CIT training is scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Wolf Creek’s Columbus branch, located at 6700-B Huntley Road in Columbus, Ohio.
To register, contact your Wolf Creek representative, or click the registration box above. Space is limited; cost for the training is $100 per attendee.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to add instant credibility to employers and increase your marketability, all while demonstrating your commitment to efficient water management!
What Exactly Does a CIT Do?
Certified Irrigation Technicians install, maintain and repair irrigation systems.
This entails knowing the limitations of different piping systems and understand basic hydraulics, in order to properly cut and join pipe.
CIT’s lay out, install and repair all irrigation system components, including:
Piping and water delivery components
Backflow prevention components
Mechanical, hydraulic and electrical irrigation controls
To Become a CIT You Must:
Register for the exam. Recommended: six months or 1,000 hours of irrigation-related field experience.
Pass the irrigation technician exam. The three-hour exam includes 100 equally weighted, multiple-choice questions on basic irrigation principles, basic electrical principles and basic hydraulics.
December 3-7 at the Long Beach Convention
and Entertainment Center
Irrigation Show 2018 is the only national trade show designed specifically for irrigation professionals.
It’s where the irrigation industry comes together to network, learn and promote irrigation. (Did you know it’s also the world’s biggest irrigation trade show?)
Register by Nov. 1 to save on education classes, full registration and exhibits. Discount housing is also open, and attendees can book their hotel online.
To download the Irrigation Association’s 24-page Registration Brochure, click here.
More than 4,000 distributors, dealers, contractors, consultants and growers are expected to attend this year’s event in Long Beach, California. You’ll have the opportunity to:
Check out new and innovative products, technologies and services.
Explore new suppliers.
Learn about the latest business trends and irrigation best practices.
Network with current business partners and with industry leaders who share the Ohio IA’s commitment to efficient irrigation.
New This Year: Radio Row
Radio Row is a dedicated space for radio stations and podcasts from across the country to provide live broadcasts and interviews with irrigation professionals and experts attending the Irrigation Show. See some of your favorite ag radio and podcast hosts live and in action.
Extended Floor Hours
This year, show floor hours have been extended to 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, and 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6.
Educational Opportunities
You can discover great ideas, learn new skills and earn CEUs with some of the industry’s most experienced professionals. Landscape irrigation topics for educational classes at this year’s Irrigation Show include:
Pumps and Soils
Landscape Irrigation Design
Advanced Irrigation Wiring Methods
Hydraulic Troubleshooting
Alternative Water for Landscape Irrigation
Landscape Drip Irrigation Design
Two-Wire Technology Systems for Landscapes
The Business of Landscape Irrigation Contracting
One-hour seminars will provide detailed coverage on a focused topic in landscape irrigation. Seminars are open to all attendees with a full registration. Participants will earn 1.00 CEU for each hour. This year’s topics will include:
Weather-Based Irrigation Controllers
Low-Impact Development and Irrigation
Impacts of Irrigation in Building Rating Systems
Using Drones to Improve Irrigation Management
Certification Exams
Exams for the following certification programs will also be available at this year’s Irrigation Show:
The Ohio IA extends a warm welcome to our newest member, Adam Puhl of Puhl Landscape Design.
PLD offers a full line of landscape design, irrigation and lighting services to the Dayton, Ohio, market. The company has been in business since 2002, and specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of residential irrigation systems.
We’re confident that Adam and his team will quickly appreciate the many benefits of membership with the Ohio IA. Such as meeting his future labor and education needs and providing him a forum to discuss relevant topics with other irrigation contractors from across the state.
We’re glad to welcome PLD into our association of irrigation professionals!
Look for a new format this year for the Midwest Green Industry Experience (MGIX).
Instead of a single trade show and conference, the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) is transitioning to a collection of three professional networking programs for 2018-2019. The new programs, called the MGIX Series, will prioritize education, business development, collaboration and relationship building.
A New Setup
ONLA is hoping that the new conference format will better serve its membership, by offering more personalized programming throughout the year and at various locations across the state.
The first event in the series, the MGIX Member Summit, is scheduled for Dec. 12 and 13, 2018, at the Hilton Easton in Columbus. [Note the new venue.] The two-day summit is designed to provide a solutions-based learning experience for landscaping professionals. Highlights will include a keynote presentation by Terri McEnaney, president of Bailey Nurseries; “speed-networking” with MGIX Member Summit sponsors; and ONLA’s annual awards celebration.
Educational Sessions
Breakout tracks will dive deeply into best practices and emerging trends pertinent to green industry business owners, managers and team leaders. Scheduled topics include:
Landscape Design and Maintenance
Business and Marketing
Plant Trends and Best Selections
Pests and Diseases
Of particular interest to irrigation professionals:
Sustainable Irrigation in Residential and Commercial Projects. Presented by Jeff Muhlbach, Cleveland-based irrigation design consultant and landscape architect.
