Advanced Irrigation Blog Posts

Summer Lawn Care Tips for Your Commercial Property

Posted by & filed under Lawn Care Services.

If you are a business owner or property manager, then you always want to make sure your property’s landscaping and grass are looking their best. After all, you only get a split second to make a good first impression on new and current clients. So making sure your property looks great is imperative. You can always call on us for help with commercial lawn care in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas. But, in the meantime, here are a few of our favorite commercial lawn care tips.

  • Be sure you cut the grass to the correct length. If you mow the grass too short, this can cause the grass to turn brown or it can damage, or even destroy, the root system. The mowing length mostly depends on the type of grass, but the general rule of thumb is to only cut about 1/3 of the blade. Longer grass blades encourage the root system to grow even deeper into the soil, which promotes healthy and green growth.
  • After you are done mowing, leave the grass clippings on the ground. They can help with happier and healthier grass. (However, if the clippings detract from the looking of your property, then you should definitely take the time to rake them up.)
  • Are you thinking it’s time to fertilize your commercial property’s grass? If so, call us first. One of the many commercial lawn care services we offer is fertilization, but we know the best type to use and the best time of year to use it. Sometimes, fertilizing your grass in the summer can backfire. More often than not, you want to fertilize your grass in the fall.
  • Deep watering is best for your grass and other plants. An irrigation system can take care of this task for you, and it takes care of this automatically based on the type of plant, where it is located in relation to the sun and shade and how much rain has fallen as of late. Installing irrigation systems is one of our many commercial lawn care services, so you should call us for more information if you don’t already have one installed.

We hope you learned a few new things about commercial lawn care! But call us to get more details about how we can take care of your lawn care so you don’t have to stress about it anymore.

Would you like more information on commercial lawn care in Minneapolis? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or contact us to set up a Free Estimate.

How to Make Lawn Care Easier

Posted by & filed under Lawn Care Services.

Lawn care is sometimes one of the most dreaded chores of the summer time. Homeowners spend hours a week mowing, pulling weeds, putting down fresh mulch and more. So we thought we would give you a few tips on how to make caring for your lawn easier. And when you need help with lawn care near Plymouth, you can call the experts here at Advanced Irrigation.

  • If you see weeds starting to sprout up in your yard or in your garden, take a proactive approach and pull them as soon as possible. For tougher weeds or for areas where they are growing in abundance, you can use a weed killer or herbicide to help control them.
  • Keep up with mowing your lawn too. Make sure you only mow to about 1/3 of the grass’ height. If you mow much lower, you risk damaging the grass or making it turn brown. Along the same lines, make sure your lawn mower’s blades are sharp too. Dull blades can cause a great deal of damage to your grass that can sometimes be difficult to fix.
  • You should also keep up with mulching your garden too. Mulch can make it more difficult for weeds to grow. The type of mulch and amount that you need will generally depend on the type of plants and flowers that you grow.
  • If parts of your yard and garden are in the shade, there are plenty of grasses and plants that will still thrive in those areas. Keep your entire yard looking nice by planting grass and flowers that will grow in those less than sunny areas.
  • When you are designing or redesigning your landscape, you should have mowing borders installed between where the grass grows and where your garden begins. That way, you always know where to mow and you don’t run the risk of accidentally mowing over your beloved flowers and other plants.
  • Consider having an irrigation system installed if you don’t already have one. This will eliminate the worry and stress of when and how much to water your lawn. Our irrigation systems have smart controllers and rain sensors that will take care of watering your lawn and garden for you. And that eliminates at least one lawn care chore for you!

Would you like to learn more about lawn care in Plymouth? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Types of Hardscaping

Posted by & filed under Landscaping.

When it comes to Minneapolis hardscapes, there isn’t much we haven’t done for our customers. We have installed everything from retaining walls to patios, and we think that the hardscapes can be both beautiful and functional. So here is a brief overview of the most popular types of hardscapes and the purposes they can serve.

Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are some of the most functional types of hardscapes. They either separate garden rooms or areas, or they hold soil up across varying elevations of your home’s landscape. Retaining walls are also lovely to look at when installed properly. So you get the practical use: holding soil up and helping with erosion issues. But you also get the aesthetics of a pretty wall. This can be the focal point of your landscape, depending on the way your yard and garden are laid out.

Patios and Decks

An open area for holding furniture and for relaxation, patios are lovely hardscapes that can give you even more room to entertain guests. Generally speaking, a patio will be level with the grass and ground. These can be made out of a variety of different stones or slabs of concrete. The type of stone we use will depend on a few different factors, and we can discuss this more with you when you call us for information about our hardscapes services.

