Official Publication of the Nevada Landscape Association | www.nevadanla.com
APRIL 2017
IN THIS ISSUE... Trade Show Highlights p. 4 Conference Highlights p. 5 Ensuring Healthy Landscapes p. 6 Keeping Records is Part of Integrated Pest Management p. 8 Calendar of Events p. 9 Growing in the Truckee Meadows p. 10 Board Member Profiles p. 11 New Member Profiles p. 12 Alert p. 12 Grow Your Own, Nevada Classes Return in April p. 13 Drip Irrigation Meets Driveable GrassÂŽ p. 14 Get Certified! p. 15
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Landscape Nevada
APRIL 2017
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A Letter from the President Happy Spring Everyone,
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ur Spring theme for this issue is IPM – Integrated Pest Management. Implementing IPM strategies reduces plant stress and thus helps prevent problems in the first place. The concept in short is to do everything you can to ensure and encourage plant health through proper feeding and irrigation, planting the right materials in the right places, treating mechanically, biologically or organically where possible and then, as a last resort, using chemical products. We are stewards of the Earth and it is our responsibility to protect it for ourselves and for future generations. As this year’s NLA president I’m looking forward to a great year serving our industry. I realize that there are some who believe the NLA is just a bunch of old people sitting around eating lunch and doing the same old things, but I assure you that that couldn’t be further from the truth! The NLA is a group of hard working, dedicated individuals working to bring new ideas and information to the membership. Just one of the many things we are working on is the QWEL program. QWEL stands for Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper; this is a certified auditor program that is EPA recognized. The NLA is working with UNR, along with the states of California and Utah, to bring this test to Nevada for the first time in October this year. This is next-level training and certification for our local industry; I hope you are as excited as we are! The NLA strives to serve and educate the green industry. Our monthly meetings are the first Tuesday of each month at noon at the Cooperative Extension offices on Energy Way; I invite you to come join us and share your ideas or volunteer for one of our many committees! Remember, “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Make it a great season and the very best to you and yours!
Rick Clark President, Nevada Landscape Association
NEVADA LANDSCAPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rick Clark, President—Omega Environmental Solutions (775) 376-3334 Pamela Bedard, Past President—Horticulturist (775) 560-5192 Christina Volsko, Director—Crop Production Services (775) 358-6166 Leslie Lyles, Director—Stewardship Horticultural (775) 849-1215 Brian Dean, Director—Gail Willey Landscapes (775) 853-8733 Trisha Strouse, Director—Legends Landscaping
(775) 829-2468
Sal Perez, Director—Signature Landscapes
(775) 857-4333
Gregg Gehlert, Director
(775) 750-5507
Henry Messenger, Director—Western Nevada Supply (775) 359-5800
LANDSCAPE NEVADA is the official publication of the Nevada Landscape Association, P.O. Box 7431, Reno, NV 89510-7431, phone (775) 673-0404, fax (775)673-5828, website: www.nevadanla.com, email: info@nevadanla.com. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & SUBMISSIONS Write to Landscape Nevada at the address above or contact Julia Gardner at info@nevadanla.com or (775) 673-0404.
Official Publication
ape Association of the Nevada Landsc
.com | www.nevadanla
SPECIAL THANKS Leslie Lyles for newsletter submissions and editing.
APRIL 2017
IN THIS ISSUE... Trade Show Highlights p. 5 Conference Highlights Landscapes p. 6 Ensuring Healthy Part of Keeping Records is agement p. 8 Integrated Pest Man p. 9 Calendar of Events ee Meadows p. 10 Truck the in ing Grow p. 11 les Profi ber Mem Board les p. 12 New Member Profi Alert p. 12 Classes da Neva , Own Grow Your Return in April p. 13 s Drip Irrigation Meet ® p. 14 Driveable Grass Get Certified! p. 15 p. 4
Implementing IPM strategies not only helps to reduce pest problems, but also helps protect beneficial insects, such as this honey bee, in our landscapes. Photo by Leslie Lyles.
