Volume 111 Issue 2
September 2006

What’s INSIDE ?

Good Turf Gone Brown
Irrigation and weather affecting turf conditions

Account Manager Introductions
Eric Reed—North County, Jeff Fink—San Diego Area

Smart Landscaping—Irrigation upgrade benefits
Vouchers and grants for irrigation upgrades

Good Turf Gone Brown

By Krista Monighetti

“It’s going to be another hot one, San Diego,” the meteorologist informed us, again. And yes it was, for almost a month long in fact, leaving many people’s optimistic hope of cooler summer days to be clouded over with sunny skies soaring at miserable temperatures. Now, thankfully, all have been relieved from the uncomfortable heat, and can enjoy the outdoors once again. Your landscape, however, may have a harder time bouncing back from the weather extremes.

A stark reminder of record highs tell a story from one property lawn to the next, that of spotty, brown and brittle: probable hot topics when in discussion about your associations’ once lush landscape. As service providers to your valued landscapes, your contractor may be the first choice for blame for the poor turf conditions. However, it’s essential to really consider all possibilities on how a good turf may go brown, before commencing a debate.

Summer is a time of high heat, excessive sun and high growth in landscapes. It’s also a time when irrigation systems are operating in full force, meaning more output, more water, and potentially more issues to arise. Even a small problem with the irrigation system can lead to big issues when combating the heat. And, while all situations are unique, a variety of reasons can be the root of the problem, and not necessarily a consequence of the technicians themselves.

Chances are, the irrigation technician is monitoring the system and constantly finding an array of problems to resolve. From the perspective of an irrigation technician, let’s assess what may be the situation should the turf turn brown in addition to high heat and sun.

AREAS OF BROWN TURF—If an entire area is browning, it is more than likely due to an inoperable value. This valve may not have power to the controller, wires may be damaged, the timer may not be set, the valve may be a bad solenoid, or it may be something as simple as a water flow control setting turned down very low.

HOT SPOT BROWNING—
Aside from animal behavior when nature calls, hot spots can occur for a number of reasons. More than likely these spots occur because a sprinkler is clogged. Another reason may be due to old sprinkler heads that maneuver inefficiently - unlike their successors. Or, this may be the case of a wrong nozzle type for the areas which it has been placed in.

Beyond the turf imperfections...
It is important to note that everything is fallible and irrigation systems experience the imperfectness of technology too. Although the irrigation system may be state of the art, it is subject to going haywire from time to time, like watering on a stormy day, for example. Be patient with your system and understand that there may be a problem from time to time, but also be assured that when dealing with a professional contractor, the problem will be corrected.

Also know that your landscape crews are stretched to the maximum and are diligently inspecting and maintaining projects at great human capacity and efforts to allow a smooth transition through the hot summer season into the fall. Understanding this, as well as informing your contractor of landscape-related issues on the project which they may not be aware of yet, and corresponding on pending approvals for necessary upgrades, will greatly assist your landscaper in continuing to provide outstanding landscape and irrigation service.

New Employees

Eric Reed
Account Manager, Pacific Green Landscape, Incorporated

It is our pleasure to introduce seasoned landscaper and business professional, Eric Reed, as your new North County Pacific Green Landscape Account Manager.

Eric holds a C-27 California State Contractor License as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, San Diego. Eric’s education and credentials have been utilized in a colorful professional background, as both entrepreneur, and manager of company operations.

Prior to joining us, Eric was both owner and operator of Landmaster Landscape Services, a landscape maintenance company formerly located in Rancho Santa Fe. Eric’s clientele were that of high end residential and multi-family clients in the Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch area.

Before delving into the landscape industry, Eric’s love for the arts and theatre led him to another interesting entrepreneurial opportunity where he both owned and operated Location Spa and Garden Rentals in Los Angeles. Eric’s dabbling with the celebrity industry was behind the scenes, where he offered plant material and water feature rentals to film studios, production companies and set designers.

All North County jobs serviced through Pacific Green Landscape’s Vista yard are overseen by Eric Reed. Eric Reed can be reached via email –ereed@pacificgreenlandscape.com or his Pacific Green Landscape clients can reach him on his cellular phone at (619) 599-6646.

Jeff Fink
Account Manager, Pacific Green Landscape, Incorporated

Jeff Fink joined our staff early May of this year. Since then Jeff has been actively learning the ropes of being Account Manager, and we are now proud to note that Jeff has graduated from Junior Supervisor to Account Manager.

Prior to Pacific Green, Jeff worked with his father at A.M.I. Property Management, where Jeff was both a painter and a maintenance person. Jeff also attended college at San Diego State University.

Jeff values his opportunity to work for Pacific Green and is excited to now take on a managerial role. He notes that this is a great opportunity from which he can learn new things and he is eager to ascertain all that he can about the landscaping industry.

To contact Jeff Fink, email jfink@pacificgreenlandscape.com or call our office at (800) 439-9962.

Incentives for Upgrades

What is the SMART CLOCK VOUCHER?

The Smart Clock Rebate is presented at time of purchase towards a new Smart Irrigation Controller. The offer is for a minimum of 13 station clocks to a maximum of 48 stations. There must be 2,000 square feet of irrigated landscape to be eligible.

The San Diego County Water Authority is offering $25.00 per irrigation station, if approved, at the time of purchase of new Smart Clocks. This is usually purchased by a certified and approved contractor, such as Pacific Green Landscape, Inc.
Pacific Green is certified to install:
Rain Master Eagle, Irritrol Smart Dial, and HydroPoint WeatherTRAK.

What is the CLIP PROGRAM GRANT?

The CLIP is a grant program available for replacing irrigation equipment with new equipment and hardware.

If eligible, associations can apply for funding from the San Diego County Water Authority and can receive of up to $2,500.00 per acre to upgrade hardware. Commercial and multi-family sites can receive up to $5,000.00 in rebates, public sites can receive up to $10,000.00.

For those seeking cost saving opportunities and a desire to conserve, contact your landscape contractor for more details on how to get started.

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