Spring is Here. Are Your Sprinklers Ready?

It’s spring and is time to fire up your irrigation system, also known as the sprinkler system. Aah, the irrigation clock, I can never get it to do what I want it to do. Or that leaky apparatus (backflow preventer) that sticks out of the side of your house like an oozing sore. And, don’t forget the sprinklers that did not perform correctly last season, leaving a muddy mess or dry spots. These are just a few of the common problems that need to be addressed at the start of the summer season.

Irrigation start up is by far the most important and easiest time to review your irrigation system. It’s the time to adjust sprinkler heads, flush irrigation lateral lines and check the drip system.

These tasks may seem easy in concept but, if there is a problem, then you need someone who has the knowledge to troubleshoot and repair.

Here are some common problems that we all can experience when trouble shooting our irrigation system.

The Irrigation or sprinkler clock has a mind of its own.

Most often the time of day or day has not been set properly or there are programs that have been activated by accident.

The back flow preventer has a drip coming out the bottom.

A backflow preventer prevents outside water from backing up into drinking water- causing contamination. Your back flow is always working and periodically needs to be rebuilt. This should be repaired by a professional. You may also wish to hide the ugly piece of metal jutting out from the side of your home. This is easily done with a shrub or ornamental grasses.

Not all of my sprinkler heads on the same zone have the same amount of pressure.

This could be due to a clogged filter or more importantly - a clogged nozzle.

Another possible explanation is that you have an underground leak. The only solution to this is to work backwards from the sprinkler head and check the ground. If you’re not sure what the direction of flow is, then call in a professional to save yourself a lot of time.

I have a geyser in the middle of my garden where a sprinkler head use to be.

The irrigation system needs to be flushed and the sprinkler head replaced, sometimes not an easy task.

Maybe you noticed last season that you had dry spots in some locations and wet spots in others.

This really sounds like you need an irrigation audit and review. An audit measures the amount of water that each sprinkler head puts out and also allows us to look at the spacing.

Drip systems are the hardest to inspect and review. Sometimes there are hundreds of trees and shrubs on them, and if they are not checked properly and completely then you stand to lose very important and expensive plant material.

One of the most common problems with a drip system are the emitter(s) getting clogged, allowing little or no water through. The drip emitter is a tiny valve that controls water flow at the root area or base of plant. The drip system can be at the surface or underground (subsurface). These all need to be checked. The obvious drip system problem is a broken or missing emitter, which usually shoots water straight up in the air. Another common problem is too much or not enough water to the plants. This is controlled by the size of the emitter, the amount of run time on that station and or the type and size of plant you are watering. These factors together make a drip system quite complex, I recommend hiring a professional to review and inspect your drip system.

These are just a few important problems, solutions and some explanations you might encounter while starting up your irrigation system in the spring.

Mountain Pine Beetle - Down. But Not Out.

Don’t stop fighting this pest late in the game… it could mean disaster for your trees.

I am often asked by clients, “What do you do during the winter?” It’s a common question and they’re often surprised to learn how we fill our time with educational opportunities instead of hibernation. For a moment, landscape pests are held at bay by the cooler temperatures and we have time to hone our skills. The pest management industry is always evolving in response to new chemical technology, new tools, and improved strategies to make our applications more effective and safer for the environment. We also attend a variety of conferences providing us with additional, timely data on the migration trends of certain pests. Pests such as the Mountain Pine Beetle (MPB) migrate in response to environmental pressures. The insect is transported by wind thereby allowing it to quickly infest new areas to support reproductive efforts for the following season.

Central Colorado has been hit particularly hard by the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation and battle-weary property owners are eager to see the plague dissipate. Millions of dollars have been spent over recent years in the desperate attempt to save as many of our pine trees as possible. Thankfully, recent data suggests the gradual movement of the pine beetle out of the Colorado High Country has already begun. The news is not so positive, however, for our neighbors along the Front Range where the insect has a new batch of trees squarely in the crosshairs. While it would appear the time for healing in Central Colorado’s forest is upon us this is actually a time of great peril. Knowledge of an outward migration trend of the Mountain Pine Beetle has left some with a false sense of security. At the same time, financial instability and a sluggish economy has made it increasingly difficult to spend money on continued, preventative spraying treatments. Doctors routinely advise patients to continue taking a medication to its completion even if they’re feeling better. The same holds true for landscape pest control. Property owners have spent an impressive amount of money in recent years to prevent the loss of their valuable trees to this insect pest. Remember that it doesn’t take many successful Mountain Pine Beetle “hits” to bring about certain doom for the tree. Yes, we are seeing the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” but don’t let your guard down now before the battle has truly subsided. One mistake now, not continuing with preventative treatments, could spell disaster and render efforts over previous years worthless.

What are my options for preventative control against the Mountain Pine Beetle?

• Trunk Sprays

o Should be performed by a professional arborist. Cannot be applied by a property owner with a common, pump-up weed sprayer.

• Pheromone packs (Beetle Blocks™)

o Safer than trunk sprays and can be installed by the property owner.

o Ideally should be used in combination with trunk sprays for added protection.

• Trunk injections, sound repellency, ODC™

o These are newer technologies still in their testing stage. They do show good potential, and we continue to monitor their progress.

Can a tree be treated once the Mountain Pine Beetle has attacked a tree?

• Unfortunately, no. Current chemical technology only supports prevention, not treatment in response to a successful attack by the insect.

