Advanced Irrigation Blog Posts

Mulch Your Landscaping to Enhance the Life of Your Plants

Posted by & filed under Landscaping.

Our professional landscaping company not only has an endless bounty of mulch in stock but we will gladly bring it along with us to efficiently carry out our overall lawn and yard prettying efforts. The benefits of mulching your outdoor décor are many, in addition to providing a pleasant carpeting sort of base for your shrubbery and trees to extend from.

Some home owners conduct their own lawn maintenance and care with love and enthusiasm. Others, well, they see these as annoying tasks and chores, spending time out in the heat maintaining something that will only have to be addressed again next week, the week after that and then some.  Not having a hearty base of mulch surrounding your burgeoning plant-life can drastically limit the life and overall blossom of your landscaping efforts. Whether you like it or not, always consider the option of a professional landscaping company for your St Paul home, we can do it all at Advanced Irrigation.

Mulch is made up of a combination of organic materials that run the gamut from bark or wood chips, leaves, grass, moss, straw and more. Even compost and manure can be made into the overall blend! These shards of previously living material are spread about, distributed evenly around the base(s) of flowerbeds, plants, shrubbery, trees and/or the open, otherwise unoccupied space of dirt in which this life occupies.

In addition to its aesthetic value, mulch helps in the prevention of erosion that would otherwise occur on soil left uncovered. Primarily, rain and wind are the culprits behind erosion, rain creating a runoff effect, wind “blowing” dirt and soil away. Erosion can ultimately expose the roots of your plant-life, where they then are left to face the elements. Erosion also—in removing the soil itself—depletes the soil of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus) which your flowers, shrubbery, trees require to blossom into their true and full potential. In addition to the prevention of nutrient depletion, mulch adds nutrients to your soil as it breaks down over time.

Mulching your landscape also is an effective means of delaying the processes of evaporation. The mulch acts as a blanket, preventing the sun from reaching otherwise exposed soil. Without a layer covering the soil, the dirt and such will bake in the sun, drastically increasing the evaporatory process. The exposed roots of your plant-life will fight to live as their ability to retain the moisture they acquire will be greatly stressed.

Weed growth is also deterred a bit by mulch. The blanketing effect that mulch provides prevents weeds from germinating and thus spreading. While there are some amongst you who do enjoy pulling weeds, the bulk of our population does not and thus should use the anti-weeding benefits that mulch allows for in addition to those mentioned above. Should you wish to avoid the chore of mulching your landscaping, do not hesitate to call in a professional landscaping company such as Advanced Irrigation.

If you would like more information on our landscaping company near St Paul, call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.

Save Water Via an Evapotranspiration Irrigation System

Posted by & filed under Irrigation Systems.

No one wants an ugly, dry, brown yard. If you run a business, that large expanse cannot be all dried out and lifeless either. Lush green is the preference. If you are wondering about irrigation systems in the Bloomington area, consider Advanced Irrigation. A company that believes firmly in the conservation of water and safe environmental practices in general, their irrigation systems are water efficient by design.

Through the calculation and practice of evapotranspiration (ET), 20%-50% savings of water (over a standard irrigation system set-up) can be achieved while keeping your lawn as healthy and alive as ever it was before. The way evapotranspiration works is by taking the sum of evaporation from the soil and plant transpiration (process whereby grass and plants absorb water through the roots, give off water vapor through pores).

The evapotranspirator (the grass) is monitored by a smart controller that is digitally in touch with a weather station (24/7) measuring current and pending conditions to calculate local evapotranspiration factors. The smart controller then operates based on those conditions rather than on a schedule—no need to water the lawn if it is going to rain in three hours.

These irrigation systems will water your lawn or business property only to replenish only the moisture that is needed based on those calculated plant and soil conditions. The smart controller is programmed
with the precipitation rate, plant type, soil type, slope and sun/shade exposure and combines with the weather station data of wind, temperature, humidity and solar radiation. The factors in a blend create the irrigation system unleashing its water on your property. Live local data is combined with landscape information to calculate the ET. Your lawn or property ends up with healthier roots and longer lifespans.

The savings of water (and as a bonus, money) hover anywhere in the 20%-50% range based on what would be used in a normal “scheduled” irrigation set-up. One study estimated 66% savings in water use.

If you would like more information on our irrigation systems in Bloomington, call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.

Suggestions for Safe Snow Removal

Posted by & filed under Snow Removal.

commercial snow removal minnetonka advanced irrigationThis winter, we’ve had our share of snowfalls, and with falling snow comes the dreaded task of shoveling and ice removal. Over our years offering commercial snow removal in Minnetonka and throughout the surrounding areas, we have perfected our snow shoveling and other snow removal techniques. Here are a few suggestions from us on how to safely and effectively remove snow from your house or commercial property.

