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| Four Seasons Hemet Herald | SEPTEMBER 2017 | 17 Landscape Committee The Board of Directors approved, at their July meeting, the next phase of the restoration project which covers half of the area in front of the Lodge. Planting will take place when our hot weather subsides; likely sometime in early October. The remaining area around the Lodge is in the planning and approval stage for early spring 2018. The committee works with Artistic in choosing plant material that will do well in our clay soil and varied climate conditions. We think this will greatly improve the overall looks of our community when finished, and a visual that you will be proud of. July, August and September becomes very challenging when it comes to irrigation. How often should we water and how can optimum results be achieved? Common sense tells us we shouldn't wait until the soil is bone-dry and cracked. As we know the heat dries plants out faster. During the hot months you should irrigate daily to allow for the best results of the plants and lawns. Irrigate early in the day when it's cooler and less windy. Watering in the heat of the day will not hurt the plants — but it's a far less efficient use of water as it will evaporate before reaching the roots. Several inches of mulch around plants and young trees help to insulate the soil and keep roots from getting too hot. Mulch also helps to cut down surface evaporation of moisture from the soil. Avoid getting plants wet late in the day — if the plants stay wet all night they will be more prone to fungal and bacterial diseases. Fertilizer should be held back during the extreme heat months and resume a regular fertilizer routine once cooler night temperatures set in, usually in September. Many of our residents have incorporated rock in to their landscape. When using rock, allow room at the base of the plants so as to avoid burn out at the base of the plant. Do not consider rock as a replacement of mulch as the rocks retain heat, will dry out the soil at night and heat up the plants from below. Our landscape committee uses rock for borders which provides a clean look along the edges of planting beds but refrains from putting rock in other areas, specifically where there is plant material. As mentioned before, we have a large area that our committee members monitor. We can't always see problems and we encourage all our homeowners, if they see an area that may have been overlooked and especially has irrigation problems, please help by contacting the Lodge as it will be very much appreciated.