Sept. 15 2017
The entire plumbing code is engineered to make sure that water sent to an irrigation system never gets back into the potable water system, but the code can be defeated. One of the most common problems—and
Aug. 15 2017
A landscape contractor working on the groundbreaking phase of a new retirement community in Van Nuys, California, had certain specific concerns about irrigation. “Runoff was a very big issue, because
Aug. 15 2017
It was the bottom of the 17th inning on May 21, 2016, and it was getting late. At Petco Park in San Diego, California, the Padres’ Wil Myers was at the plate; he hit a foul ball and was squaring
July 15 2017
It’s also a good time to talk about the importance of saving water. It’s the hottest month of the year, and when the most water flows out onto landscapes. That’s why the Irrigation Association
July 15 2017
The year is 1971, and Bob Dobson has just completed the installation of a $37,000 irrigation system at a condominium. The client wants to see the system run prior to handing over the check. But there’s
June 15 2017
When it comes to landscape irrigation, the future is all about efficiency. Droughts are more prevalent than ever, and the national population never stops growing. As a result, state and federal governments—as
May 15 2017
Back in the early part of the last century, an exciting invention called the ‘wireless’ was the word of the day. Radio was not only brand new, it was transformative—suddenly, the world
April 15 2017
The drive for increased irrigation efficiency has been a constant of the landscape industry for generations. This seems odd given that, compared to many countries, America is a land gifted with water abundance.
March 15 2017
Getting audited by the IRS is the financial equivalent of a root canal —without an anesthetic— so people tend to think of all audits as bad things. However, the water audit that a Certified
Feb. 15 2017
At the end of last year, I spent my New Year’s Eve where most of us do, at a party. After the year turned, one of my friends pulled out his guitar and led us all in a rendition of the classic Bob
Jan. 16 2017
Offering your clients and potential clients additional services that your competitors may not offer could tip the scales in your favor
Dec. 15 2016
In an article about weight training I recently read, the writer made the startling observation that when it comes to building muscle mass, slower is better. Doing a whole bunch of reps with a barbell really
Dec. 15 2016
THE GREEN INDUSTRY GETS BLAMED for wasting water, but most of this criticism is unfair. After all, the manufacturers within our industry invented high-efficiency sprinkler heads, smart controllers, low-volume
Nov. 18 2016
We all have our winter routines. Some people look forward to fishing out the Christmas decorations from the attic to put up around the house. Others cherish dressing up in mittens and knit caps to go play
Nov. 18 2016
who want to make a good visual impression. It can cut into their bottom line. “Obviously, you lease more and rent more apartments whenever you have green turf instead of splotchy brown turf,”
Nov. 18 2016
Water always comes from somewhere, usually the municipal supply, and although it is a renewable resource, it is finite. If the rains go away for long enough, any region can run dry, and when that starts
Oct. 15 2016
That was the lesson Mike Mason, CEO, and Brodie Bruner, executive vice president of Weathermatic, took away when a colleague they had worked alongside for 20 years passed away in 2012. “It really
Oct. 15 2016
These days, it seems like the few parts of the country that aren’t running out of water are being overrun with it. Hurricanes and unseasonably wet weather are overwhelming the water infrastructure
Sept. 15 2016
Droughts that are designated as long-term cover all of California, half of Nevada, all of Arizona and weatern New Mexico, with central Utah taking a bit of a beating. California looks better than it did
Sept. 15 2016
Of all the living plant material most affected by prolonged, extraordinary drought, trees are among the most vulnerable. The historic parched condition that hit Texas so hard, beginning in 2010 and continuing
