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While duckweed is a fairly small floating plant that can develop in ponds and water features it can multiply and spread quickly destroying the look of your pond and wreaking havoc with your filtration system. The best defense to preventing a problematic spread in your pond is by treating it as soon as it emerges

Remove What You Can With a Skimmer

To quickly remove the surface duckweed and prepare your pond for treatment, you can use a rake or pond skimmer to remove all of the plants that are covering the surface of your pond and pull them from the water.

Use an Herbicide to Remove Current Duck Weed

Once the surface has been cleared, you should treat your pond with an herbicide that will help kill off any remaining duckweed in your pond and prevent it from forming at the surface again. You can use either an all season long herbicide or broad-spectrum herbicide to completely destroy the duckweed that is remaining in the pond.

Use Aeration or Nutrient Reduction Products to Prevent a Resurgence

You can prevent a recurrence of duckweed by adding nutrient reduction products to your pond which will eliminate the condition in which aquatic plants thrive. You can also try adding aeration products which disrupt the sediment buildup which will make the pond inhospitable for the emergence of duckweed. While these two measures are useful to prevent duckweed form forming they will not treat it once it has occurred.

If you have problems with duckweed in your pond or have questions on other ways to maintain your pond to keep it looking beautiful, contact Irrigation Outlet today to find out which products will work best for your needs.

Whether you’re starting a garden from scratch or improving an existing one; the task can be painstaking and intimidating.

A beautiful, thriving and prosperous vegetable garden requires healthy soil and hours of care. Here are the eight steps to growing a healthy vegetable garden courtesy of Irrigation Outlet”

Step #1: Identify the Right Site

When selecting a location, choose a site exposed to direct sunlight that offers afternoon shade. The afternoon shade will help reduce the water requirements. The soil should be well drained. If you live in an area with tight clay soils you may want to consider using raised beds to help with drainage.

Step #2: Decide What You Want to Plant

Success in the vegetable garden comes from choosing the right plants. A small garden with a variety of what you eat most often will serve the purpose.

Step #3: Prepare & Care for Your Soil

Excellent drainage and perfect soil structure are critical for a healthy vegetable garden. Consider soil testing and use a fertilizer with the exact nutrients needed for optimal plant growth.

Step #4: Get to Planting

When planting, avoid overcrowding the plants. Overcrowded plants grow poorly due to high competition for water, light, and nutrients and are more susceptible to disease and pests.

Step #5: Say No to Chemicals

Use organic materials such as compost, aged manure and rotted plant materials on the garden and go organic. Organic fertilizer will help boost the soil composition, moisture retention, and nutrients.

Step #6: Control Weeds

You can keep down weeds through the use of chemicals, but we recommend mulching and cultivation.

Step #7: Fight Pests & Diseases

To keep pest and diseases at bay, select the disease-resistant varieties and be sure to go for the treated seeds and seedlings. Keep weeds to a minimum.

Step #8: Water Properly

Choose the watering methods that’ll limit moisture on the foliage for disease control. Drip irrigation is a great choice.

You Too Can Grow a Healthy Vegetable Garden

Planning to start or improve your veggie garden? Use the above tips for the healthiest garden. Irrigation Outlet supplies irrigation tools, accessories, chemicals, seeds and more. We offer free shipping on most orders of $149.00 or more information, talk to our experts at 803-461-0561.

The sun is shining, the trees and flowers are budding, and even the birds are chirping to the warm spring weather. You can forget about the long winter and start working on the appearance of your home’s exterior. Although it’s relatively difficult to fix things in winter, you can’t avoid it during spring. Luckily, you don’t need a ton of gardening tools to make your outdoor spaces sparkle again this spring. Simply use our checklist, and everything will be fine.

Soil Testing Is Worth Your Effort

This is the time to test your soil so that you can identify nutrient deficiencies and respond with the proper type of fertilizer to make your plants thrive. A soil test will also tell you if you need to adjust soil’s pH level. Proper pH is critical to making the nutrients contained in fertilizer available to your plants. A periodic soil test offers you an opportunity to take action before it’s too late.

Prepare for Pests

Keep in mind that pests will always come around. So the best thing to do is purchase a reliable pesticide as soon as possible to help you eliminate the pests from your yard. Conditioning your soil can also go a long way in helping you control the pests since most of them are usually attracted to weak and sickly plants. Well-conditioned and nutritious soil can deter the infestation of blackspot, aphids, and powdery mildew.

Get Your Irrigation System Ready

Winter can be rough to your irrigation system. The freezing and thawing can cause damage to your system so don’t hope that you will simply turn on the water and everything works perfectly. The time to check your irrigation system is before you need it. The best thing to do is go to the controller and turn each zone on manually. As you walk through each zone, check for sprinklers that are not rotating, leaks, irregular spray patterns, etc. All of these things are easily fixed, they just need to be identified before the hot, dry summer arrives.

Check Your Landscape Lighting

As the warm weather approaches so is the ability to spend much of your time outdoors in the evening. This is the right time to service your landscape lighting. Check for out of place or misaligned fixtures and burned out bulbs. Also check that your timer is set to the correct time.

Contact Irrigation Outlet today for more tips on how to spruce up your home’s exterior this spring.

