Advanced Irrigation Blog Posts

Tips for Summer Lawn Care

Posted by & filed under Lawn Care Services.

The heat of the summer is upon us, and one of the most important chores we all have to take care of every summer is lawn care. As a company that offers lawn care services in Edina and the surrounding areas, we thought we would share a few important lawn care tips.

Mowing Your Lawn is Important

One of the most popular and important lawn care services we offer is mowing. You should set your lawn mower’s blades to mow your grass to about three inches high or so. This will help your grass develop deeper roots and dry out slower than shorter grass.

Watering Properly is Important Too

We offer design, installation, repair and maintenance of irrigation systems. This is another one of our most popular lawn care services because the proper amount and timing of water for your grass and landscaping is vital to its health and well being. If you do not have an irrigation system, just be sure you water your grass infrequently but deeply. Apply about an inch and a half to two inches of water per watering session, and try to water sometime in the early morning hours if you can.

Water or Do Not Water

Choose one or the other when it comes to watering your grass. Either make sure you water it regularly but infrequently or do not water it at all. If your grass turns brown and goes dormant in the summer time, leave it that way all summer. Your grass is still fine and will rebound during the fall.

Mulch Grass Clippings

One of the best ways to keep your grass nice and moist is to mulch the grass clippings and leave them on your grass after you are done mowing. Be sure your mower’s blades are nice and sharp too. This will help minimize the stress your grass is under during the hot summer weather.

Fertilize with Care

Most of the time, we do not recommend that you do a lot of grass fertilization during the hottest months of the year. This can cause your lawn more harm than good. Fertilization is one of our lawn care services, so if you are interested in fertilizing your lawn, call us and we can come out and let you know if your grass needs it and what time of year would be best for it.

Do you want to learn more about lawn care services in Edina? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can contact us to set up your Free Estimate.

Three Simple Ways to Add Curb Appeal

Posted by & filed under Landscaping, Tips and Tricks.

Did you know that May is National Home Remodeling Month? This annual event is sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders, and it is meant to educate homeowners on the importance of hiring professional home remodelers when undertaking a big home improvement project. But there are also several do-it-yourself projects you can do on your own that will add plenty of curb appeal to your home without breaking the bank. Here are a few lawn care and landscaping tips that will help improve the looks of your Twin Cities home with minimal effort on your part.

Add Window Boxes

Window boxes are a great way to add some color and pizzazz to your home. They are inexpensive to buy and maintain, and installing them usually only takes a few minutes. You can plant any type of flower that needs a lot of sunlight to grow. Annuals tend to work best in window boxes since you can plant new flowers in there every spring and give your home a different look every year. Watering them and weeding them is easy too! And you can enjoy them from the indoors as well by simply looking out of your window.

Add a Walkway

If you have a walkway or two leading to your home, sometimes they can start to look a little ho-hum after awhile. You can easily lay down some slate to create a walkway. And you can line the walkway with flowers and maybe even a few lights or other decorations. Advanced Irrigation can help if you want something a little more decorative. We build paver and stone walkways, and we can help if you would like something a bit more complicated than slate.

Add Outdoor Lighting

Even if you don’t add a walkway, adding outdoor lighting is an excellent way to add curb appeal to your home. It’s practical too. Outdoor lighting can make it safer for you and your guests to get in and out of your home after dark, and it is also a great way to add some security to your home too. Outdoor lighting can also add some drama to your landscape. You can use it to highlight a particular focal point, or you can use it to highlight your trees or other plants.

Are you interested in learning more about our lawn care and landscaping services in the Twin Cities? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675, or you can contact us to schedule your Free Estimate.

Irrigation System Inspections and Maintenance

Posted by & filed under Irrigation Systems.

Your irrigation system can do wonders for your yard and landscaping. It makes keeping your lawn looking nice and lush very easy! You don’t have to lift a finger and your yard looks great. It’s a win-win for everyone. Advanced Irrigation specializes in irrigation systems in St Paul, so we thought we would give you a brief rundown on what we do when we come out to inspect irrigation systems.

There are several basic aspects of irrigation systems that we look at. We will check the controller to make sure it is functioning as it should be. We will make sure everything is set to the proper settings, and we will be sure the time and date are accurate.

We will also take a look at the wiring to make sure none of it is frayed or in need of repair. We will make sure all sensors are fully connected too. If necessary, we can also replace any parts that need it.

Also, looking at irrigation systems also means that we will look at each zone to ensure it is still watering as it should be. We will also look for system damage to these components. Some of the biggest problems we look out for are leaky valves and pipes, broken or missing heads, nozzles that are clogged with debris or dirt, leaky seals, sunken or tilted heads and much more. We will also make sure that the irrigation system is evenly watering your grass. We want to be sure our irrigation systems are not over-watering or under-watering your yard.

