2023 Plant Hardiness Map: Impacts to Irrigation

2023 Plant Hardiness Map: Impacts to Irrigation

Using New USDA Zones to
Market Your Business


The USDA’s new plant hardiness zone map (PHZM) places Ohio in warmer sectors. What will that mean for irrigation and landscape contractors?

According to the new map, the average lowest winter temperature across the country is now 2.5 degrees warmer than it was in 2012, the last time such a map was charted. Viewable in an interactive format, the 2023 hardiness zone map was created digitally, relying on detailed and more precise data than before. Map users can zoom in on specific ZIP codes and locate roads within each zone.

Ohio’s New Hardiness Zones

Like the 2012 PHZM, the new version shows Ohio falling almost entirely within Zone 6, with an average lowest winter temperature between minus 10 and zero degrees Fahrenheit. But Zone 6b now encompasses a considerably larger area than it did in the 2012 map.

Much of central Ohio, along with areas to the northeast and northwest, still lies in Zone 6a, which ranges from minus 10 to minus 5 degrees. (According to the 2023 map, the only remaining pocket of Zone 5b is in northeastern Knox County.)

The warmer Zone 6b ranges from minus 5 to zero and now includes much of southern Ohio. But it also includes a section of Northern Ohio west of Toledo and extending to Pennsylvania, which is warmed by the moderating effects of Lake Erie. As a result, Ohio’s Zone 6b is significantly larger than the 2012 map indicated.

Warmer still is Zone 7a, making its first appearance in Ohio. This zone, ranging from zero to 5 degrees, now includes a narrow swath of Greater Cleveland just inland from Lake Erie and the southernmost tip of the state.

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Impact on Irrigation and Landscaping

Regions across the state have warmed, making them suitable for plant species that previously could not have survived there. Here are some of the ways warmer regions can impact landscape and irrigation professionals:

  • Longer growing seasons and the likelihood of increased heat will compel homeowners to consider more efficient water usage and adopt more sustainable irrigation practices.
  • Extended growing seasons require adjusting planting schedules and vigilantly maintaining plants during the longer summers.
  • Homeowners and landscapers may choose from a broader range of plants, allowing for more diversity within a landscape.
  • Landscapers must proactively monitor and manage increased pest and disease challenges caused by warmer temperatures.

Promoting Your Business Through the New PHZM

Evolution of
the PHZM

1927 – Harvard University publishes the first known U.S. map with eight climatic zones in the Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs Hardy in North America.

1928 – USDA publishes a map depicting average annual minimum temperatures in 11 zones across the United States. 

1938 – Harvard University publishes enhanced plant hardiness map using previously unavailable temperature data from the U.S. Weather Bureau.

1948 – Harvard University publishes a revised and updated map, incorporating new weather data.

1960 – USDA develops and publishes the first official Plant Hardiness Zone Map [PHZM], which eventually became the standard for assessing plant hardiness in the United States.

1990 – USDA publishes updated PHZM, utilizing data from about 8,000 weather stations over a 12-year period.

2012 – USDA develops the first digital PHZM, utilizing 30 years of weather data.

2023 – USDA publishes revised digital PHZM, utilizing data from 13,412 weather stations over a 30-year period.

Source:   Medium

You can help your customers understand the ramifications of the new PHZM while also promoting your irrigation business. Here’s how:

Explain the Map

Familiarize customers with the PHZM. Explain to them how the local climate is changing, offering more plant diversity and longer growing seasons, but also likely requiring more efficient irrigation – not necessarily more water. Provide them with a link to the updated interactive map so they can drill down to their local area.

Offer a Variety of Options

Stay current on the newest and most efficient smart controllers and system components, and offer various options for your customers to consider. Maintaining a strong relationship with your local irrigation distributor will go a long way toward ensuring familiarity with the latest products.

Incentivize

Offer rebates or other incentives to encourage action (such as retrofitting inefficient irrigation systems with smart systems). Inform customers of any rebate programs available through WaterSense, their local water utility, or irrigation system manufacturers.


The 2023 PHZM update highlights the impacts of climate change on our local environment, presenting both new opportunities and challenges. Responding proactively to these changes can help ensure sustainable landscapes while also promoting your business as a green industry leader.


Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
USDA
Cleveland.com
Medium

’Sno(w) Problem!

’Sno(w) Problem!

White Stuff Spells Green for
Enterprising Contractors


Irrigation and landscaping contractors in snow-prone Ohio recognize the benefits to be gained from including snow removal in their menu of services.

For instance, homeowners’ associations often seek out four-season maintenance providers. Your business will attract these larger accounts by offering snow and ice removal services. In addition, keeping your crews employed all year will help you retain your best workers.

Here are some things to consider before you branch out:

Essential Equipment

Many landscaping contractors already have access to some of the most expensive equipment needed for snow removal, such as skid steers, track and wheel loaders, and pickup trucks.  But what about irrigation contractors whose services do not include general landscaping? You can still get into snow business by renting the necessary equipment. (See infographic below.)

Some essential snow attachments manufacturers recommend for skid steers and loaders include snow blades, angle or push brooms, snow blowers, snow pushers, scrapers, and buckets.

–Article Continues Below–

Snow Blades

Snow blades work hydraulically to stack snow high and cleanly, even on uneven terrain. An angled or V-shaped blade provides added versatility, since it can be used to angle and direct snow. V-blades work best in open spaces, and are most effective on hard surfaces such as pavement or concrete. But straight blades are the most popular type of blade attachment, and are often more affordable.

Snow Brooms

For lighter snowfalls, angled or push brooms are ideal for sweeping less than six  inches of snow. An added benefit is that these attachments can be used year-round to remove dirt, leaves, gravel, and other debris.

Snow Blowers

A snow blower attachment is used to blow snow into a pile or dump truck with a truck-loading shoot. It can remove large amounts of heavy, wet, or icy snow in a single pass.

Ohio’s First Snowfalls

Below are some compiled statistics for the earliest snowfalls of at least one inch in Ohio’s major cities:

Columbus 1 inch, Oct. 22 (1925)
Cleveland 1.4 inches, Oct. 18 (1972)
Cincinnati 5 inches, Oct. 19 (1989)
Toledo 1 inch, Oct. 20 (1992)
Akron 2.9 inches, Oct. 20 (1952)
Dayton 4.8 inches, Oct. 19 (1989)
Youngstown 2.6 inches, Oct. 30 (1993)

Source:  Weather.gov, Extreme Weather Watch

Snow Pushers

As the name implies, snow pushers are designed to push snow straight ahead; they can neither load nor lift. Pushers are ideal for clearing sidewalks, small parking lots, and driveways. Heavy snowfalls may be too much for some pushers, and wider pushers can be challenging to maneuver. Because pushers require a skid steer or loader with a lot of torque and traction, selecting a pusher attachment with the proper size and weight for your equipment and application is essential. (Bigger isn’t always better.)

Scrapers

Use a scraper attachment to remove hard-packed snow and ice. Be sure to get one with a self-sharpening cutting edge that easily slides under ice and stubborn snow.

Snow Buckets

These attachments are used to scoop and transport large volumes of light snow. Because buckets have no electric or hydraulic parts, they require minimal maintenance. During warmer months, they can be used to move wood or mulch.

Spreaders

Spreading salt or other ice-melts is another key component of any snow and ice removal system, as it protects your customers from accidents on their properties. Spreaders attach to the rear of a vehicle and disperse salt or sand at controlled flow rates and high speeds. There are also simple handheld models available for smaller areas.

Contractors can opt for a variety of ice-melts, including sodium chloride (rock salt), calcium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, or any combination of these, depending on the outside temperature and application area. (For instance, magnesium chloride is considered the most eco- and pet-friendly.)

Of Plows and Pickups

Snow removal contractors often opt for compact equipment because pickup trucks are too cumbersome to fit into tight spaces.

However, compact equipment is more difficult to transport quickly from job to job since it requires a trailer, which is why some contractors prefer the versatility of a pickup truck with a snowplow. If your business owns a medium-duty truck, you can purchase a snow plow package from your local distributor. The system can be mounted to the frame of your existing trucks and easily removed when not in use.