MISSION STATEMENT The Nevada Landscape Association provides leadership by promoting professionalism and integrity within the Green Industry through education, high standards and community involvement. We guide policy and uphold responsible resource management for the beautification and enhancement of our community. PUBLISHED BY Just Imagine Marketing and Design www.justimaginemktg.com
www.nevadanla.com
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his year’s Trade Show offered handson equipment demonstrations allowing attendees to view the latest equipment models and industry products. Outdoor Power had a number of mowers and blowers along with tree trimmers and chainsaws. Cashman Equipment helped assemble the Arboriculture Track stage and provided equipment demonstrations. Sunstate, Bobcat of Reno, & Sonsray Machinery also exhibited equipment products. WesSpur displayed their tree climbing and safety gear along with arborist supplies as wells as speaking in the Arboriculture Track on Victim Care and Aerial Rescue. Turf blends and hardscape materials were presented by Western Turf & Hardscapes. Village Nursery and Matsuda’s by Green Acres brought fresh ideas for this year’s softscape materials. Pesticide and Fertilizer supplies were available through Crop Production Services and Arborjet. New irrigation products were on display from Western Nevada Supply and Ewing Irrigation. Educational information was provided by Nevada Shade Tree Council and the Living with Fire Program. Landscape Industry Certified Program was on site with this year’s training manuals and testing information.
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(Clockwise from top): WesSpur’s Arboriculture Track Demonstration Stage; John Crandell with Nevada Shade Tree Council; Jordan Rice Western Turf & Hardscapes; Craig Cummins with Outdoor Power.
(Top): Brian Dean’s Turf Disease Class in the Turf & Irrigation Track (Right): Drip Irrigation Class by Leslie Lyles
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his year’s Nursery Track featured a variety of plant material with classes from Elona Lathrop of Greenhouse Garden Center and Jeff Corbett of Bountiful Farms, Matsuda’s by Green Acres. The Hardscape Track offered classes from James Motarex of Basalite and Representatives from Belgard. Also, thank you to the Contractors
Boards & the City of Reno for presenting educational materials on Laws & Regulations for the City & County. Kris Bachtell, of Kris Bachtell Consulting, was the speaker presenting educational classes in the morning for the Arboriculture Track and WesSpur presented hands on training in the afternoon. The Turf & Irrigation Track offered classes from Rick Clark of Omega Environmental Solutions, Brian Dean of Brian Dean Consulting and Leslie Lyles of Stewdardship Horticultural. Afternoon classes were presented by Sean Gephardt of Nevada Department of Agriculture and Jay Mendiola of NV Energy. Nevada Department of Agriculture speakers Bret Allen, Jennifer Schoener, and Charles Moses presented educational classes for the Pesticide Track. Jeff Jeppson of Washoe County Health District, Nate Webber of Crop Production Services and Steve Foster of University of Nevada
Cooperative Extension also were speakers for the Pesticide Track classes. A Big THANKS to everyone involved in this year’s Trade Show & Conference!
www.nevadanla.com
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Ensuring Healthy Landscapes By Holly Bromley, Stewardship Horticultural
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ave you ever become so stressed that your body just seemed to give up and you ended up sick, hurt or weak? Unrelenting stress takes a toll on the body, weakening the immune system, making it more prone to illness and injury and often leading to devastating events like heart attack and stroke. Before you check the cover to make sure you’re not reading a health magazine, I want to assure you that I’m using this example to illustrate a point. Just as chronic physiological stress takes its toll on the human body, so does chronic stress take a toll on plants, rendering them more susceptible to infection and insect infestation. After all, plants are living organisms, fully equipped with natural physiological defenses to help fight off invasion by microorganisms and insects that try to invade them. In our high desert environment, plants can have a particularly difficult time managing an entire array of stress factors from extreme summer heat, bitter winter cold, late spring freezes, desiccating winds, drought, and nutrient poor and structurally challenging soils. The very fact that so many plants (almost none of which are native to our environment) survive here is a testament to their resiliency. It’s not to say that environmental stress factors don’t take a toll, because they most certainly do, but we stewards of the urban landscape endeavor to create an environment where they can survive, enriching our city with their beauty. One thing that many people are not aware of is that many plants, trees in particular, end up merely surviving in our harsh environment, but not truly thriving. They live in a state of chronic stress, and it can eventually take a toll. Because insects can more easily attack and invade stressed plants than they can healthy ones, insect problems in the landscape are often not merely a pest management problem, but a plant health problem that leads to increased need for insecticide application. And when it comes to fungal infections such as Cytospora canker or bacterial infection like Fire Blight, branch death can occur quickly and cannot be reversed or treated. And sometimes a stress-weakened tree that appeared to be doing fine, will “suddenly” decline and die after a particularly severe weather event.
