Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District 11

Dear LID 11 Residents:

We would like to thank the many LID 11 property owners and residents who provided feedback regarding the proposed Fort Bend County paved trail.  The proposed trail, if constructed, would connect the Richmond County Office Buildings on Eugene Circle to the Brazos River at Sugar Land’s Veterans Park in Telfair, and a portion of the trail would be located on top of the LID 11 (Greatwood) levee behind adjacent homes.

After receiving feedback from many of you, including emails and in-person comments at the July 11, 2025 LID 11 meeting voicing concerns about the proposed trail, the LID 11 Board of Directors voted to oppose having the proposed trail be located within Greatwood.

The LID 11 Board of Directors has sent a letter to the County and City of Sugar Land expressing the Board’s opposition. Here is a link to the letter.

For additional details about the project, please contact Fort Bend County Parks and Recreation at parksinbox@fortbendcountytx.gov.

Thank you for your participation in this process.

Sincerely, The Board of Directors of LID 11

June in review

For the second year in a row, June was unusually WET! Usually, I am hoping for one good rain of an inch or more to give us some good ground moisture before the typical summer high temperatures dry everything out. Ants were bothersome, mosquitoes were thick, and the ground was mushy.

July – Action items for your lawn and garden

Garden

Cooler temperatures in June, thanks to the rain, may have kept some of the more temperate crops going longer than usual. Okra, melons, and purple hull peas are the Southern garden staples that continue to produce in the heat we can expect over the next 60 days. Tomatoes are unlikely to set any more fruit for a few months. If you have indeterminate or “vining” type tomatoes you can propagate new plants from their suckers and use this time of year to get those plants ready for a later summer planting for fall harvest. Last year we were harvesting tomatoes in December. Just cut the sucker when it 8” long or more, and put it in a cup of water for a week or so. It will make roots from the hairs, and those can be potted to strengthen them. I usually make sure these are in the ground by September 1.

Lawn

• Mowing
  If you are following our fertilization system, your lawn probably needs to be mowed at least every 7 days and possibly as often as every 5 days.  The Rule of Thumb is to cut no more than 1/3 of the leaf when you mow.

• Fertilization
  Good news, we don’t have to fertilize your yard this month! However, don’t forget to continue feeding your landscape plants.

• Pests/Insects
  Fire ants and mosquitoes are going to be a problem at least for the first two weeks of the month. Webworms are continuing to attack oak trees (last months post had details on treatment).

  We do want to keep an eye out for “gray leaf spot,” it is fungal, and Consan, Daconil, or Banner fungicides will deal with it. Making sure you are watering intermittently and the top of your soil is drying out between watering days will help a lot.

Warm weather and green grass,

Hunter Soape

TLDR- “too long, didn’t read”

• It’s irritating pest season- ants, mosquitos, caterpillars that eat tree leaves. PG 2, 2nd bullet point

• Fertilize your grass, then get ready to mow

• Triple check your irrigation Pg 2, 4th bullet point

• Enjoy Summer

May in review

May was relatively dry until the end, when we experienced wet conditions for a brief period. Temperatures have been pretty mild, despite my prediction of summer hitting you in the face this past month. If you are an early riser, you may have noticed the mid 70-degree mornings.

June — Action items for your lawn, landscape, and garden

Garden

If you have a home garden, you should be enjoying the fruits of your labor. You can expect to see tomatoes stop setting fruit later in the month when high temperatures get up around 95 degrees. The heat-loving crops will really take off this month. Melons, okra, peppers, and purple hull peas become the garden staples for the next 75-90 days.

Lawn

Mowing

Father’s Day is coming, and if the dad in your life is responsible for mowing the lawn, here are some things that might make it more enjoyable: noise-canceling earbuds, a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off, and someone else who mows while he sits in the shade and sips lemonade. I am joking about the last one…. unless he doesn’t enjoy mowing.

In seriousness, if you are fertilizing on schedule the recent rains and heat are going to send your lawn into overdrive. Weekly mowings are the bare minimum and cutting every 4-5 days may be even better. The rule of thumb is we don’t want to cut more than 1/3 of the leave off. Again, frequently sharpening the mower blades are good for the health of your grass and the appearance of the lawn.

Fertilization

It’s time to fertilize again. I am a big fan of the silver bag Nitro-Phos Super Turf this time of year. It has a very slow-release nitrogen, so you don’t get excessive growth to mow extremely frequently. It also has extra Iron that helps with a nice dark green color.

Pest/Insects

Pest problems are likely to show up in the next month. I am seeing lots webworms in trees. We previously referred to these as “fall webworm” but now we are seeing them as early as May. Here is a great pamphlet about webworms and treatment options.

Fire ants will continue to be a problem, especially with the upcoming rains. Last month’s article had the full gamut of fire ant treatment.

Mosquitoes are likely to appear in force after the late May rains, and we are now expecting another rainy week in the second week of June.

Herbicide

Spot treatment of weeds may be needed in the summer, but we tend to see more grassy weed problems, such as crabgrass. If you have followed the pre-emergent plan, the pressure from those should be minimal. However, the big box stores do sell some crabgrass killer products, which are advertised for crabgrass control on the label.

Irrigation

Yes, it rained a lot in late May, and we are expecting a wet week in the second week of June. It isn’t likely that the rain will continue every week of the summer. Ensure that your system is ready to operate effectively, but manage it accordingly during periods of rain.

Early summer rains and green grass,

Hunter Soape