How to Have the Gorgeous Green Yard You've Always Wanted in Just 5 Easy Steps

Have you ever driven past a gorgeous green lawn and wondered how it was achieved? Perhaps a neighbor has a beautiful yard and while you envy the yard, you wondered where they found time to work on it. If this you, then don't despair. While having that verdant lawn takes work, it doesn't necessarily mean giving up every spare minute you have. In fact, once your lawn is established, it is merely an issue of maintenance. Since for many, the biggest challenge is just getting started, here are the basic steps in building the yard you have always wanted.

1. Think about how your yard is used-storing firewood/toys, backyard sports, bird watching, outdoor entertaining, etc... and then sketch out a yard plan with these features included
2. Go green to have green by implementing ways to make the most use of water. You may even wish to consider an irrigation system set on a timer. Other ways to conserve water involve: arranging the flower beds and shrubbery to take advantage of water that will run off higher elevations- in regions where there is minimal rain, many resident opt for a rain garden; another choice for conserving water is using buffer strips of mulch and natural vegetation around ponds or beside streams to help retain the moisture keeping your yard looking good even when there has been little rain or water restrictions are in place.
3. Have a soil test done to establish your soil's condition. This is done by taking a sample of soil in to your local agricultural agency. The results will aid you in selecting fertilizer types, the amount of compost, etc...
4. You will also need to determine your soil's type (sandy, clay...) and check for compaction. If the soil is tightly compacted, you will want to use a tiller, or hoe to break it up. As part of the breaking up process, be sure to wait until after a heavy rain or a deep watering as this will make the job much easier. Then do the following: 1) Use a landscaping rake to smooth the ground then add at least 3 inches of topsoil. 2) Make any adjustments to the soil-compost, fertilizer, nutrients, etc... and 3) Rake and smooth the area(s) to be planted.
5. You are now ready to plant your lawn. Be sure to talk to a local gardener or landscaper to learn what types of grasses grow best in your region. The US is divided into 3 regions (Cool, Warm and Transitional areas) and each of them has specific types of grass that excel in them.

After your lawn has been planted keep foot traffic to a minimum and water at least 4 times a day to encourage growth. Also, you won't need to mow your lawn until the grass is at least 4 inches tall and then be sure to only cut ½ to ¾ of an inch. Viola! You are now ready to enjoy a beautiful green yard!

Learn more about how to get that gorgeous yard or to receive a free estimate, visit Advanced Irrigation, Inc. of Minnesota. Article independently authored by Janet Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Tree Removal and Home Lawn Maintenance...

Ignoring Trees, Trimming and Overhanging Limbs Can be Costly

As the end of autumn arrives and the frigid temperatures of winter take hold, manicuring and prepping the lawn or irrigation system is usually the last thought on the minds of home owners. Oddly enough, however, this is the perfect time to examine the property and plan for the winter and spring. Other services which may be available are tree and limb removal, snow removal and even landscape design. Many irrigation and landscaping design companies may offer special pricing in order to drive business during the "off" season.

There are several steps to take in order to winterize the home and landscaping. Close attention to overhanging branches and dead or rotting trees should be removed. Every year the heavy snows and ice can place tremendous stress on trees and limbs causing them to fall without warning. The weight of the snow will easily exceed two hundred pounds and can cause trees and limbs to snap without warning.

Damaged roofing or downed power lines are the most common instances of these occurrences, but people are often injured as well. While most home owners may have a basic step ladder, it is not recommended for most home owners to attempt to remove tree limbs themselves. Larger branches or those limbs which are higher than 8 feet are best left to a professional and experience tree removal service, such as Advanced Irrigation, Inc. These landscaping professionals will have the proper safety equipment which many home owners do not own.

Another relatively monotonous chore is the removal of snow from the lawn and driveway. Snow throwers can make quick work of removing snow, but can be cumbersome to maneuver. An excellent alternative to injuring ones back is to contract with a local service provider to remove the snow as needed. It is important to keep the driveway clear and accessible for the possibility of any emergency response vehicle. Again, many irrigation or sprinkler service companies will offer additional services other than just irrigation.

Having a newly designed landscape can also be a wise project to undertake during the winter months. There are several benefits to the home owner when hiring an irrigation and landscape designer for the winter. Most home owners will not be competing for the landscaper's time thereby allowing the landscaper to devote as much attention as possible to the lawn and landscape project.