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“One thing that many people are not aware of is that many plants, trees in particular, end up merely surviving in our harsh environment, but not truly thriving.”
“But there are two critical factors that we can control that will lead to the healthiest possible plants in our landscape: proper plant selection and good irrigation practices.”
Although we have absolutely no control over most environmental stress factors such as the weather, we can control soil conditions somewhat with fertilization, mulch, and soil amendments. But there are two critical factors that we can control that will lead to the healthiest possible plants in our landscape: proper plant selection and good irrigation practices. Selecting the proper plant that is well adapted for a site is one of the best ways to avoid plant health and insect issues. This simply means that if the site has full sun exposure and is covered in D.G. or rock mulch, selecting more drought tolerant species that are well adapted to full sun and heat. Have you ever noticed how many maple or poplar species are planted in rock mulch? Trees and shrubs with large, dark leaves should be reserved for moister shady areas, and water loving species willows and maples should be planted in or near lawns. Also, using good planting practices to ensure that trees and shrubs are not planted too deep further reduces plant stress. The simple fact is that selecting a plant that is well adapted for the site, and planting it properly, means it will be healthier and better able to ward off insects and disease. Adequate irrigation is perhaps the number one most neglected cultural practice and the biggest source of avoidable stress in our area. All too often, irrigation emitters are placed at the trunk during planting and are never moved and additional emitters out near the drip line are never added. The settings on irrigation clocks are also problematic. Either they have never been changed from the day the landscape was installed, or well-meaning homeowners program their irrigation clocks wrong; having the drip system timing reflect that of the short duration and frequent watering of their lawns. They simply don’t understand that drip systems are designed for low volume and long duration watering to adequately saturate the soil. As landscape professionals, much of the health of the urban landscape falls to us. We can do much to reduce the time, energy and expense involved in treating and removing damaged and dying plants—not to mention a great reduction in excessive chemical application required to control pests in stressed landscapes. Adopting good planting and plant selection practices at installation, then following up with periodic inspection, maintenance and modification of the irrigation system goes a long way to ensure landscapes remain healthy and beautiful through the years.
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Keeping Records Is Part of Integrated Pest Management By Melody Hefner, Urban IPM and Pesticide Safety Program Assistant, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
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ntegrated Pest Management (IPM) is a pest control method that considers all control methods when developing a pest control plan. Management includes prevention, cultural controls, physical or mechanical controls, biological controls and chemical controls. IPM is not a no-pesticide approach to pest control. IPM does advocate using pesticides only when appropriate and as part of an overall pest control plan. Recordkeeping is important in developing and implementing a pest control plan. It provides a written record of the pest, when it was identified, the host plant or site infested, and how many pests were present. Recordkeeping can also be designed to note beneficial insect numbers. By recording what control methods were applied and then monitoring for their success or failure, you can refine your control plan to better manage the pests. Recordkeeping is an essential part of any pesticide application. Recordkeeping is required by the State of Nevada for any Restricted Use Pesticide applications by either certified applicators or licensed applicators. Records of restricted use pesticide applications must be maintained and available for two years. What pesticide application information are you required to keep? Every person using pesticides should keep careful written records of each application. He/she should record: 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
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date and time of the application location of the application type of equipment used name of the pesticide used the EPA registration number rate of application (e.g., gallons per acre) and total area treated what crop or site was treated (e.g., corn, ornamentals, house foundation) size of the area treated and its location pest controlled weather conditions at time of application name of applicator and certification number if the pesticide is a restricted material miscellaneous comments
A summary of Nevada Department of Agriculture recordkeeping requirements can be found at http://agri.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/ agrinvgov/Content/Resources/Forms/Plant/Pest/ record%20keeping%20requirements%2006-14. pdf What about general use pesticides? The Nevada Department of Agriculture recommends keeping the same records for these pesticides for two years also. While not required by law, all users of pesticides should keep records for their own protection. Your personal protection is not the only reason for keeping pesticide application records: 7 In the event that there is a report of drift or unintended damage on a property adjacent to your property or a property you manage, you will have a record of any applications you have made. 7 The recordkeeping requirements above will also meet the 2015 changes to the recordkeeping requirements of the Worker Protection Standard. 7 Detailed records can help refine your pest control plan. 7 Detailed records can help you identify the proper time to start scouting for pests in the same landscape the following year. 7 Detailed records can help you apply pesticides with different modes of action, reducing the possibility of creating a resistant pest population and improving control. 7 Detailed records also demonstrate to your clients that you really care about them and their property. Recordkeeping is essential for pesticide applications and IPM pest control plans. Recordkeeping can be customized to each applicator’s or the company’s internal standards, as long as the minimum information required by the Nevada Department of Agriculture for pesticide applications are met.