Final Tips

If you’re just getting started in the snow removal business, here are a few final tips to consider:

  • Use bulk spreaders whenever possible, as ice melts are cheaper when purchased in bulk.
  • Take advantage of a downloadable weather app so you can make educated decisions based on current weather data.
  • Consider joining an association like the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA), which offers an extensive library of resources to help you quickly gain the skills needed for success.
  • Make sure your crews enjoy working long hours and at night. Snow removal is not for the faint of heart!

Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
Green Industry Pros
Irrigation & Lighting
Big Rentz
Jobber

Gearing Up for Equip Exposition and midwestGREEN

Gearing Up for Equip Exposition and midwestGREEN

Equip Expo: October 17-20, 2023
midwestGREEN: November 6-7, 2023


Ohio irrigation and lighting professionals will want to mark their calendars for two green industry trade shows happening in October and November.

About Equip Expo

This month marks the 40th anniversary of Equip Exposition, the annual green industry exhibition featuring more than 1,000 exhibits that now draws more than 25,000 attendees.

Equip Exposition
Timeline

  • 1984: OPEI launches the International Lawn, Garden & Power Equipment Exposition (EXPO), the industry’s first trade show.
  • 2007: OPEI merges the International Lawn, Garden & Power Equipment Exposition with the Green Industry Expo, creating GIE+EXPO.
  • 2021: OPEI rebrands GIE+EXPO as Equip Exposition and opens a branch office in Louisville, Kentucky.

For more than 20 years the show has been located just over the river at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, making it a popular event for Ohio green industry professionals. Of course, it wasn’t always called Equip Exposition. (See sidebar, “Equip Exposition Timeline.”)

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), expo sponsors, expanded this year’s show to include increased exhibition space, advanced education, additional entertainment, and improved logistics and food options.

Educational Opportunities

In addition to the green industry products on display and Equip Expo’s 30-acre outdoor demonstration yard, there are plenty of educational sessions for irrigation and lighting professionals. (Click on each course title for additional information.)

Basic Irrigation Repairs
Electrical Troubleshooting
Anatomy of an Irrigation System
Basic Controller Operation
Wi-Fi & Connected Device Knowledge for Green Industry Professionals
Expanding Your Business with Landscape Lighting

Also, the Irrigation Association will administer certification exams for all levels of industry professionals on the first day of the expo, Tuesday, October 17, from 12:30 to 5:30.

Equip Exposition is scheduled for October 17 through October 20, at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

About midwestGREEN

The 2023 midwestGREEN conference (previously known as MGIX) offers a robust exhibit space, unique networking opportunities, and educational sessions with impactful speakers.

The two-day conference is sponsored by the Ohio Green Industry Association (OGIA), and OGIA members receive a substantial discount. Click here for  the complete Event Guide.

Educational Opportunities

All 48 educational sessions are included in the registration cost. Here are some workshops of particular interest to irrigation and lighting professionals:

Ohio’s Landscape Irrigation Industry Insights
Speaker: Tom Barrett | Ohio Irrigation Association

Over the last four years Ohio’s landscape irrigation industry has experienced some dramatic changes. In this presentation, Tom Barrett will cover current issues for those working in Ohio’s landscape irrigation industry. This presentation includes industry trends, research, best practices, and field implementation techniques.

Fire and Water
Speaker: Nick Berger | Hidden Creek Landscaping

The inclusion of Fire and Water elements within a landscape design can create captivating outdoor spaces with profound effects on the user experience. Blending fire pits, fireplaces, and fire woks with fountains, swimming pools, and spas together in a landscape design entices people to spend more time outdoors, connecting with nature, and enjoying an enriched outdoor living experience.

Innovative Lighting Design Techniques and New Technologies
Speaker: Adam Marette | Wolf Creek Company

Latest in Equipment Trends
Speaker: Chuck Bowen | The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute

OPEI is the voice for the outdoor power equipment industry. As such, OPEI is keenly aware of the trends, challenges and opportunities facing the industry. From expanding software solutions to new equipment technologies like autonomous mowers and more efficient engines, Chuck will share what to have your eye on as we close out 2023 and prepare for 2024 and beyond.

midwestGREEN is scheduled for November 6 and 7, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.


