The Value of Old Timers

by Tom Barrett | May 7, 2025

Conventional Irrigation Controllers
Still Going Strong

In a world of cutting-edge technology, you may be surprised to learn that standard, strictly time-based irrigation controllers still dominate.

According to experts, basic irrigation controllers represented 65% of the global market in 2024. Millions of these little workhorses are still operating, and many contractors – and homeowners — depend on them. As long as you don’t expect them to make any complicated decisions, you’ll get along just fine.

Plain Vanilla, Please

Basic controllers remain ideal for certain types of landscape irrigation, such as:

• New seed or sod that must be watered at regular intervals with no exceptions. In new housing developments, contractors often install a standard irrigation timer at least temporarily to maintain curb appeal.
• Flower beds that must be watered on a regular basis
• Sheltered container plants

In addition, in areas where water scarcity is not usually an issue – like most regions in Ohio — the advanced features of smart controllers may not be necessary.

Easy Does It

No one can argue that standard irrigation timers are simple and easy to understand. For some customers, particularly older homeowners, you may not even want to offer the option of a smart controller. Configuring smart systems and understanding technical specifications can appear overwhelming for people who are not technologically inclined.

The learning curve associated with new technology is not for everyone. Even some contractors avoid it, if possible. Instead, they rely on the basic, simple units they’ve always used that don’t continually ask them questions. New contractors who were trained using standard controllers may also prefer them.

Some contractors also may view basic timers as more reliable. Moreover, the lower cost makes them an easy sell. For hobby gardeners on a budget, the upfront cost of a smart controller may be prohibitive. Also, for small-scale gardens, it could be overkill.

To address some of these concerns, several manufacturers have begun producing simpler, more user-friendly smart controllers at a lower price. These new devices combine the water-saving features of smart controllers with the reduced price and complexity of basic controllers.

Other Smart Issues

There are several other reasons why a smart irrigation controller may not be the best choice for your customer, such as:

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Privacy Concerns. Some customers may not be comfortable sharing Wi-Fi passwords with their irrigation contractor. Others may find the reliance on technology unsettling.

Hackability. With the increasing sophistication of hacking technology, some customers may be wary of any type of smart home device. (See sidebar, “Preventing Cyber Intrusion.”)

Data Collection. In addition, some smart irrigation systems collect data about gardening habits, climate, and the customer’s location. Even though this information is generally used to optimize the system’s performance, some customers might not be comfortable with this data collection.

Wi-Fi Reliability. Smart controllers depend on reliable Wi-Fi connectivity. In the event of a network outage, they could leave landscapes underwatered.

Time After Time

For the time being, it appears standard irrigation timers aren’t going anywhere. Simple and cost-effective, these classic timers are still a good option for a basic sprinkler system and for customers who prefer an easy, hands-on approach.

They may not be trendy and sophisticated, but they’re reliable standbys that continue to perform like clockwork, time after time.

Sources:
Featured Images: Adobe, License Granted
Global Growth Insights
Irrigation and Lighting
Live to Plant
Journeyman HQ
Top Appliance Picks

How Much Do You Know About Earth Day?

by Tom Barrett | Apr 9, 2025

Test Your Knowledge of
This Global Call to Action

Since 1970, April 22 has been designated as Earth Day.

What began as a national effort to raise awareness of environmental challenges has become a global call to action. For Ohio irrigation and landscaping professionals, each day’s work contributes to the greening of our planet.

But how much do you know about Earth Day? Take our quiz and see:

#1. The 2025 Earth Day theme is Our Power, Our Planet™. Which of the following was NOT a previous year’s Earth Day theme?

A.  Trees for the Earth
B.  Planet vs. Plastics
C.  I Have Earth
D.  The Solution to Pollution Is Dilution
E.  You Are Part of the Solution

Answer: D. “The Solution to Pollution Is Dilution” was a mantra of yesteryear, before scientists became aware of micropollutants that no amount of dilution could irradicate. All the other answers were Earth Day themes of previous years: Trees for the Earth (2008), Planet vs. Plastics (2024), I Have Earth (1971), and You Are Part of the Solution (1988).

#2. Which of the following ecological disasters inspired the first Earth Day in 1970?

