at Lacrosse and Escarpment

As you may have noticed we have killed out a large patch of grass on Escarpment, north of La Crosse.  This is part of a capital budget project to upgrade the turf in this area to Pallisades Zoysia turf, a drought tolerant turf.  The process includes removal of the old turf, putting down a good layer of enriched soil (we use Thunder Dirt from Geo Growers), installing and watering in the grass.    We will also be installing grass adjacent to the new sidewalk area on south La Crosse,  and native planting beds on the median tips in this location.  If you have any questions, please email me at .

Update on Bradford Pear Tree Removal    

The remainder mature Bradford Pear Trees on Escarpment, north of LaCrosse will be removed beginning March 29, 2010.   These trees have reached the end of their natural life and have begun deteriorating both above the crown of the tree and at the root base.    Several trees have fallen over, and the Board of Directors of the CCHOA asked that this year these trees be taken out before there is a serious accident at this busy street intersection.  We are doing this early in the spring to facilitate the replanting of new more appropriate trees that will establish before the heat of the summer.

The Bradford Pear Trees in Circle C were installed by the developer between 1988 and 1995.  When the trees approach the 20 year mark, they become very top heavy and begin shedding limbs and uprooting.    Approximately 200 of the original Bradford Pear trees have already been removed.   The Bradford Pear trees in the median at Vinemont and Slaughter Lane will also be removed after the ones on Escarpment are taken down, for the same reasons.

What will be there in place of the trees?  On Escarpment, we are looking at a complete tree replanting with appropriate species.  Since this is a median, there are some limitations on how well trees will grow over time, and trees must be planted with adequate spacing.    We will finalize a plan once we have a chance to look at the area without the Bradford Pear trees and see how to navigate among the remaining tree stumps.  The tree plan will follow the existing Green Community Landscape Model and will include trees that are proven to do well in Travis  County, and in Circle C in particular.  Basics of the model include tree diversification, drought tolerant species and naturalized planting patterns.  Further, in this area, visibility and curb limitations are important factors.

Is a permit required to remove the trees?  The CCHOA has a licensing agreement with the City of Austin that gives the CCHOA jurisdiction over the landscape and irrigation in the City rights of ways and boulevards.  The CCHOA would be required to obtain a permit for removal of any protected tree which measures 19” and above in caliper.  For removal of other trees, the CCHOA informs the City Arborist on a cooperative basis.  The City Arborist is aware of the Bradford Pear tree removal project and is in agreement.

Does the CCHOA have a tree care/tree replacement plan?  Yes.  The CCHOA owns or manages property within the Circle C subdivision that contains over 2200 shade trees and 1200 decorative trees.    For additional information, you can access the Circle C Tree Care and Pruning Program document.

Who works on the trees in Circle C?  All pruning of hardwood trees is performed by a certified arborist at the appropriate times of year.   Any special treatment or feeding is also handled by the certified arborists.  Tree removal of dead trees is subcontracted out. to either a tree removal firm, or an arborist depending on area and need.  Minor pruning to lift canopies above sidewalks that can be done from the ground is performed by the trained Circle C Landscape crew.

Circle C  Landscape Update - July 2010

 Luckily, we received significant rainfall at the end of June into early July.  This greened up all of the areas and also spurred on a lot of new growth on trees, shrubs and grass.

We have been busily trimming, weeding, and trimming more all over the place.  These sporadic showers make vegetation grow very rapidly –some species can put on up to 6 to 10 inches per day (usually the weeds).    Needless to say, it is difficult to get everywhere at once, but we would far rather have the rainfall than endless days of drought.    

Due to the weather, we were able to extend the planting season slightly.  We have been busy infilling beds that have long been empty, and replacing some corner beds throughout that have gotten overgrown and impacted visibility on the boulevards.  In August, we will be adding a little rock work in selected locations and after September 15 continue the plantings that are planned for 2010.  This will include the installation of trees on the Escarpment median, just north of LaCrosse to replace  the trees that were taken down.

We have done quite well on the water budget for 2010 since we had a normal spring and some summer water.    I wanted to make sure that everyone knows some of the measures we take to conserve and manage water in Circle C.  First of all, each irrigation controller has a rain sensor on it.  These are small devices set to measure rainfall.  When the rain exceeds .5 inches, the devices turn the irrigation controller off until the interior of the device dries out and allows the controller to come on.  Additionally, we have central control for many of the irrigation controllers in and around the swim center.  This allows us to turn off certain controllers via computer in the office.  In the Circle C West areas, we have individual weather stations on each controller, and the rain sensor should turn the controller off in the event of .5 inches of rain.

So, the question remains, why do we see any irrigation systems on during the rain, or during rainy period.  Despite our best efforts, we have about 20 locations where there is no electrical service to run the irrigation valves.  We have these valves set up on a solar powered system.  They are not easily changed during a period of rain, so it could be a while before we get to them to turn them off. 

The next problem is if a rain sensor fails to work.  Although they are state of the art, the basic mechanism is not highly developed and we have noticed that sometimes, even though they test operational, they do not turn the controller off.  The third condition is that the irrigation running is in a “re-irrigation” system. This is a City of Austin environmental requirement to re-irrigate water that has been collected in a pond.  When the pond is full, it triggers a pump that will turn on the irrigation sprinklers.  This only occurs during the rain and is designed to do so.  We have these types of sprinklers on Slaughter Lane and at a number of pond areas in Circle C West.

We have two irrigators and a supervisor that checks irrigation daily for leaks and problems.  Due to our extensive system, we have a large property variance on file with the City of Austin Water Conservation Department.  This means that although Tuesday and Friday are our normal watering days, you will see some areas watering on every other day of the week except Monday in order for us to get through the entire system  All watering is scheduled to take place between 7 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. to meet the water conservation ordinance requirements.  Just a reminder, all residences are also under the water conservation ordinance.  You are limited to watering two days per week, Wednesday/Saturday if your address ends in an odd number and Thursday/Sunday if it ends in an even number.  This continues until the end of September for City of Austin residential water customers.