esrosedotblog

DUST STORM

This is scalping season.

The annual grass here is Bermuda. By default.

It was planted on all the golf courses and it is like a weed, a plague for everyone else as it is a prolific seeder.

So, in defense, everyone plants Bermuda grass. More seed.

The advantage is that it loves heat. The disadvantage is that it doesn't like cold.

So every year, they scalp. They basically scrape the grass down to its roots to air and to reroot. Then they plant an annual rye grass on top of it. The rye comes on fast and stays until the Bermuda grips again in the warmth of the spring.

Scalping raises a shit load of dust. We are sneezy and runny for a few days.

Here in our new condo complex, we wondered if there was scalping as it was getting late to do it.

But, of course, there is scalping. And they have just done it and we are awash in dust. It will be cleared away soon and we will have new grass but for a few weeks everything looks dead.

There is also a lot of controversy in the HOA about how to best handle the scalp. This is on top of a complicated and historical division about a lot of things.

We knew that our HOA would be like everyone elses. Divisive. Filled with competitive and angry assertions.

Fine.

It is democracy in action. Messy.

We are keeping out of it. At least I am. I am out of the "contention business".

Besides, I have no idea what the best scalping technique is. Or if there is a need for actual scalping at all. Or whether we ought to do away with lawns entirely.

The various sides of the many issues have the activists storming. it will all settle down soon. Or not.

Labels: condo, home, horticulture