A.  The Exxon Valdez oil spill
B.  The Love Canal incident
C.  The Santa Barbara oil spill
D.  The Three Mile Island accident
E.  Both A and C

Answer: C. On January 28, 1969, a massive oil spill blackened the coastline of Santa Barbara, Calif., and placed a national spotlight on pollution. After witnessing the damage first-hand, Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson and a Harvard University graduate student determined to spearhead the concept of a national day to promote awareness of increasing ecological issues.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. The Love Canal incident pertains to the 1977 discovery of toxic chemicals in residential areas near Niagara Falls, N.Y. Three Mile Island was the site of the worst nuclear power plant accident in U.S. history, but it occurred in 1979, nine years after the inaugural Earth Day.

#3. Water pollution has been one primary focal point of Earth Day since its inception, but what year did it specifically spotlight water conservation?

A.  2003
B.  1984
C.  1989
D.  2019
E.  2008

Answer: E. The 2003 Earth Day theme (“Water: A Shared Responsibility”) called on individuals, communities, and governments to adopt water-saving practices.

The other years listed above focused on conservation of a different type: land (1984), habitat (1989), biodiversity (2019), and forests (2008).

#4. In addition to Earth Day, several other global observances are dedicated to saving the planet. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

A.  Arbor Day
B.  World Penguin Day
C.  World Wetlands Day
D.  Green Friday
E.  Polar Bear Plunge Day

Answer: E. Polar Bear Plunge Day, often observed on January 1, is a cold-weather winter event where participants plunge into frigid water. It’s not to be confused with International Polar Bear Day (February 27), which is dedicated to raising awareness about polar bear conservation.

Arbor Day, celebrated on the last Friday in April in the U.S., encourages the planting of trees and is recognized annually on various dates by at least 50 different countries worldwide.

World Penguin Day began in the 1970s when researchers at an Antarctic station noticed that the local penguins always began their annual migration on April 25. Both the World Wildlife Fund and Greenpeace are involved in the initiative.

World Wetlands Day (February 2) marks the 1971 adoption of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and management of wetlands. Green Friday originated in Canada in 1992 and has evolved into a global movement that urges consumers to consider the environmental impact of their traditional shopping habits associated with Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

#5. How many countries participated in the first global Earth Day in 1990?

A.  140
B.  All of them: 197 in 1990
C.  Only two: the U.S. and Canada
D.  All countries in the Americas and the European Union
E.  All member states of the United Nations: 159 in 1990

Answer: A. Some 200 million people in 140 countries observed the first international Earth Day. Today, it is celebrated by more than 192 countries around the world. (If you answered D, you may need to review your European history, as the EU wasn’t formed until 1993.)

Earth Day Every Day

Green industry workers are connected to the Earth as few other professionals are, which is reason enough to celebrate Earth Day every day:

Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, Licenses Granted
Grow Billion Trees
Smithsonian
New Atlas
World Wetlands Day
Dots.eco

Are You Ready for Busy Season?

by Tom Barrett | Mar 5, 2025

Preparation Is the Key to a
Successful Spring and Summer

The busiest season of the year for green industry contractors is fast approaching. Are you ready?

Last month, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, but he’s only accurate about 30% of the time. So, it’s time to get going!

Here are a few tips to help prepare you for the hectic months ahead:

Have a Clear Vision

Your business model must have a clear and direct vision — one that all staff members can embrace. Schedule meetings and team huddles to review your strategies for optimizing sales.

Use a visual timeline illustrating the past year, your current situation, and your expectations by the end of the season. When reviewing the past year, identify areas where your plans succeeded and where there’s room for improvement.

Indicate short-term goals that can be achieved along the way to accomplishing your season-end objectives. Celebrate small victories. Each accomplishment can help rouse morale during the dog days of summer. Keep detailed records so that next year’s preparation is even easier.

Staff and Support

If you need to hire additional staff this year and haven’t already begun your search, now’s the time. Participate in job fairs and leverage online job posting sites. Get the word out!

Motivate your current staff by helping them understand the value of their contributions to the team. You want employees to identify with the business. You’ll be set for the season if you can tap into and maintain this team spirit.

