R A N C H S P OT L I G H T
Preparing your trees for monsoon season in DC Ranch By Jeff Rons | Ranch Association
Monsoon season in the Sonoran Desert is just around the corner and the wet winter may bring summer rain sooner than expected. The Arizona monsoon season typically spans from mid-June through the end of September, but the start is made official only when the dew point reaches 55° F or greater for three consecutive days. Due to the unique geography of DC Ranch near the McDowell Mountains, these storms can appear suddenly with intense lightning, heavy rains, flooding, and shifting and vicious winds.
Arizona monsoon events often begin early evening, with the distinct smell of creosote bush in the desert air, a rolling dust storm, sun showers and down-bursts. The most destructive of these initial storm events, a down-burst, is a strong “vortex ring” of a vertically rotating circle of air. These downbursts are severe outward surges of wind low in the atmoTips for tree sphere, near the ground and often close to vegetation. It’s these trimming prior extreme winds that consistently to monsoon season create the most damage to • Keep trees with thick canopies desert trees, with collateral trimmed and thinned damage from tree trunks and • Remove branches that rub against unsecured limbs onto nearby others, are excessively bent, or broken property. • Prune trees to allow for clearance Unfortunately, the desert landover walkways, driveways, and near scape provides little absorption buildings for the torrential rains that can • Do not trim trees in DC Ranch common come with micro- and downareas, parks, or Natural Open Spaces bursts which create flash flood (NOS) and floating debris situations. • Schedule tree trimming to coincide Shallow rooting desert trees with bulk trash pickup week such as Palo Verde, Palo Brea, Mesquite and Acacia are extremely susceptible to toppling in the wind and rain from these sudden storms. When these extreme winds and rains are focused in the canyon and low-lying areas of DC Ranch, even healthy and well-maintained trees can be uprooted in violent weather. Keeping tree canopies thin is the most important thing residents can do to minimize tree and property damage during monsoon season. A thick, dense tree canopy prevents wind from easily passing through, creating resistance that leads to breakage and uprooting. In some trees, complete uprooting may occur in a multifactor weather situation. Dense tree canopies combined with poor or weak root structures are a risky combination. Branch structure and position are other tree characteristics that indicate consistent tree trimming and care and ultimately provide more strength in a storm. First, identify and remove any branches that cross and may rub against each other causing wounds and weak points. Also, look for and remove any excessively bent or horizontal branches. Dead branches should be removed, as dead branches will not bend with the wind and can snap, potentially causing property damage. A clear indicator of a branch potentially 14
Ranch News | April 2023
failing is visible cracking in the branch itself. A branch with cracks will split sooner or later, so it is best to remove the branch in question to maintain the overall health of the plant.
Clearance pruning is a process that is performed regularly to minimize and prevent damage to both trees and property. Clearance pruning includes removal of branches to provide a minimum clearance of 3' from buildings and structures, a minimum vertical height of 8' feet over driveways & sidewalks, clearance of 6'-8' from roofs, and a vertical clearance of 14' over streets and roadways to prevent damage to trees from high profile delivery vans and trucks. Clearance pruning is outlined in DCRL-18 Trees as a Community Standard for the health and wellbeing of DC Ranch residents and property.
In the event of a monsoon storm, Community Patrol and Gate Access team members are active in identifying and notifying the Landscape and Maintenance teams of damage and storm management needs. Both departments are on standby during these events to remove any trees or debris blocking access in and out of neighborhoods, residential driveways, walkways and paths. After these storms, it’s also incredibly important to inspect trees for signs of breakage. There may be cracks or weakness in the tree structure that are not immediately apparent, and which could lead to future breaking and dangerous conditions.
Following these guidelines and the landscaping standards in DCRL-18 will help reduce the amount of damage not only to native DC Ranch landscaping, but resident property as well. If you have any questions related to preparing your trees for monsoon season or tree pruning in general, the Landscape team is always available to assist residents. Visit DCRanch.com to view the Standards for Landscape.