Sources:
Featured Images: Equip Exposition and Adobe (Licenses Granted)
Equip Exposition
midwestGREEN

Low-Voltage Wiring Dos and Don’ts

Low-Voltage Wiring Dos and Don’ts

How to Avoid Wiring Problems
When Installing Landscape Lights


Low-voltage landscape lighting offers a pleasant alternative to glaring floodlights.

Artfully placed outdoor lighting can look as beautiful and natural as the landscape, whether strategically positioned to accent plants and other features or safely illuminate steps and pathways.

But any installation missteps with low-voltage wiring will likely lead to a system failure somewhere down the line. Here’s a list of dos and don’ts from lighting professionals to help you avoid problems when working with low-voltage wiring.

Don’t Skimp on Wire Connectors

Less expensive wiring materials are not best for the job. For example, twist-on wire nuts, commonly used in household wiring, are not waterproof and should not be used to splice direct-buried wire. Non-waterproof wire splices can cause current to leak to ground, resulting in the controller and transformer running hot. This significantly reduces the life of the controller.

Moonlighting?

Moonlights are a type of downlighting that mimics the moon’s soft, cool natural light.

When strategically placed high up in trees and angled downward, the light peeks through the branches rather than shining directly into a specific space. Always opt for a cool-temperature white bulb for the most natural effect.

To avoid a sloppy look, plan for wire management before installation so that no cords are readily apparent. Use appropriate tree-friendly screws, spacers, and zip ties when attaching fixture wire.

Source:  Volt Lighting

It’s important to use wire connectors specifically designed for direct burial. These waterproof connectors are usually filled with silicone and provide a reliable underground wire connection. They typically consist of a twist-on cap to join the wires and a silicone gel-filled sleeve to keep moisture from entering the splice.

However, these connectors are not reusable. When repairing a bad splice, you’ll want to use a new wire connector.

Do Check Your Voltage

Even with LED lighting, it’s still important to check your voltage, which should be between 10-15 volts for LED’s. Too little voltage and your lights will be too dim; more than 15 volts could short out your system.

LEDs are not very forgiving above 15 volts, as they can disable your system quickly and without warning.

Don’t Use Frayed Wire Leads

Frayed wires can result in multiple wiring issues. If only a few pairs of your stranded wire are making electrical contact, you’ll notice a voltage drop. You’ll also risk an electrical short and create a fire hazard.

Wires that are clean and straight provide the best possible connection, resulting in fewer potential issues. Some contractors solder the wire leads together to ensure sufficient contact.

Do Use a Hub System

Lighting systems most often fail at a connection point. So fewer connection points mean fewer potential problems. A typical “daisy chain” design system creates two connection points (ergo, two weak spots) at every fixture throughout the landscape.

A hub system is a better design. Having each wire linked to a central transformer eliminates half of the potential points of failure. Troubleshooting a hub system is also much easier since you only need to locate one junction box rather than individual connections.

–Article Continues Below–

Don’t Reuse Wiring

Wiring is usually the least expensive component of any landscape lighting job, but it’s also one of the most important.

Reusing wire when retrofitting or redesigning a lighting system is a temptation contractors should avoid. When you reuse wiring, you’ve taken ownership of it, so future problems become yours.

When installing new wiring, removing the old wire is not always necessary if it’s not in your way. The exception would be if the new wires cross the old wires at any point. In that case, removing the old wiring can avoid confusion down the line.

Do Bury Wires Properly

Burying the wires is your last step. Lay the system out, hook up your lights, test your voltage, and (if possible) view the results at night before burying the lines.

Run the wires along the sides of hardscapes rather than through planting beds to avoid shovel points and other potential hazards. When you do need to cross a landscape, place wiring in a protective conduit or bury it deep enough to avoid the reach of any lawn equipment.


Sources:
Featured Image: Adobe, License Granted
Irrigation & Lighting
Volt Lighting
Family Handyman
The Lighting Zone

Irrigreen Hopes to Reshape the Industry

Irrigreen Hopes to Reshape the Industry

Unique Irrigation System
“Prints” Water With Precision


More than ten years ago, Irrigreen CTO Gary Klinefelter first imagined applying commercial printing technologies to irrigation system design.

Noting that inkjet printers spray just the right amount of ink in carefully controlled patterns, he wondered why irrigation systems couldn’t do the same. As it turns out, they can.

