UPDATE MAY 2, 2024, FILING 4 COURTYARD LAWNS ONLY: BOOKCLIFF GARDENS HAS COMPLETED THE SCHEDULED MAY FERTILIZATION & PRE-EMERGENT TREATMENT.
UPDATE APRIL 26, 2024: IRRIGATION STARTUP
Canal Irrigation to Filings 4 and 5 homeowner properties as well as Filings 1 and 3 is now activated. Irrigation water to Filing 4 Courtyard Properties will commence on a scheduled basis similar to the end of last season. A schedule will be published as soon as testing is complete and the schedule is finalized. Filing 4 Custom homes and Filing 5 homeowners can now open their individual valves and commence watering.
UPDATE APRIL 26, 2024: JAPANESE BEETLE
Recently the City of Grand Junction mailed a postcard to residents regarding the Japanese Beetle problem and urged homeowners to treat their lawns this spring. At this point it is not known if the beetle (a grub) is present in the Redlands and our area, but the consensus is that preventative measures are necessary to protect not only lawns, but also fruit trees, roses and other plants. Your HOA Board has decided, along with Bookcliff Gardens, to proceed with a granular treatment in mid-May, the ideal time to combat the beetle. The HOA will be treating the lawns in Filing 4 Courtyard which the Master Association maintains and the Common Area turf at the South Broadway entrance. Dues assessments will cover the costs of the treatment.
The Board urges other homeowners with lawns to consult their landscape company regarding treatment. Treatments will work effectively if everyone with lawns treats for the Japanese Beetle. We checked with Tiara Rado Golf Course and they are treating their turf. Bookcliff will be keeping an eye out for signs of beetles once their season is active in May. Since the beetle is a grub, one sign is turf that is torn up, as raccoons do tear up ground searching for them.
See this link for more information on the Japanese Beetle:
https://wci.extension.colostate.edu/japanese-beetle-in-mesa-county/
Update April 8, 2024
PLAN FOR CANAL IRRIGATION START-UP—NEW DATE!
Redlands Water and Power is planning to send water from the Gunnison River into the Redlands canals on April 15. Based on experience it can take a couple days for it to reach our area. Once the water has run through the canal for a few days and washed away debris, Bookcliff will open the gates so it can fill The Seasons’ pond and water vaults. The pond will take longer to fill since it is totally empty. We will give the pond and vault water longer time than usual to allow silt and mud to settle with the plan to have Seasons’ irrigation up and running on April 29. It is hoped that a little additional time will allow a smoother start-up operation and avoid shutdowns the first week. Homeowners who have individual control boxes in Filings 4 Custom and 5 should plan on scheduling turn on of their water a couple days after the 29th; you will be notified via email and on the website as to when your canal water can be turned on. Filing 4 Courtyard and Filing 1 & 3 irrigation will be turned on by Bookcliff as soon as the system is pressurized.
PLEASE TURN INDIVIDUAL CONTROL VALVES TO OFF!
Prior to the 15th, those homeowners with individual control valves should turn the valves to OFF so the system can pressurize correctly.
NEW BOOKCLIFF MAINTENANCE MANAGER FOR THE SEASONS
We are happy to announce that Joe Condotti will be returning as Bookcliff Gardens’ Maintenance Manager for The Seasons. We look forward to having Joe and his experience back with us! Homeowners should still contact bod@seasonshoa.com with any questions or concerns regarding canal irrigation.
Tree Care/January, 2024:
Common Area Tree Care: The Seasons HOA Board of Directors with the vote of the membership authorized additional funds for preventive tree maintenance in 2024. T4 Tree Services, which is now merged with SavATree, will be maintaining the Berm 4 trees and Alpine Tree Service will maintain the South Broadway and High Tiara entrance trees.
One of the first steps is winter watering, which has been taking place once a month on Berm 4 and will be started in January on the pine grove at the South Broadway Entrance and also at High Tiara Entrance. It is expected that both Berm 4 and the entrance trees will be watered the week of January 22, and then once a month during February and March.
Alpine Tree Service will be maintaining the South Broadway and High Tiara entrances. On approximately February 8 trimming of deadwood from the Austrian pines and ash trees will take place in order to maintain healthy trees. In the Spring Xytech insecticide will be applied to the Austrian pines for 12 months of protection against a wide variety of insects. Because of the height and number of Austrian pines, Xytech is being used rather than a sprayed-on Dormant Oil. Xytech is a systemic applied as a soil drench and is not sprayed on. The ash trees were treated last year with a two-year insecticide. An Alpine Tree Certified Arborist will be evaluating any additional needs during the summer, including the need for a type of fertilization treatment (Cambistat) and early evaluation of any disease.
T4 Tree Services/SavATree will be maintaining the trees and shrubs on the Berm in Filing 4. Their Certified Arborist will come on site every 6 months to inspect every tree and shrub to determine what necessary care is needed. If needed, a foliar spray with Dormant Oil will be applied in the Spring to the needles of Pinyon and Pine trees to control pine scale, and any other treatment needed will be discussed with the Landscape Committee prior to taking any action. In the Spring and Fall, a Deep-Root Fertilizer will be applied that contains general supplemental and biological ingredients that maintain the overall health and vigor of the trees and shrubs.
Your Board is following the advice of the two different tree services and Bookcliff Gardens as we navigate the new world of tree disease in Colorado. Here's an interesting article: https://coloradosun.com/2023/12/18/insects-killing-colorado-trees-arborists-advice/. We suggest you contact a professional tree service company that employs an arborist to evaluate the trees on your personal property, especially if they appear unhealthy. Open the PDF link below to view the Grand Junction All-Star Tree List.