Conclusion:

Only work with a reputable arborist who is experienced and licensed in landscape pest control operations. Specific laws exist for the protection of the public and environment with regards to the release of pesticides. Simply being licensed as an “arborist” does not grant permission to a contractor to legally apply pesticides. The business must be licensed by the state department of agriculture – having shown competency in the use of pesticides. If you’re going to court it’s best to hire an experienced lawyer to help you. Similarly, if you’re considering the use of pesticides on your property seek the guidance of an experienced arborist. He or she brings years of knowledge about the chemical and the equipment necessary to perform the project safely. Always ask to view credentials.

Earth Day 2010 Trail Clean Up

This Earth Day employees of Land Designs by Ellison volunteered to clean up a popular biking, hiking and jogging trail here in Eagle. The Boneyard can be seen from the Land Designs office and is frequented by many members of the staff. On April 22nd, on a not so beautiful Earth Day, employees of Land Designs by Ellison removed 5 bags of trash, a rusted out water heater and an abandoned truck topper that was 50 feet down a ravine. The topper had to be winched out and then dragged, by bike, down the trail to be taken out.

For more information on the Boneyard trail and upcoming events check out the Vail Daily Article.

Enhance Your Garden

As the snow begins to melt, and the trees and shrubs start to show their spring green it is time to think about summer. Mountain alpine summers are short, so to make the most of our gardens, it is important to start early. For those with existing gardens, you can enhance them by freshening them up. There are a few things we can do to renew our existing gardens, by using annuals and perennials, or to completely renovate and start over with a brand new and improved garden.

Adding annuals to enhance a garden is quick and easy. Examine sun exposure, water requirements, and space to determine the best annuals for your space. Annuals have almost instant color and maintain their color for the entire growing season. This will give you a lot of bang for your buck. But the downside of annuals, is that they die at the first frost, and will need to be replaced yearly.

Many gardens have existing perennials that just need sprucing up. Larger perennials tend to develop a “flopping” look, due to their size. With these, it is best to divide the plant, and then transplant it, to make larger groups with smaller plants. This will encourage the older plants to stand up and bloom sooner and longer. This is especially necessary if you have older perennials that have stopped blooming altogether. It is best to do this during the spring. Re-grouping existing plants into larger groups, helps to give the plants you have more “pop.”

After you have divided, transplanted, and re-grouped your existing perennials, you can then evaluate what types and what quantities of new perennials you will need to add to fill your spaces. After taking into account light exposure, water and space requirements, you will be able to choose the best plant options. The benefit of perennials is they continue to come back year after year, to help avoid large expenses each spring.

For the gardens that are too far gone to revive, a total renovation is the best option. These gardens generally will have more weeds than plants, existing plants that are not performing, and often have poor soil quality. A complete renovation will remove all the weeds, but most importantly, will amend the soil by adding much needed nutrients. Planting new plants in poor, weedy soil will increase the chance of the plant’s failure. After amending the soil and adding plenty of nutrients, we can add new perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees to make the perfect bed.

For any of the enhancement ideas above, proper irrigation is a must. While many plants have lower water requirements, all plants do require consistent water. During the first two weeks of a new plant’s life, this is especially important.

Land Designs by Ellison and A Cut Above Landcare offer a free consultation on the quality of your irrigation system, as well as what plants will work best in your space. We can help to get you started to ensure your best chances for success.

D-Space Can Save Your Dream Place

Owning a home nestled in the woods is a dream for many, but a wildfire can quickly turn that dream into a nightmare. Since the early pioneers started building cabins in the forest, loss of property and life due to wildfire has been a serious concern.


In the early 1990’s Summit County became the first local government in Colorado to attach defensible space to its building code. Meeting the wildfire mitigation requirements is requisite to obtain the final Certificate of Occupancy. Eagle County followed a few years later with a County Wild Fire Protection Plan and amended their building codes with considerations for wildfire risk reduction.

Research by the US and Canadian Forest Services show that a judiciously designed and constructed defensible space can be the difference between a beautiful mountain home surrounded by green trees and a pile of ashes. In the 1980’s I was a squad boss on a 20 man interagency fire crew. One of the hottest fires we worked was in a subdivision near Red Feather Lakes in Northern Colorado. The fuel type was very similar to Summit and Eagle Counties with dense lodgepole pine trees and very little understory. About 10 years later I saw a Colorado State Forest Service publication on the benefits of defensible space; On the cover was a house that survived this fire. What hit me were the obvious concentric circles of fire damage. 200 feet from the house all of the trees were black and torched. Then at about 100 feet this gave way to a mix of torched and scorched trees (dead but with brown needles). Near the home green trees were thriving. More importantly, the home and the occupants were still intact.


A common misconception of an effective defensible space is that it requires a 30 foot clear-cut around a structure. Untrue says Red White and Blue Fire Protections District Wildland Specialist, Matt Benedict, “A good D-Space is created by considering the fuel type, building material and natural features that will affect fire behavior. When the fuel modification is complete the tree stand should have a thinned but natural appearance.”

Several insurance companies are now requiring that wildfire mitigation measures are implemented around mountain homes. Homeowners that choose not to create a defensible space are being threatened with discontinuation of their homeowners insurance. Besides wildfire risk reduction, a well designed defensible space developed by a professional forester using state of the art tactics can improve the esthetic value of the home and potentially the livability and usefulness of your outdoor space.