Walkways

Walkways are paths that lead from your house to your patio or around other areas of your yard. They are a great way to help you, your family and your guests get around your yard without having to walk on dirt and grass. They help people keep their footing, and they are especially useful after dark when it’s hard to see. These can be made out of a variety of different materials as well. The type we use will also depend on a few factors, including who will be using the walkway the most often and the overall aesthetics of your yard and landscaping.

Outdoor Fire Pits

These are a fun way to enjoy the outdoors without leaving the comfort of your home. We can install an outdoor fire pit made out of stone and other solid materials. So no matter what the weather is like outside, your fire pit will still be there. These are also great ways to enjoy your outdoor living area when the temperatures outside are a bit on the cool side.

Do you want more information on Minneapolis hardscapes? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or contact us for a Free Estimate.

Mowing Your Business’ Lawn

Posted by & filed under Lawn Care Services, Tips and Tricks.

When it comes to having a commercial irrigation system installed for your Minneapolis business, we are among the best in this area when it comes to the design, installation and routine care and service of these types of irrigation systems. But if your commercial property isn’t big enough for a commercial irrigation system or if one just is not in your budget yet, routine mowing can make a world of difference in how your grass looks. So here are a few tips on how to mow like a pro.

Mowing Height

The height of your lawn mower’s blades can make a huge difference in what your grass looks like. The proper height mostly depends on the type of grass you are mowing. But this is a critical aspect of lawn care since grass needs to be able to recover from mowing as well as maintain a healthy root system. But the grass still has to be short enough to look nice and not too “stemmy.” Striking the right balance means your grass will look nice and will be at its healthiest.

Mowing Pattern

Another important aspect of lawn care and mowing grass is to vary your mowing pattern. Avoid mowing your business’ lawn in the same direction every time you mow. Grass will lean and grow in the direction that it is mowed, so mowing in a different direction encourages the grass to grow more upright and will help keep ruts from developing in the soil.

Avoid Wet Grass and Dull Blades

Cutting wet grass could cause damage to your mower and result in uneven cuts. Wet grass clippings could clog your mower, even bigger commercial mowers. And make sure the mower’s blades are sharp. Dull blades will not make a clean cut. They will rip your grass, which could cause your grass to stop growing properly or result in your grass becoming diseased or could mean that pests could invade your grass.

Overlap is Important

When mowing, you should overlap each pass by at least three inches. This will result in an evenly mowed lawn with no missed areas or strips.

We hope you learned a few new things about how to mow your business’ grass and keep it looking great throughout the entire growing season!

Would you like more information on a new commercial irrigation system in Minneapolis? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can contact us to get a Free Estimate.

Irrigation Systems and Water Conservation

Posted by & filed under Irrigation Systems.

At Advanced Irrigation, we believe in doing everything we can to conserve water when we design, install and program an irrigation system. After all, we need to do our part to help Mother Nature and the environment, and one of the best ways to do that is by conserving water. Here are a few ways we do this with our irrigation systems.

There are two types of controllers for irrigation systems. The older versions are time-based, which means they will water that section of your yard at a set time and frequency. These times and frequencies will not change unless done so manually. These types of controllers could result in plants that have been over or under watered.

The newer versions are weather-based. Weather-based irrigation controllers work by calculating something called evapotranspiration (ET). This is the combination of the water that the ground evaporates and the water that plant materials transpires. The weather-based controllers calculate ET in real time by monitoring a weather station 24/7. The on-site weather station monitors conditions like the amount of rainfall, the wind, humidity and solar radiation.

The weather-based controllers are programmed by using unique characteristics of each microclimate within your yard and landscaping: plant and soil type, slope, sun and shade exposure and precipitation rate. Based on these factors, the controller will automatically adjust the watering times and frequencies for each zone in your yard.

These adjustments and calculations can save about 20% to 50% in water, which is a good amount of water to have conserved. And this is especially great news when you consider that most water is used for outdoor purposes like keeping your landscaping and yard looking good. And with the cost of water ever on the rise (unless you use well water), the water that is conserved using weather-based controllers could also save you some money in the long run.

Saving the earth is a community and group effort. Everyone has to pitch in and do their part to make sure our planet stays healthy. And one of the best ways to keep your yard looking good while also doing your part for Mother Nature is by having weather-based controllers installed in your irrigation system.

If you would like more information on weather-based controllers and irrigation systems in the Twin Cities and the surrounding areas, call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can contact us to set up your Free Estimate.