LIc Field Training Grow Your Own, Nevada University of Nevada Cooperative Extension 4955 Energy Wy., Reno 6 to 8 p.m. TUESDAY, April 4 Starting Plants from Seeds or Cuttings THURSDAY, April 6 Growing Tomatoes TUESDAY, April 11 The Challenge of Gardening in Nevada Soils THURSDAY, April 13 Attractive & Edible Landscapes TUESDAY, April 18 Vegetable Garden Pollinators & Other Beneficial Insects
Saturday, August 19 | 9 a.m. Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) – Sierra Building 7000 Dandini Blvd., Reno
THURSDAY, April 20 Ins & Outs of Fruit Trees TUESDAY, April 25 Vegetable Garden Pest Control
LIc written EXAM Friday, August 25 | 5 p.m. TMCC – Sierra Building 7000 Dandini Blvd., Reno
THURSDAY, April 27 Successful Berry Growing Basics
LIc HANDS ON Field test
Weed WarriorS Tuesday, May 23 | 1–5 p.m. Wednesday, May 24 | 8 a.m.–noon Taught live at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension office in Reno and by video conference to the Cooperative Extension offices in Carson City and Gardnerville. Visit www.growyourownnevada.com for information and updates.
Friday, August 26 | 8 a.m. TMCC – Sierra Building 7000 Dandini Blvd., Reno
trophy awards banquet Friday, November 3 Silver Legacy – Banquet Room Silver Barron A 407 N. Virginia St., Reno Visit www.nevadanla.com for information and updates.
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GROWING IN THE TRUCKEE MEADOWS
By Bill Carlos, M.S., Washoe County Horticulturist Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden
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rowing and cultivating plants in the Truckee Meadows can be challenging, especially with a short growing season and temperatures fluctuating 40 degrees in a single day. What makes it more taxing is the diverse soil issues ranging from alkaline soils (high pH’s or salts) to elevated levels of sodium (sodium affected soils), clay and rocky soils, each condition presenting their own distinct plant problems and requiring separate treatments and soil tests. To make matters worse, elevated boron levels were encountered in south Truckee Meadows over a decade ago. Routine soil tests suggested high levels of boron existed along the Steam Boat Ditch where developers planned a housing project and expansion (Double Diamond Ranch). Test results revealed concentrations of boron as high as 250 ppm, other tests revealed even higher amounts. Although boron is a naturally occurring element and required for plant growth, it can be too much of a good thing. Not enough boron, plants will be stunted, too much and it inhibits growth. Where we fall in the boron spectrum in the South Meadows area—we have too much in the soil. Putting it into perspective, plant injury occurs as low as 0.5 ppm to 1.0 ppm level (Kratsch 2012) on some ornamentals plants. Certain trees, shrubs and vegetable crops can withstand higher levels, but not the ones we would intuitively think e.g., sequoia’s and elms etc. The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension published a fact sheet, which lists boron tolerant plants and sensitivity (Special Pub 12-04 Boron and Salt Tolerant Trees and Shrubs for Northern Nevada). This is a good publication to use as a reference when choosing plants for that area. The most important step in managing high-boron landscape soils is completing a soil or leaf tissue analysis along with proper plant selection (Kratsch 2012). The down side is that toxicity levels for many landscape plants are unknown, and developers or
