California is once again suffering drought conditions this year. This requires a focus on water conservation in the landscape. I'm writing a series of articles to help you do just that. My tips in the article below were written for and first published in the ECHO Insight Newsletter, July 2, 2021. Download Article: Landscape Management for Persistent Drought
I'll be teaching the next series of QWEL webinars. Free training for those who live or work in San Diego County! QWEL Certification or CEUs View this email in your browser Image: California CIMIS station example of weekly ETo and precipitation average 1990-2015 Last chance before fall! The graph above illustrates two primary factors influencing efficient irrigation and plant health. The goal is to irrigate close to the ETo curve. [...]
If your community or site was landscaped over two decades ago, you likely have been faced with repairs and enhancements. Plant material has a life span, irrigation components wear out, drainage systems fail, gardens evolve, trees outgrow their spaces, pests invade. The list goes on. Landscapes are after all, are living and constantly changing. Are you planning for the future of your landscaped site? Do you have budgeted reserves [...]
7 Benefits of Landscape Mulch The single best thing you can do for a landscaped site of any size, any age, any soil type is to cover your soil in coarse wood chip mulch. And keep it covered! Why? Builds healthy soil. Healthy soil requires less fertilizer, pesticides and water. Less inputs, reallocate labor to other tasks. Conserves moisture. Here in San Diego, we are lucky to [...]
Want to save water and money irrigating your landscape? Not sure what you can do? I'll be leading an online workshop and hosting one on one consultations for the Water Conservation Garden on the Cuyamaca College Campus in El Cajon April and May 2020. Online workshop: Spring Irrigation Tune-up (choose one) Tuesday April 14 @ 11:00am-1:00pm Saturday May 16 @ 10:00am-12:00pm Online or phone: One on One [...]
We get a lot of requests for slope plantings and how to manage soil erosion in landscaped areas. Erosion can be mitigated with plantings of various types of material with differing rooting depths and structures. Ideally a mix of trees, shrubs and ground covers will grow in to stabilize soils on slopes. Renovations to replace aging plant material on slopes offers an opportunity to update the plant palette [...]
Which Comes First? Managing high volumes of water on a large landscaped site is no easy task. It takes diligent effort and frequent monitoring to deliver just the right amount of water plants and trees need. Considering new technology, aging irrigation systems and municipal rebate availablity, choices get confusing real fast for property managers and landscape committees. That confusion costs money on every months water bill. Smart irrigation [...]
Wondering what plants to choose for your associations renovation? Register here for our seminar focusing on landscapes for HOA sites! Topics include plant choices for specific areas, risk management in the landscape, landscape specifications and maintenance contracts, and a landscape walkthrough on site with Tiffany Faulstich of Botanicon and Brad Brown of Tree Life Consulting. Fri. Nov. 15 11am-4pm at Stonecrest Village Recreation Center, 3110 W. Canyon Ave., [...]
Bigger Plants Are Not Always Better Because we are coming upon the best planting season of the year, fall, let's talk about container plant sizes. Plant material comes in a range of container sizes, 1, 5 or 15 gallon, 24", 36" 48" boxes and up, and some species come bare root in the winter. The natural human instinct of instant gratification leads many clients [...]
Establishing new landscape plantings is most successful if timed right Here in San Diego and Southern California, we are coming up on the best season for planting landscape trees, shrubs, perennials, turf and ground covers. On large homeowner association, estate and municipal sites, it is difficult to have a good new plant establishment rate without extra care like additional watering and monitoring. That extra care takes time away [...]