When it starts to snow and if the forecast is calling for a large amount of snow, you should consider going out and shoveling every couple of hours. It is much easier to shovel an inch or two of snow every hour or two than it is to trying shoveling two feet of snow after the snow storm is over. This might not always be feasible depending on the weather, how windy it is outside and whether or not it’s day or night out, but it is something you should do if you can.

Remember that shoveling snow is exercise so treat it as such. Do some stretches before you begin, make sure you stay hydrated throughout the process, take as many breaks as you need to take and do not overdo it. The last thing you want to do is fall while you are shoveling, so be careful.

Also, keep in mind that you should wear suitable clothing for snow removal. Wear waterproof boots and dress in layers. That way, as you warm up, you can remove your outer layers to make sure your body temperature stays comfortable and so you do not accidentally end up overheating.

During the actual shoveling process, instead of lifting the snow and throwing it over your shoulder, use the shovel to push the snow out of the way. This will save you a lot of time and hassle, not to mention sore muscles after you’re done shoveling!

Finally, keep an eye on the weather and your surroundings. Take note of how dark it is getting outside or if the snow is starting to fall really hard. Keep an eye on the wind as well, and make sure you are in tune with your body. Do not push yourself too hard.

Are you interested in learning more about commercial snow removal in Minnetonka or any of the surrounding areas? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.

Caring for Your Commercial Landscaping this Winter

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

commercial lawn care maple grove advanced irrigationWhile the winter months usually mean everyone gets a break from outdoor chores like mowing lawns and weeding flower beds, there are still several tasks that a commercial lawn care company in Maple Grove could be doing for your business. After all, even though your customers will not expect to see flowers in full bloom as they walk in and out of your business for the next few months, you still want to be sure that the exterior of your property looks as nice as possible. So here are a few tips on how we can help you keep it looking nice throughout the entire winter.

  • You can have new plants and trees planted until the ground freezes. Fall is actually the best time of year to plant since the winter months give the root system time to develop and get strong before the spring growing season. The types of plants you should have put in will dictate how it should be cared for during the winter months. A commercial lawn care company like Advanced Irrigation will be able to handle planting them and caring for them.
  • Corrective pruning is one of the best ways to ensure good-looking flower beds this spring. Our lawn care company will go through your flower beds and prune the flowers that need it. We can do the same for any trees and shrubs on your commercial property as well.
  • If you have perennials in your landscaping, the fall and winter months are a great time to take stock of them and figure out what to do with the ones that are getting a bit big. We can split them, which means we can transplant part of the plants to another area of your landscaping, if that is what you would like us to do. We can advise you on which ones will do best in this scenario.
  • Now is also a great time to aerate your grass. This means a commercial lawn care company like ours comes out and uses a special tool to poke tiny holes in the dirt, which then gives new grass seed a better chance of successfully growing next spring. Again, this is something our lawn care company can handle for you to try to prevent any brown or bare spots on your commercial lawn this spring and summer.

If you would like more information on our commercial lawn care services in Maple Grove, call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675, or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.

How to Come Up with the Perfect Landscape Design

Posted by & filed under Landscaping, Tips and Tricks.

advanced irrigation landscape design edinaWhen you are thinking about your gardening and landscaping plans for the upcoming spring season, you might be wondering how to go about designing the perfect landscape. Should you go with a more formal look or should you go for something a little more casual and easy to maintain? We specialize in landscape design in Edina and the surrounding areas, and we have a few suggestions on what you should consider when coming up with your plans.

While you might think that a formal English garden would be great for your home, you might want to reconsider that. Formal English gardens require around-the-clock care and maintenance, so unless you can devote almost all of your free time to caring for your garden and landscape, you do not want to go the formal route. Instead, start thinking of your landscape design in terms of plants and flowers that will complement each other but don’t match exactly.

When choosing flowers and plants, find ones that have a similar leaf shape or flowers that will complement each other with their colors. Plan to have them planted in groups and not rows. Groups of flowers are easier to maintain, plus they are more interesting to look at rather than rigid straight rows.

You should also consider plants and flowers that are different heights. Plan to plant them together as well, and it will also make your garden and landscaping more interesting to look at.

While Minnesota winters are not known for being mild and sunny, you can still find plants that will bloom even when it’s cold out. Consider adding some of those to your landscape design and try to have a focal point for your garden or landscaping for every season of the year. You might not be able to go outside much during the winter months, but it’s still nice to have something to look at from inside of your house when the weather outside is frightful!

If you need help with your landscape design, you can contact us and we can help you come up with a plan that will look great and provide you with year-round enjoyment. We can even come to your home and install your new flowers, plants, hardscaping and other aspects of your landscaping.

Are you interested in learning even more about landscape design in Edina? Call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or you can contact us and get a Free Estimate.