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landscape contractors may not be aware that the soil issue even exists prior to planting (Kratsch 2012). If you manage properties in south meadows and notice plants declining during the season, the first approach is to check the irrigation schedule and emitters, drip tubes and valves and make the necessary adjustments. If adjustments are made with no visible improvements over time, take soil samples or tissue samples from different areas of the property and send them to a certified soil laboratory. I also suggest having the soil tested for sodium concentrations as well, SAR or ESP (Sodium Affected Soil test or Exchangeable Sodium Percentage respectively). I have used A & L Laboratory in California for both assessments, but other certified labs can perform the same tests. Although boron can be an issue in the south meadows, elevated sodium concentrations have been known to exist along with boron. Sodium affected soils do not drain very fast (or not at all), which prevents water from moving to the roots. If you had the soil tested, and results revealed a high boron concentration and a high SAR or ESP, this is a difficult situation for plants grow in. Since boron can be leached with regular irrigation, a sodium affected soil will prevent the boron percolating past the root zone. Soil tests may recommend bringing in higher quality topsoil to the area and building tapered planting berms about 12 inches high for planting trees shrubs and vines. Recommendations may also suggest tilling three inches of organic amendments into existing native soil. The treatments will improve the soil structure, leach out boron and move standing water away from the root ball. However getting the soil tested or performing a tissue analysis takes the guessing game out of the equation and provides you with correct information, instructions and a plan to mitigate the conditions. It’s not easy growing plants in our area given our climate and soil conditions. Arming yourself with good information allows you to make better choices and provides you and your client with a greater understating of local issues.
CORRECTION! Sal Perez
Brian S. Dean
SIGNATURE LANDSCAPES
Gail Willey Landscapes
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al has worked in the Green Industry for 20 years. He is currently working for Signature Landscape, as the Senior Field/Production Manager and has worked for them for 16 years. He was the second employee that was hired by Lebo Newman when the company first started doing business in the Truckee Meadows and currently is a partner. He is Landscape Industry Certified in both Irrigation and Softscape Installation. He also holds an interlocking concrete paver institute certification for both segmental retaining wall and paver installation.
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rian S. Dean is a consulting Arborist. Mr. Dean has been working in the landscape industry since 1977. He graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Entomology and Plant Pathology. Brian is an ISA certified arborist and a member of the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). Brian has served in a number of industry and community associations including being a past president of the Nevada Landscape Association and Chair of the Reno Urban Forestry Commission. Brian has also been chair for the NLA Landscape Installation standards and maintenance standards committees. He assists legal counsel as an expert witness, does tree appraisals, forensics, tree inventories and other professional services.
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n behalf of the Board of Directors of the Nevada Landscape Association, I would like to formally apologize for an error in our January 2017 Landscape Nevada issue. The error occurred on page 6 announcing the 2016 Trophy Award Entry Winners. Inadvertently, the wrong landscape company was acknowledged as receiving the Environmental Award. The Environmental Award was awarded to Gail Willey Landscaping for the Hagen Residence. There was also a photo on page 8 that was mislabeled. The photo of the group sitting at a dinner table was supposed to be labelled Reno Green Landscaping. Please accept our apologies for the mistakes. We look forward to having you join us again next year.