Spring Training

Take the time to properly train your field crews and liberally allocate time to reviewing procedures with your staff. Mistakes are more likely to occur without a comprehensive training program, whether it consists of an hour here and there or a week-long seminar. Getting this done now will set the tone for the season ahead.

Get Into Gear

Inspect your equipment thoroughly. Could you break out the heavy machinery tomorrow if you wanted to? Look for structural damage, weak joints, or loose bolts. Just because the engine starts doesn’t guarantee your gear is “good to go.” Run some tests. Identify any potential problems now so you won’t worry about them next month.

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Take Stock

Take the time to thoroughly review your inventory. Do you have all the necessary supplies to sustain your busiest season?

Identify irrigation and landscaping trends for the summer season and determine which items you’ll need most. Purchase the materials in advance to ensure that supply chain issues don’t adversely impact your business.

Procure the most necessary supplies first. Purchasing all new supplies at one time could drain you financially. Instead, prioritize the most essential materials.

Don’t Panic!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when considering all the tasks that must be achieved when gearing up for your busiest season. But don’t panic! Instead, focus on your company’s vision, staffing, training, equipment, and inventory for smooth sailing through the long summer months.

Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
HindSite
Merchants Insurance Group
Consumer Affairs

The Physical Demands of Your Job

by Tom Barrett | Feb 12, 2025

Fitness Requirements to Remain
Safe and Productive

The very nature of irrigation and landscaping work demands a certain level of physical fitness.

From lifting heavy equipment to digging trenches and planting trees and shrubs in various weather conditions, green industry professionals routinely engage in activities that require strength, stamina, and agility.

Triple Threat: Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility

The constant lifting of irrigation pipes, rocks, bags of soil, and plants places particular strain on the back and arms. Maintaining a high level of physical strength is essential to perform these duties safely and effectively.

In addition, irrigation and landscaping work often involves long hours of physical labor, sometimes under scorching sun or in pouring rain. As a result, workers must be able to sustain their energy levels to complete their tasks efficiently.

They must also be agile and flexible in order to navigate uneven terrain, maneuver various tools and equipment, and easily bend and stretch to avoid injury.

Remaining “Fit” for Work

Physical fitness is a dynamic attribute that can be cultivated and improved over time. As a green industry professional, exercising regularly outside of work hours is essential to maintain your necessary fitness levels, further enhancing your job performance.

The following exercises will help:

Abdominal Bracing

This exercise will help you avoid back injury.

Lie on your back with knees and hips bent, feet flat. Place your hands at your sides, just above your pelvic bones. Draw your belly button toward your spine while tightening the abdominal muscles. Hold the contraction for 3-5 seconds and perform 10 repetitions.

Chair Squats

This exercise will increase thigh strength.

Stand in front of a chair with feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Slowly lower yourself into (or just over) the chair without using your hands, then slowly stand back up. Repeat until your thighs feel tired, 10-20 repetitions.

Once you’ve mastered these squats, you can advance to dead weights, using five-to-ten-pound dumbbells in each hand.

Golfer’s Lift

This exercise helps reduce back strain when performing repetitive or light lifting tasks from ground level. It mimics a golfer’s motion when reaching the ground for a tee or ball.

In a standing position, pivot your trunk forward from the hip of the weight-bearing leg. Raise the other leg behind you to the same degree that your body moves downward. Then, lower down and return to standing. Repeat 10-20 times and then switch sides.

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Farmer’s Carry

This exercise helps alleviate the awkward demand on the lower back and abdominal muscles caused by carrying heavy buckets on just one side of the body.

Hold in one hand a five-to-ten-pound dumbbell or a bucket filled partially with water or sand. Walk forward 10-20 steps, then turn around and switch hands, walking back to where you started. That’s one repetition. Repeat 5-10 times.

Wholehearted Effort

In addition to regular strength training, consistent aerobic exercise is critical to enhancing and maintaining cardiovascular health. Walking, running, cycling, and swimming are particularly beneficial if a component of your job is sedentary. Walking or running up and down stairs for 10-15 minutes can help release endorphins, improve circulation, and increase productivity.

The Big Picture

Irrigation and landscaping are physically demanding jobs requiring strength, endurance, and flexibility to avoid injury. Using proper techniques when lifting heavy objects or equipment and avoiding dehydration and fatigue will help.