Many home owners will either be too preoccupied with work or the holidays gathering of friends and family, but neglecting some of the tasks above and more can be a very expensive mistake. It is important to consult with irrigation and landscaping company soon in order to get the desired results.

For a free lawn care & underground sprinkler system quote, visit Advanced Irrigation, Inc. of MN. Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Year Round Lawn Care and Maintenance

Everyone loves a beautiful yard. You know the type. Those yards that have well maintained shrubbery, thick green grass and well tended flower gardens resplendent in all their color. Of course, that takes work, and not just during the warm month either! No matter where you live, taking care of your yard is a must. These chores can include everything from spreading mulch and fertilizer to weeding and cutting grass each week; but regardless of the season, efficient lawn care and maintenance are a part of life. Each season brings different jobs, all of which are vital to a beautiful yard.

Springtime lawn care and maintenance can vary depending on where you live; however, there are some things that remain the same whether you live in a warm or cool. These standard spring jobs include:

• Applying helpful compost tea (a mixture of compost, water and molasses that is sprayed on your lawn and plants)
• Mowing with low blade
• Pulling weeds by hand or spot spraying
• Dethatching and aerating (You can either rent the equipment and do it yourself or hire a professional like Advanced Irrigation, Inc. to do it for you)
• Applying helpful nematodes (micro-organisms in the soil that can be either useful or damaging), as needed, for grub control

With summer's heat comes everyone's favorite lawn care and maintenance job-mowing the lawn! However, additional summer jobs include monitoring how often and how much you water, observing the insects (some good, some bad) population, conscientious weed control, watching for lawn disease, and adding a calcium rich fertilizer.

As summer becomes fall, your lawn care and maintenance needs change. And, while weekly mowing may not be a part of your routine, there are other jobs that are equally important. The region of the country in which you live can dictate some of the specifics but basic jobs that should be on your fall "To Do" list are:

• Applying another round of compost tea-think of it as putting your lawn to bed
• Lowering the blades of your lawn mower as there is often a great deal of grass growth
• Removing any leaves and debris, followed by the application of a layer of compost to enrich your soil's components over the winter

About the time you are ready to relax and take break from lawn care and maintenance, winter arrives. Thankfully, there are just a few basic things for you to take care of:

• If you live in a cool region, be sure not to leave heavy items on the ground for indefinite amounts of time as this can damage the grass.
• For warm weather residents, it is necessary to continue watering, so your spring will have the perky freshness everyone can't wait to enjoy.

If you are eager to have a yard that the whole neighborhood is talking about, year round lawn care is a must. Take some time to make your yard the envy of all who see it

Contact Advanced Irrigation of Minnesota for a free lawn care and underground sprinkler system estimate!

Article independently authored by Janet Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Sprinkler Systems - Common Problems and the Best Solutions to Guarantee Proper Watering of the Lawn

Sprinkler systems and irrigation timers are usually forgotten by the home owner, landlord or property manager after being installed. For the most part the home owner can just set it and forget it; until there is a problem. There are a few common problems which usually go undetected by the home owner until detrimental effects occur.

Most of the time, the recommended time to water the lawn is in the early morning hours. One of the most common problems is that the sprinkler heads are out of adjustment or alignment. Months may go by before the home owner may realize this fact until the lawn begins to display signs of suffering from a lack of water.

The majority of sprinkler setups or layouts will suffice at first, but another problematic situation and one that is a bit more involved may not occur until several years after the initial sprinkler installation. Foresight and the expected growth of trees, shrubs and bushes are often not taken into account by many when installing an irrigation system. The end result can be that the spray pattern is being partially or fully obstructed by branches or trunks. In this scenario, the home owner will have three options: cut down the tree, drastically cut back the overgrowth or relocate the sprinkler head.

Relocating sprinkler heads may not seem to be too difficult. When a sprinkler head is moved, however, very often an additional sprinkler head may need to be added in order to compensate for an area which is no longer being covered by the new spray pattern. When adding a sprinkler head or making any changes to the physical layout, the existing pipe sizes may not be adequate.