Environmental Requirements: What You Need to Know and The Path Toward Sustainability. Both sessions presented by Daniel Sowry, from the Ohio EPA’s Office of Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention.
Industry speakers will include national experts, Ohio State University educators and local colleagues. Continuing education units (CEU’s) will be available for all sessions. To download the complete educational schedule, click here.
Registration for Member Summit
Registration deadline for the MGIX Member Summit is Friday, November 30. To register, click here. To download the conference program, click here. For additional information, visit the MGIX website.
MGIX Training Days
MGIX Training Days: Gear Up for Spring, the second and third events in the MGIX Series, will take place in 2019.These two events are scheduled for March 5 in Dayton and March 7 in Cleveland. Both of the one-day programs will feature educational sessions, workshops and business development opportunities for green industry professionals.
The ONLA will announce details for the Training Days events at a later date. Registration for MGIX Training Days opens in mid-December, 2018.
Trade Show History
This new format (sans trade show) represents quite a change for the organization and the end of an era.
In fact, did you know that ONLA has hosted some form of its annual trade show since 1964? (The association itself has been around since 1908.)
Over the years, the show just kept getting bigger. In 1994 it became known at The Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show (CENTS). In its peak year of 2002, CENTS featured 1,357 booths occupied by 710 firms. The number of registered attendees hit a whopping 13,035.
After that, attendance gradually began to dwindle, as more green industry professionals chose to transact business online.
In 2017, ONLA rebranded the event as MGIX, in an effort to be more inclusive of its diverse trade show audience. It also expanded its roster of educational opportunities.
But by grouping together plants with similar water needs, homeowners can improve their irrigation system’s efficiency, avoiding both overwatering and underwatering. With hydrozoning, the plantings that require less water are situated farther from the water source.
The Hydrozone Plan
When creating hydrozones, you first want to identify the specific water requirements for individual plantings. (Information on water needs can be found through your local extension service.)
Wherever possible, consider replacing high-maintenance plants with native plants that would naturally require less water.
Once water needs of plants are identified, you’ll want to create four categories for watering: Routine Irrigation, Reduced Irrigation, Limited Irrigation and No Irrigation. When labeling your zones, consider not only types of plants in that area, but also element exposure.
For example, areas that receive direct sunlight will require more water than those located in shade. Similarly, for plantings situated at the top or bottom of a slope, you’ll need to account for runoff and accumulation.
Let’s take a look at each of the four zones.
Zone 1: Routine Irrigation.
This is the area that requires the most water. It’s the highest-maintenance hydrozone, and typically encompasses turf grasses, particularly in high-traffic areas such as playgrounds. (Other areas of your lawn may be zoned differently, and even allowed to go dormant or semi-dormant during dry spells.)
Early morning is considered the best time to water a lawn, with less chance for evaporation and wind loss. Conversely, try not to water your lawn late in the evening; the grass will stay wet all night, and become more susceptible to disease. When watering a lawn, be sure to wet the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.
This zone can also include any water-loving trees and shrubs you may have, such as eastern red cedar or elderberry bushes.
Zone 2: Reduced Irrigation
Zone 2 generally includes areas that are used less for activity, such as shrub and flower beds located near the main entrance of a home.
The amount of water this zone requires depends on the maturity of the plants, amount of direct sunlight received, and depth of mulch.
The soil here should remain somewhat moist, not crumbly dry and not dripping wet. You want to make sure these plants receive enough water to thoroughly replenish the plant’s moisture. (Hint: After watering, the soil should feel like a damp paper towel.)
Zone 3: Limited Irrigation
This is a minimal hydrozone, for areas of your landscape requiring little irrigation. It may include buffer zones between homes, road verges (strips of vegetation between the sidewalk and street) and embankments.
This zone is an ideal location for native plants that will survive primarily on rainfall, with just occasional irrigation to enhance the plants’ health. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources can offer plenty of suggestions.
Zone 4: No Irrigation
The last hydrozone is reserved for areas that require no supplementary water supply. This could include utility areas, mulched parkways, and naturally existing vegetation or xeriscapes.
When hydrozoning, keep in mind the ways in which the various areas are used. Lush “oases” or higher water-use zones are often located closer to the house, while more natural areas with low water needs are placed at the back or edges of the property.
Your hydrozoning plan may take a bit of tweaking and modification, but it will eventually result in an environmentally friendly and thriving landscape.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to add instant credibility to employers and increase your marketability, all while demonstrating your commitment to efficient water management!
This entails knowing the limitations of different piping systems and understand basic hydraulics, in order to properly cut and join pipe.
Extended Floor Hours
We’re confident that Adam and his team will quickly appreciate the many 
The first event in the series, the 
Early morning is considered the best time to water a lawn, with less chance for evaporation and wind loss. Conversely, try not to water your lawn late in the evening; the grass will stay wet all night, and become more susceptible to disease. When watering a lawn, be sure to wet the soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.