But maintaining a well-conditioned body while off the clock further ensures you remain safe, productive, and ever “fit” for your job.

Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
Green Packs
Business Insider
Mountain Ridge Physical Therapy
Healthline

Drone On: UAVs and the Green Industry

by Tom Barrett | Jan 20, 2025

Is Drone Technology the
Next Big Thing?

Green industry professionals are increasingly adopting drone technology to assist with irrigation and landscaping projects.

Also known as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), drones are used commercially for landscape photography, videography, design, and site inspection. When paired with a remote control and two-way communication, they’re commonly referred to as an unmanned aerial system, or UAS.

Lightweight and rotor-equipped, drones are highly maneuverable and can be operated via remote control or smartphone. Most can fly for 30 minutes to an hour on a single charge, capturing detailed images for a fraction of the cost of other options — one reason the United States Golf Association (USGA) has been utilizing drones since 2015.

Aerial (Ad)Vantage Point

Drones provide landscaping professionals with a bird’s eye view of an entire job site, allowing them to collect aerial images and videos in real time. With these images, landscapers can quickly survey a job site, assess site safety, and monitor the effectiveness of irrigation systems.

The current aircraft of choice for landscape and irrigation professionals is a four-rotor drone called a quadcopter. This drone is capable of covering as much as 75 acres, flying for up to 25 minutes per battery charge, depending on weather conditions.

When equipped with specialized cameras, some UAVs can analyze nitrogen management and soil compaction, assess plant health, and detect drought stress. They can also capture stunning footage of completed projects for promotional purposes.

Intelligent Design

UAV technology has also proven extremely useful as a design tool.

Drones enable landscape designers to create immersive “virtual tours” to help their clients make informed decisions. Instead of working from a traditional plot view, landscape architects can create a three-dimensional model from the geographical data (such as site terrain and natural features) collected by the UAV.

Drones can also collect data on climatic conditions and microclimates, allowing designers to incorporate environmental factors in their landscape elements. For instance, drones can help determine the optimal location of green space according to sunlight exposure and wind conditions.

Lastly, the drone-collected data can be shared with other personnel to quickly identify any problems for maintenance and design improvement purposes.

Rules for Drone Usage

Every drone weighing more than 0.55 pounds (about 0.249 kilograms) but less than 55 pounds (24.9 kilograms) must be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Failure to register may result in civil and criminal penalties.

Once registered, the drone owner will receive a Certificate of Aircraft Registration/Proof of Ownership with a unique identification number.

If you use a drone for business, you are using a drone for profit. Drones flown for commercial purposes must be specifically authorized by the FAA. In addition to registering the drone, you must also obtain an operator’s license from the FAA. There are many drone pilot license courses available online to help you pass the exam.

FAA authorization may be obtained in three ways:

1. Following the requirements in the Small UAS rule,
2. Following the rules in a Section 44807 grant of exemption, or
3. Obtaining an FAA airworthiness certificate for the aircraft.

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Many other FAA regulations apply to general UAV operations, such as:

• You may not fly your drone above 400 feet.
• You may not fly in a manner that interferes with operations and traffic patterns at any airport or heliport.
• You must be authorized to fly between the hours of sunset and sunrise.
• Your drone must remain within the sight of the operator at all times.
• You must obtain the owner’s consent before flying over private property.

For a complete list of all FAA drone usage regulations, check out Small UAS Rule Part 107. [A new FAA rule (Part 108), aimed at expanding drone operations across all industries, is expected to be finalized sometime this year.]

Proper drone operation is more complicated than it first appears. You can avoid any potential headaches by retaining a professional drone pilot. Alternatively, many professional agencies offer pilot training.

Stiff Penalties

The FAA does not take drone violations lightly. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 allows the agency to impose fines of up to $75,000 per violation for drone operators who conduct unsafe or unauthorized operations. In addition, the FAA can suspend or revoke the pilot’s certificate for any offenders.

The Wild Blue Yonder

As always, the future of irrigation and landscaping is inextricably linked with advances in technology. Drones are one of the most visible examples of this evolution – perhaps one worth considering in your 2025 business plan.

Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
Total Landscape Care
Identified Tech
Lawn & Landscape
FAA
Drone Pilot Ground School