A well designed sprinkler system does not use one size of pipe throughout the entire system. The reason for this is as the pipe runs become longer or additional legs are added, a decrease in water pressure can occur. When this occurs, the previous spacing of sprinkler heads will no longer be sufficient to cover the lawn. In some extreme cases the pressure may be so low as to not allow the sprinkler heads to pop up.

The complexity of irrigation timers can also pose significant frustration for home owners or landlords. Newer timers are more simplified in their design and operation than those timers from many years back. With modern day programmable irrigation timers, several distinct programs can be setup with greater ease and more intuitive functioning to allow for different seasons and zones.

Regardless of the current problems that the home owner or landlord may be experiencing it is often easier and wiser to have a professional irrigation specialist, such as Advanced Irrigation, inspect and service the irrigation system. It is quite easy for a home owner to louse up the sprinkler system and then in frustration decide to turn the whole system off. By not ensuring the system is setup properly and working at 100% efficiency, the home owner or landlord is just wasting money.

To receive a free lawn care and underground sprinkler system quote visit Advanced Irrigation or call 612-599-8675.

Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Think Ahead - How to Properly Plant and Water a Tree

Sitting on the back deck with a shade tree is wonderful thing. However, if you don't have any shade you need to break out your shovel and put on your work clothes - its time to plant a tree! Often people wonder, "How hard can it be to plant tree? Dig a hole right?". True, you do need to dig a hole but it is a bit more complex than that.

First, plant the tree during the cool parts of the year. Typically, this means early spring or fall.

Second, decide where you would like to plant. Be aware of any unique properties of your tree and plant appropriately. For instance, willow trees are drawn to water and planting one near your septic system is a recipe for disaster as the roots will clog it up. You might want a mulberry tree but planting one near porches or often used walkways can make for quite a mess. The berries will drop from the tree and accumulate making walking a very squishy endeavor.

Also, be sure to plant the tree with enough space to accommodate it when it is mature. Planting a little maple right up against the house might look nice when the tree is small but a 20' tall maple right up against the house is totally different matter.

Third, dig a hole. You want the hole to be larger than the root ball. The soil you fill in around the root ball will be easier for the roots to grow into and help the tree get a more solid root system more quickly. Aim to have the hole at least twice the diameter of the root ball but bigger is better.

Make sure the hole is higher in the middle by a few inches to allow water to more easily drain from the roots. Having a tree sitting in water is very unhealthy and can cause a newly planted tree to die. The ground level of the root ball should be level with the surrounding ground when the tree is sitting on the high spot in the hole.

Fourth, remove the covering around the root ball. This might be a plastic pot that will slip off or you might need to cut it off. Larger trees will typically have burlap or similar material around their root ball which will need to be cut. It is best to remove the covering right next to hole so that you do not need to carry the tree far. Plant quickly once the roots are exposed since the air can tend to dry them out.

Fifth, place the tree in the hole and backfill around the root ball. To give your tree an extra strong start, you might make a mixture of 3/4 soil and 1/4 compost. Tamp the soil down around the tree. Use a fertilizer if you desire by following the instructions on the package.

Sixth, water the tree using the ratio of one gallon of water for every 6-8" inches of height on the tree. The soil should be backfilled again as it will settle some after the watering.

Seventh, cover the ground around the tree with several inches of mulch. The keeps weeks down and holds in moisture. The mulch should extend out to the drip line which is a circle on the ground directly below the circumference of the trees branches.

Eighth, stake the tree to keep it from blowing over in the wind. Place the stake on the side of the tree from which the winds usually blows. Do not tie the string or rope too tightly or it will cut into the bark.

Ninth, water the tree again. You will need to water frequently until the tree becomes established. Watering weekly is a good guide.

Finally, step back and admire your handiwork. You have taken the first steps toward making your lawn look even more beautiful - and providing a bit of shade to boot!

For more information on irrigation for your newly planted tree visit Advanced Irrigation or call 612.599.8675 today.

Article independently authored by Eric Parish. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Sprinkler Systems - Common Problems and the Best Solutions to Guarantee Proper Watering of the Lawn

Sprinkler systems and irrigation timers are usually forgotten by the home owner, landlord or property manager after being installed. For the most part the home owner can just set it and forget it; until there is a problem. There are a few common problems which usually go undetected by the home owner until detrimental effects occur.