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zzzz New Member Profiles Arborjet
Nevada Shade Tree Council
Western Turf
99 Blueberry Hill Rd. Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 935-9070 (781) 935-9080 www.arborjet.com
P.O. Box 3294 Carson City, NV 89702 Email: info@nevadashadetree.org
465 Tacchino St. Reno, NV 89512 (775) 356-TURF (356-8873) (775) 355-5588 Email: info@westernturf.com
Trees provide environmental and economic value annually. Trees increase property values and save on operating costs. Watering, heating, cooling, storm water run-off, and CO2 reduction are just a few of the cost savings we get from trees. Tree removal can cost $500-$1000, per tree, making trunk injection a very cost effective solution. Not to mention, you save the tree! Invasive insects or diseases kill a widespread number of trees. Pests are often imported from another country due to global trade which can be devastating to natural and urban forests. Imagine protecting trees from invasive pests without worrying about off-target spray or soil applied pesticides. That’s exactly what Arborjet tree injection offers. Tree injection can be compared to a hospital I.V., we inject our formulations directly into the tree’s vascular system where it distributes throughout the tree. Moreover, formulations are sealed inside the tree through the use of an Arborplug to achieve fast and effective results. Arborjet equipment injects insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers directly into the tree. Through the use of Arborplugs, chemicals are sealed inside and quickly distributed throughout the tree’s vascular system, reaching the trunk, branches, and leaves.
Mission Statement To promote and increase awareness of proper tree planting and care in Nevada and provide leadership, development and support for professional and volunteer community forestry programs across the state. For the past decade the Nevada Shade Tree Council has been a lead organization Nevada promoting tree planting and related educational programs for tree care and maintenance. The Council, a non-profit volunteer organization, was founded to serve as the advisory council to the State Forester for the Nevada Division of Forestry’s federally funded Urban Forestry Program. The Council’s Education Committee carries on year around activities that may include workshops, tree plantings, and the award and presentations of arboriculture resource books and materials to selected libraries around the state.
As northern Nevada’s largest turf grower, Western Turf provides locally grown turf products climatized for our environment plus a 400 acre turf farm just minutes north of Reno and Sparks. With the largest production equipment in the area, you can be assured that our team is more than capable of maintaining a beautiful playing field in our challenging environment. Since 1978 Western Turf has provided the industry’s finest sod. Locally owned and operated for over four generations, we continually offer you an award-winning product, one that is the choice of professionals. We hand-pick only top quality seed for our blends and mixes, those most suitable for this area.
Proper irrigation is essential for plant health. For efficient watering utilize the functions on your time clock. Use one program setting for sprinklers (Pgm A) and another for Drip (Pgm B). This allows one to: 3 Schedule all spray start times for early morning hours to avoid drift. 3 Water drip longer (and later in the day) without delaying spray times. 3 Easily use manual start function to water just spray or just drip zones (no need to water the entire landscape if just the drip needs an extra cycle). Reducing plant stress through efficient watering is just one way to help reduce pest problems in the landscape. 12
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Grow Your Own, Nevada Classes Return in April Cooperative Extension Offers Eight Back-to-Basics Courses Statewide
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ardening for 45 minutes burns as many calories as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. Preschool children served homegrown produce are more than twice as likely to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day as children who rarely eat homegrown produce. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is offering eight new “Grow Your Own, Nevada!” classes at seven locations statewide to help Nevadans who want to get on a path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing more of their own food. “Gardening in Nevada is a challenge,” Cooperative Extension Horticulture Specialist Heidi Kratsch said. “But you can learn to deal with our harsh climate and poor soils by building on the success of others. Grow Your Own educators are experienced gardeners and growers and are excited to share what they know with the community.” The series of workshops will run 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 4 through April 27. The workshops will provide gardeners and those interested in growing healthy foods with a back-to-the-basics guide to producing bountiful harvests in Nevada. See calendar on page 9 for more details. The workshops will be held at the Washoe County Cooperative Extension office, 4955 Energy Way in Reno, and will also be available via interactive video at Cooperative Extension offices in Elko, Hawthorne, Lovelock, Pahrump, Winnemucca and Yerington. “Anyone can become a better gardener by attending these classes,” Kratsch said. “From the beginner to the advanced gardener, everyone can benefit from a Grow Your Own class.” To register for any or all of the upcoming “Grow Your Own, Nevada!” classes, visit www. growyourownnevada.com. The class fee for those attending at the Washoe County office is $15 per class or $60 for all eight classes. The cost covers class supplies, materials and refreshments. Reno participants attending all eight classes will also receive a USB flash drive containing gardening resources. K-12 teachers and Master Gardeners in Reno receive a discount on registration cost. Class fees in other locations vary. Residents should contact their local Cooperative Extension office for information on attending the workshops in those locations. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Ashley Andrews,andrewsa@unce.unr.edu, at least three days prior to the first day of the course.