If we find any problems, we will let you know and then go about repairing them upon your approval. We will usually come out to check on our irrigation systems a few times a season, but we can come more often if need be.

We can also check on the water pressure. Problems with water pressure can result in misting spray heads, poor water coverage and more. We can fix this problem by installing a new pressure regulator or by repairing or adjusting the one that is already in there. And if the sprinkler heads are not popping up and rotating as they should be, we can fix this problem we can add a booster pump or reduce the amount of sprinkler heads in that zone.

Do you want more information on irrigation systems in St Paul? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or contact us for a Free Estimate.

Basic Spring Lawn Care Tasks

Posted by & filed under Irrigation Systems, Lawn Care Services.

Now that the growing season is upon us, it is more important than ever to maintain your lawn and plants. While a lawn irrigation system will help water your lawn and keep your grass looking great, there are several other chores you should do to make sure your lawn stays looking great from the beginning of spring until winter. Advanced Irrigation can design and install lawn irrigation systems in Minnetonka and the surrounding areas, and we have a few tasks you should definitely add to your “To-Do” List.

Clean Up Debris and Litter

Make sure that all debris gets cleaned off of your grass on a daily basis. This includes toys and bicycles as well as litter, dead leaves and anything else that could lay on your grass. If this stuff is left on your lawn, it could cause dead spots or interfere with the effectiveness of your lawn irrigation system. You can use a rake for leaves, and enlist your kids in helping you to pick up their toys and bicycles. This is a simple task that should only take you a few minutes a day but can make a world of difference in how well your grass grows.

Mow Your Lawn

Contrary to popular belief, mowing your grass shorter and more frequently does not always mean that your grass will not grow back as quickly. Mow your grass when it needs it and try to keep the grass blades at about 3 to 3 1/2 inches. Be sure your mower’s blades are sharp and that your lawn mower has plenty of oil, if it’s needed, as well as fresh spark plugs.

Mulch

Depending on the type of plants, flowers and trees you have, you are going to want to lay down mulch on a regular basis. The mulch should be about 2 to 3 inches deep. That way, your plants will get plenty of nutrients but they will not be smothered by the mulch either.

Keep an Eye on Your Lawn Irrigation System

About once a week, go outside and inspect your lawn irrigation system. Look for any potential problems and give us a call if you spot any. Of course, we can come to your home on a regular basis to inspect and readjust your lawn irrigation system!

Do you want to learn more about lawn irrigation in Minnetonka? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can contact us to schedule your Free Estimate.

FAQs about Irrigation Systems

Posted by & filed under Irrigation Systems.

Irrigation systems in Elk River are quite popular these days. They are one of the most effective ways to keep your grass and landscaping looking great throughout the growing season, and the best part is that they do not require too much work on your end. With the proper maintenance by professionals like us, you really will not have to worry about your system breaking down or not working. We are often asked the same questions about our irrigation systems, so we thought we would take the time to address the ones that we get asked the most frequently.

Q: How do you determine what type of irrigation system is the best for my yard?

A: When we install irrigation systems, there are several different things we will check before we even begin to design your system. Factors like the size of your yard, the type of plants, how much sun your yard gets and several others aspects are all things we take into consideration.

Q: How often do I have to check on my irrigation system to see if it needs repairs or to make sure it’s still working?

A: You should check your irrigation system a few times a week, especially during the peak growing and watering season. We can show you what parts to keep an eye on, and if you spot any problems with your system, you can call us and we will come out as soon as possible to fix it. However, most irrigation systems do not require a lot of repair work if they are regularly inspected by professionals like us.

Q: How long do I have to keep my irrigation system turned on to water my yard?

A: Actually, you do not have to worry about this part of your irrigation system and watering your yard! There are timers that we will set based on the soil conditions and a few other factors like how much sunlight the other parts of your yard get.

Q: What happens when it rains for a few days? Will I have to worry about turning my irrigation system off during rainy time periods?

A: When we install irrigation systems, a rain sensor will probably be installed too. This sensor will automatically detect rainfall and after a certain amount falls, the sensor will tell the rest of the system to turn off and not water your yard. That way, you can rest assured that your grass and landscaping will not be over-watered.

Q: How long will it take you to install my irrigation system?

A: The answer to this question varies greatly from yard to yard but, in general, irrigation systems take about a day or two to install.

For more information on irrigation systems in Elk River, call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or get a Free Estimate.