What Is Irrigreen?

Irrigreen is a digital sprinkler system, a type of robotic sprinkler that uses printing technology to create water patterns that conform to the specific outline of any lawn. Water streams do not overlap. As a result, Irrigreen uses about half the water of conventional irrigation systems.

This unique system “prints” and executes a precise watering plan, placing water where and when needed – never on driveways or sidewalks. The system also includes a smart controller to measure weather patterns and adjust the irrigation schedule to further reduce water waste.

Check it out:

 

Last year Irrigreen introduced XP, the third iteration of its product, now including functionality that predicts and adapts to water pressure and flow changes. The company was founded in 2013 by Klinefelter and CEO Shane Dyer and currently holds 35 patents on its product. According to Dyer, most installations are residential, but commercial and municipal projects are on the horizon.

How It Works

Irrigreen employs one centrally placed sprinkler head for each six-to-eight heads needed for a traditional system. Each Irrigreen head has 14 nozzles to spray water at different distances. By rotating 360 degrees, each head covers about 2,000 square feet. So instead of using 40 or more sprinkler heads for the average residential property, Irrigreen needs only five heads to cover the same area.

Want to Know More?

Click the links below for online tutorials regarding  Irrigreen installation, programming, and calibration:

The Irrigreen app allows homeowners and/or irrigation professionals to map out a watering pattern in any shape right from their mobile device. They can see a Google Earth view of the property and “place” digital sprinkler heads in the yard to see how many they need for full coverage. The app can also recall the last three years of rainfall and temperature data to determine how much water Irrigreen will save compared to a conventional mechanical system.

According to Scott Knowles, president of Wolf Creek Company, an Irrigreen distributor, the robotic sprinkler system “brings lawn irrigation forward into the digital age. It’s a good option for contractors who want to get out ahead of the competition by adopting advanced technology.”

Educating the Market

So far, lack of awareness has been the company’s biggest challenge. “People don’t know there is a better way to water their lawns,” Dyer said. So, to educate the market, Irrigreen developed an online tool that helps prospective customers assess the costs and benefits of installing the new technology.

“[With the online tool] we can show how much water they will save with the Irrigreen system and how much a system for their yard will cost,” Dyer explained.

Benefits to Pros

Because it uses only five sprinkler heads, the Irrigreen system streamlines installation. It also uses 80% less trenching and PVC piping – and the valves are located inside the sprinkler head — making installation  about three times faster than a mechanical irrigation system.

About 80% of the company’s current business is retrofits.  Most of the time, the old sprinkler heads can be capped off instead of removed, and existing piping is reused.

What the Critics Say

The Irrigreen system is not without its critics, however. Christopher Null, a technology expert and product reviewer for the online platform TechHive, voiced his concerns in January of this year. While providing an overall positive review (he found mapping the yard with the mobile app to be easy and “kind of fun”), Null stated that Irrigreen is still “a little rough around the edges.”

For instance, Null claims that the Irrigreen system must be installed from scratch and cannot be retrofitted to an existing irrigation system. Since Dyer asserts that most of the company’s current business is retrofits, perhaps Null means that retrofits require an irrigation professional and are not suitable for a DIY project.

Null said the weather-based controller was “a bit confused” during his testing. (It failed to skip the watering during a freak hailstorm and cold snap.)  Also, Null thought the manual controller was disconcertingly unsophisticated, “a bare circuit board mounted inside a plastic box” with three poorly labeled buttons. “Hang on to the (very beta) manual if you ever plan to open the box.”

The online quote tool indicated that Null’s 6,100-square-foot yard required five sprinkler heads totaling $3,280. However, he was confident that his yard would need at least eight heads – still considerably less than the 20 mechanical heads in his existing system.

Null concluded that Irrigreen is promising but still “has some growing to do.”

Most of the comments on Reddit indicate that the company’s technology is excellent, but its customer service is abysmal.

You Be the Judge

Is Irrigreen the wave of the future, or does it still have some hurdles to overcome? As an irrigation professional, you be the judge.


Sources:
Featured Image: Irrigreen
SG Voice
Forbes
Minneapolis Business Journal
PR Newswire
TechHive