Most of the time, the recommended time to water the lawn is in the early morning hours. One of the most common problems is that the sprinkler heads are out of adjustment or alignment. Months may go by before the home owner may realize this fact until the lawn begins to display signs of suffering from a lack of water.

The majority of sprinkler setups or layouts will suffice at first, but another problematic situation and one that is a bit more involved may not occur until several years after the initial sprinkler installation. Foresight and the expected growth of trees, shrubs and bushes are often not taken into account by many when installing an irrigation system. The end result can be that the spray pattern is being partially or fully obstructed by branches or trunks. In this scenario, the home owner will have three options: cut down the tree, drastically cut back the overgrowth or relocate the sprinkler head.

Relocating sprinkler heads may not seem to be too difficult. When a sprinkler head is moved, however, very often an additional sprinkler head may need to be added in order to compensate for an area which is no longer being covered by the new spray pattern. When adding a sprinkler head or making any changes to the physical layout, the existing pipe sizes may not be adequate.

A well designed sprinkler system does not use one size of pipe throughout the entire system. The reason for this is as the pipe runs become longer or additional legs are added, a decrease in water pressure can occur. When this occurs, the previous spacing of sprinkler heads will no longer be sufficient to cover the lawn. In some extreme cases the pressure may be so low as to not allow the sprinkler heads to pop up.

The complexity of irrigation timers can also pose significant frustration for home owners or landlords. Newer timers are more simplified in their design and operation than those timers from many years back. With modern day programmable irrigation timers, several distinct programs can be setup with greater ease and more intuitive functioning to allow for different seasons and zones.

Regardless of the current problems that the home owner or landlord may be experiencing it is often easier and wiser to have a professional irrigation specialist inspect and service the irrigation system. It is quite easy for a home owner to louse up the sprinkler system and then in frustration decide to turn the whole system off. By not ensuring the system is setup properly and working at 100% efficiency, the home owner or landlord is just wasting money.

For more about the topic of sprinkler systems and proper law.n fertilizing, please visit or call www.advancedirrigationmn.com at 612-599-8675.

Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation of Minnessota.

How to Manage Your Irrigation System in 7 Easy Steps

If you are one of the people who love to have a beautiful green lawn and have taken the time to install an irrigation system, then you will want to maintain the life of your system, so that it will work exactly the way you want it to, every time you turn it on. And, while proper maintenance is necessary year round, what you do in the spring is an important part of ensuring that your irrigation system works properly the rest of the season.

Getting Started...Spring into Action

To guarantee that your irrigation system works as you wish it to, you don't have to have a degree in rocket science. In fact, the first 3 (once you have the needed items) steps take less than 10 minutes and the remaining steps usually take less than 30 minutes to complete!

1. Go to your garage or local hardware store, and get an adjustable wrench and some Teflon tape or plumber putty. Then locate your irrigation system's galvanized plug or spigot on top of the irrigation controller... often this will be located in the garage. Should you not have a plug, one can typically be purchased at your local hardware store. Using the tape or putty, be sure to cover the threads of the plug as it will prevent leaking over the summer. Sometimes, the outside plug may not have been removed, in which case you can skip step 2 and proceed to the 3rd step.
2. Take the plug to the outside valve and screw it into the opening, being careful not to make it excessively tight.
3. Once the plug is in place, open the water shut off valves by rotating the valves till they are parallel with the water line.
4. Next, locate the colored ball valve (often near a yellow tag saying, "Danger, Do Not Open"); typically this is in your basement or near/above the water meter. Feel free to remove the tag, then slowly open the valve until you hear the water slowing down, then you can open the valve all the way or until the valve is parallel with the water line. If you hear your pipes rattle and bang, try opening the shut off valve a bit faster.
5. Return to the sprinkler controller and set the correct date, time, watering times, watering days, zones runs times and any other information necessary to see that your lawn looks its best. If, however, you did not turn off the controller over the winter months, this step is unnecessary, unless you want to change something for the new season.
6. Do a quick manual run through to see that each zone's sprinkler head is working properly.
7. Most professionals suggest turning on your sprinkler only after overnight temperatures are not dropping below 40 degrees. In addition, be sure that when you are setting the run times that you keep in mind any watering schedules set by your city ordinances so you can avoid being penalized.

For additional information on the topic of sprinkler systems visit Advanced Irrigation. Article independently authored by Janet M. Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Advanced Irrigation. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.