Fall is in the air and the trees are beginning to show their fall colors. We know when the time comes to change our clocks we will “Fall back an hour”. Now is also the time to “Fall back” on the irrigation run times to minimize water use in the landscape. Fall Means Shorter Days Shorter days means less sun and less time for plants to grow. Less plant growth means most plants need less water. The exception to the... MORE >
What is the best sustainable water option for irrigation? Well (pun intended), it depends on where you live and whether you are building a new or retrofitting an existing irrigation system. But first let’s review sustainability. What is Sustainability? There are 3 basic pillars of sustainability which must be considered and kept in balance: • Environmental • Social • Economic Sustainable Water Source Options • Potable – traditionally the “go to” source for irrigation water. Metered, getting more expensive and for the last 100... MORE >
Dear Mr. Claus; I hope this letter finds you, Mrs. Claus, the elf’s and Reindeer all well. I trust you are all preparing for a busy season crafting toys, working on travel logistics and making wishes come true. (And I thought I had a tough job). I was a little reluctant to write this letter because I have reviewed a few of the extensive and detailed list of demands from some of the 8 year olds in my neighborhood. But... MORE >
One day each year members of ValleyCrest’s management team, from the CEO to the local Account Managers, report to a Crew Leader and work in the field to recognize our hard-working crews and demonstrate the respect we have for the job they do every day. This year I joined an Irrigation Tech for inspections and upgrade recommendations. This is the story of my day. 5:30 AM: With my steel toed work boots, safety vest and several layers of clothes I... MORE >
Chuck Bowen, the editor for Lawn and Landscape magazine emailed me a link to an article titled “Inside Portland’s rising utility rates: Less water consumption means higher prices” and posed two questions about water conservation efforts. Landscape contractors and water managers have traditionally billed their water conservation services as a cost-saving measure: “Let us fix your irrigation system and you’ll save on your water bills!” If I’m reading this correctly, that might not be the case… Do you know if... MORE >
Building Innovations Imagine a light bulb with a smart chip that uses 60 percent less energy, cuts itself off when there’s no one in the room and goes into an alarm mode, blinking on and off if fire breaks out. Or glass that responds to temperature and light conditions to significantly reduce energy uses by the traditional building HVAC systems. What about a leading ad agency office with no desks, only benches, or a design-office for 30-somethings that features roll-up,... MORE >
According to the Environmental Protection Agency a municipal water main breaks every 2 minutes in the United States. If you live in a major city and watch the local evening news chances are likely you heard about a water main break in the past week. A quick search of Google News returned 13,400 stories about water main breaks in the past 7 days! Statistics are not kept for private irrigation main line breaks, but they certainly occur much more frequently... MORE >
Irrigation on a Slope: What is your experience? This was the question posed on LinkedIn’s group for the American Society of Landscape Architects. I was intrigued by the question about how to irrigate a slope. As I was gathering my thoughts to share my uniquely professional and sage advice, I started reading the great responses already posted. Disappointingly, I soon realized I had nothing new to add and even read a few points I might not have suggested. Since the LinkedIn group... MORE >
