Lawn Sprinkler Tips

The most common question that I get asked is “should I water my landscape in the winter” and the answer is Yes! Of course, certain plants are not freeze tolerant and will die if the are not freeze protected. Your lawn may go dormant, but the roots are still alive. They still get thirsty. Of course this demand is less than in July, but the living roots are still thirsty for water, does that make sense?

So, depending on different factors such as soil conditions, landscape material, geographical location, lawn sprinkler system design, your need to water will vary. But a good rule of thumb for the common southern lawn is at least once to twice per week during the winter or “cold” months. Which could be really only 2 months in certain areas in the south. Try to water on days where it does not get below freezing at night. If it does consistently, then try to water later in the morning after the temperature gets above freezing. There a lot of days in this part of Florida where it is common to get down to 29 Fahrenheit degrees at night and up to 65 or 70 during the day. This is great growing conditions for different types of plants and grasses.

Another benefit of running your sprinkler system at least once to twice per week is to keep the parts moving. A system is like a car in the way that letting it just sit is the worst thing you can do to it. What happens to a car if you let it sit? The battery dies, the tires go flat, electrical systems can start to rot, interior can degrade, etc… you get the point. An automatic lawn sprinkler system has many working parts. Especially if you have a well & pump setup. If you have a foot valve, all that sediment sitting inside the drop-pipe, which is inside the well will build up and actually cause the foot valve to stick.

Also pumps can seize or “freeze” up do to rust or other sediment settling over time. Valves have a tendency to stick when not used for a long time. When you use your system regularly these kings of things usually do not happen. Remember the expression “If you don’t use it, you loose it”.

Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com

While the rest of the country was enduring freezing, sub-zero temperatures, and even snow in New Orleans, Louisiana, Florida was buffered from this as we experienced average 70 degree days and even warmer with the humidity. Okay, I’m not meaning to write this to make everyone who does not live here jealous, I’m just giving thanks for our local environment.

We’ve had a couple of below 32 degree night here in Okaloosa County, Florida, but mainly in the Northern part of the County, not near the coast. These warm temperatures are keeping grasses (that are well taken care of) alive and making plants bloom early.

I heard on the news that the past ten years, the average temperature of our earth has gotten hotter increasingly each year. If this is the case, my norther county properties may become water-front properties some day! No, I’m just kidding. I did not mean to offend anyone who lives directly on the coast. I have many loyal customers who live or have homes on the beach or other water front areas. It takes special care and maintenance to maintain an exotic landscape near salt-water. It can be done by the proper selection of plants, grasses, trees, and an efficient automatic landscape irrigation systems. Each particular design depends on the closeness to water source, buffers or barriers, and other factors.

We are bound to have another freeze or two, but I would not count on too many, which really is that bad of news to most of us. We are always ready for Spring and Summer comes quick in Florida as well as the need for irrigation. As well as the book I provide on this site, you may always contact me or our company at the phone number listed at the bottom of our home page.

Good luck and I wish the rest of the country a short winter and an early Spring!

Happy Irrigation & Landscaping

Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com

Okay everybody 2008 is gone in the wind and 2009 is here! “The Sun Will Shine in 2009!” is a saying that I’ve read and heard and helps to give enthusiasm to a country that needs it. With all of the Real Estate and economical and problems of 2008, there has created an “energy” of less circulating around. This “energy” is a combination of real life financial crisis’s such as huge bank bail-outs, the credit markets, and mostly overall it is about the general population’s attitude as a whole.

Out at work or at the store you will over-hear someone everyday talking about how horrible the economy is and things are going to get worse…bla…bla…bla… Okay I know that many of us are in financial dire-straights, but we can overcome this. Of course our leaders at the top of government and in the corporate world can help by giving us a jump start and get some money (known as Federal Reserve Notes) circulation around the economy, but we must take action ourselves as well.

Don’t be afraid to spend, don’t be afraid to invest. Take advantage of downed prices and the current market. Now is the best time ever to invest in a lot of things, particularly Real Estate, precious metals such as gold & silver, and some certain stocks (beware and get professional advice). Some experts are saying that this downward economical trend will continue until mid-way through this year or until 2010. Let’s prove them wrong by each individual taking action. If you lost your job and can’t find a new one, don’t just sit around…get creative. This gives you opportunity to find something new. Maybe you can start something online or maybe that is not for you, but there is something out there for everyone. Maybe you want to open your own restaurant, but have never had the chance. Go for it!

But you might say, “Scott, how can I start a new business in a down economy?” Get creative. Contrary to popular belief, the credit-markets are not frozen. Banks are lending money (it’s their #1 job) and it is how they make money! The banks want to loan money! Also, you can get creative like me and start slow. When I first started Advanced Irrigation I was broke and had no credit. I had to write contracts to ask my customers for 40% just so that I could buy the materials. Now I can proudly provide jobs to customers for 0% down and 100% upon completion because I slowly worked my credit score and payment history up. But my point is that I didn’t let having no money or no credit stop me.

My website cost me peanuts. I do them all myself and I didn’t even go to school for it. I learned through “real life” training. I did buy a few small, inexpensive paper-back books at first to help, but then quickly learned that there is a wealth of information already publsihed online to help you learn simple website design. Next I focused on what it took to get a website to the top of Google and Yahoo rankings. This did not cost me any money, just time and hard work.

You may think your options are limited, but when you open your eyes you will seee that they are limitless. You will go no further than your mind allows. So, let’s all open our minds and focus on an improved economy. Those already with money, don’t horde it! Let’s get this money circulating in the economy. Those currently without money, get creative. Find Grants, Loans, come up with new and exciting business ideas and then go for it!

For those of you reading this blog, get a sprinkler system installed if you don’t already have one! Start moving money around by spending your money with small business. Small business is the past and future of our society. Back before big corporations ruled, over 80% of people worked for themselves! Now with the Internet, more and more people are working from home and I see our economy moving more in the direction of the 1800 and early 1900′s before industrialism, with individuals providing services and goods to individuals.

Okay, enough of my ranting for now. Let’s all get out and make some money, spend some money, and help each other out. Good luck to everyone reading this and I hope you have a very prosperous 2009!

Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com