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is the unit of the University of Nevada, Reno that is engaged in Nevada communities, presenting research-based knowledge to address critical community needs. It is a county-state-federal partnership providing practical education to people, businesses and communities. For more information on its programs, visit www.unce.unr.edu. Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno ranks in the top tier of best national universities by U.S. News and World Report and is steadily growing in enrollment, excellence and reputation. The University serves more than 21,000 students. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and Wolf Pack Athletics. Through a commitment to world-improving research, student success and outreach benefiting the communities and businesses of Nevada, the University has impact across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.
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Drip Irrigation Meets ® Drivable Grass
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rivable Grass® has originally been designed with the intention to have commonly used spray irrigation systems installed underneath the product, including fitting sprinkler heads through cut voids of the mat or spraying from outside the installation. The conventional overspray irrigation system has been used successfully with Drivable Grass® for many years. Soil Retention, manufacturer of Drivable Grass®, recently worked together with a leader in drip irrigation systems, Netafim USA, to prove alternatives in efforts to conserve water. Netafim USA Techline® EZ dripline with 6” emitter spacing turned out to be a perfect fit and was installed in the summer of 2016 in our Carlsbad, CA corporate office parking lot as a test site. Drip irrigation is generally more efficient than conventional sprinkler systems because they deliver low volumes of water directly to the plant roots, minimizing losses to wind, runoff evaporation, or overspray. Drip irrigation uses 20–50% less water than pop-up sprinklers. The unique design, limited thickness, and typical 2” thick bedding course below Drivable Grass® make drip irrigation ideal due to controlled delivery of water right to the root zone/ bedding course. Installed were 300 linear feet of Techline® EZ dripline with 6” emitter spacing turned into 8 inch row spacing in the crevices/grooves of the Drivable Grass®, for a coverage area of 200 sf. To allow for obstructions and curves, different fittings were used. Once the drip irrigation system was secured in place with landscape staples, the Drivable Grass® was infilled with a mixture of 75/25 sand (ASTM-C33)/compost (Kellogg fine ground compost) and then seeded with a 70% fescue and 30% bent grass mixture. This grass blend is considered a California drought tolerant mix. To ensure the seed was kept moist, a seed topper was used to lightly cover the installation and some overspray was used. The parking lot test site area is used on a daily basis at Soil Retention’s headquarter office in Carlsbad, CA. After six months, the drip irrigation has proven to be a great success saving water and money. Drivable Grass® is the premiere permeable, flexible and plantable concrete pavement system. It is an ideal solution for daily driving applications; it is plantable with void spaces that prohibit compaction within the root zone, offering an environmentally-friendly option without sacrificing beautiful green space.
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(5) Ornamental Maint.
Field Training:
8a.m. Saturday August 19th at TMCC. Mock Test is $50, which will be reimbursed towards Landscape Industry Certified Field Test.
HANDS-ON Test
Written Test Friday is August 25th, 2017 at 5 p.m. at Truckee Meadows Community College, 7000 Dandini Blvd., Reno, NV 89512. Field Test is Saturday August 26th at 8a.m. Test fee is $195 per test for NLA Members and $245 for Non-members. Lunch will be provided for the Field Test. Application deadline is August 1st, 2017.
Lateral Repair r Lateral Installation r Valve Repair r
Mainline Installation r Valve Wiring r Controller Programing r
Benefit to You
ation enhances your professionalism! www.NevadaNLA.com
o you may include:
For test application and more information, visit the NLA website & Click on the “Certification� tab. Or call Julia Gardner at 775-673-0404 or email info@nevadanla.com
e of personal achievement. sed respect and recognition in the industry or profession. www.nevadanla.com
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Nevada Landscape Association P.O. Box 7431 Reno, NV 89510-7431
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