You’ve worked hard to achieve a green and thriving lawn and you’ll agree it can be a painstaking task if you lack the green thumb. Proper fertilization is crucial in lawn care, but knowing how and when to apply it will help boost your lawn’s growth and appearance. We discuss 5 expert tips for fertilizing your lawn correctly:

Test the Soils before Fertilizing

You should test the soil for pH, nutrient content and the composition of organic matter. By identifying nutrient deficiencies you can apply exactly what your lawn needs.

Use a Good Compost

Unlike other fertilizers, you can spread compost fertilizer any time of the year. In most cases, that’s all your lawn requires to thrive.

Fertilize Based On the Weather

The best time to apply fertilizer on a lawn is at the start of the spring season when the grass and other plants have started to actively grow, usually when the night-time temperatures are 65 degrees for warm season grasses.

The type of grass in your lawn will dictate what fertilizer you apply and the timing of these applications.

How to Apply Fertilizer in Your Lawn

A rotary spreader will ensure more even coverage compared to hand application which can cause burns in the more concentrated areas.

Go for the broadcast and rotary spreaders as they are easy and reduce stripping common with drop spreaders. To prevent fertilizer on the streets, driveway, and sidewalks, choose a spreader that has a diverter attachment.

Store the Fertilizer Properly

Commercial fertilizer is a chemical and needs careful handling. Keep it away in locked cabinets and sheds away from the children and pets.

In Conclusion

What, how much and when are the essentials when applying fertilizer to a lush green lawn. Irrigation Outlet is a renowned dealer of all irrigation products and accessories including chemical & fertilizers and seeds. We offer free shipping on most orders more than $149. For inquiries, call us at (803) 461-0561.

Damage caused by poor water drainage is every homeowner’s worst nightmare. Improper drainage can cause water to collect around your home, seep through the ground and into your home’s foundation causing severe structural problems.

Water also fuels the growth of molds, which can be harmful to your health, triggers erosion, wood rot, insects and rodent infestation in your home.

The Importance of Proper Drainage

A good drainage system allows the free flow of water away from structures and prevents accumulation on the surface that can lead to an unhealthy landscape and provide a breeding ground for mosquitos. Poor drainage can cause many problems with your home that can cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Signs You Have a Drainage Problem

Identifying water drainage issues while they’re small will prevent further damage and make them easier to fix. This can save you thousands of dollars.

• Gushing/Overflowing Gutters
• Stains in the Basement
• Mildew or Mold in the crawl space
• Outdoor puddles
• racks in the Foundation
• Deposits and Flaking On the Walls
• Migrating Mulch
• Soil/Run Off

Tips for Fixing the Common Water Drainage Issues

Most drainage problems result from an inadequate slope or pitch in your yard that helps divert the water runoff away from your home. Piping gutter downspouts away from your home reduces the amount of water the area around you home has to handle. In some cases downspouts can be piped to the street or directly into a storm sewer. However, many municipalities are requiring homeowners to keep the first inch of rainfall on their property. This can be accomplished by installing dry well using the NDS Flo-well product. Downspouts can be piped into a Flo-well where the water will be temporarily stored until it seeps into the ground.

French drains allow water to run through a series of perforated pipes installed in a gravel filled trench. As the water seeps through the gravel, it is collected in the pipes and directed away from your house.

As a homeowner, you ought to prevent, identify and fix your water drainage issues before they cost you a fortune. At Irrigation Outlet, we supply you with all the drainage solutions you might need to protect your home. These include corrugated pipes & fittings, channel drains, and catch basins. We offer free shipping on most orders above $149. If you have any questions, call our experts at (803) 461-0561.

Spring is quickly approaching, so now is the ideal time to prepare your pond for the new season. Here are five tips to help you get started:

1. Do an overall check: Before you do anything, we advise that you test your pond’s general health. Depending on what kind of fish you have, the ideal pH to aim for is 7.3-7.7. If your pH is too high or too low you will need to add amendments to either lower or raise the pH. We also suggest monitoring the temperature of the pond. The ideal range for plants and fish to flourish is between 64-73 degrees. It is important to keep the temperature as consistent as possible, to sustain life.

2. Clean your pond: If you live in a high wind and rain area, your pond is likely to show it with a lot of debris on the surface. It might also contain run-off from the roof of your home. Be sure to thoroughly clean your pond, especially if you have not maintained the pond over the winter. We recommend vacuuming, making sure to remove leaves, removing any plants that are starting to decay and scrubbing the pots. This could also be a good time to introduce plants that can help with algae control to minimize cleaning later in the season.

3. Check the pump: Your pond will be seeing more activity in the warmer months ahead, so make sure that the pump is functioning properly and that it’s clean. This is also a good time to assess whether your pump needs to be replaced if it has become inefficient. Your pump may be sensitive to extreme temperatures, to prevent damage do not activate your pump or skimmer until the pond is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in a warmer area, you can continue to run these devices throughout the winter months.

4. Fix water feature leaks: You might think that adding tap water to the pond to make up for lost water solves the problem. Unfortunately, this can promote the growth of algae instead. Another thing to consider is that wastewater can harm the fish swimming in your pond.

5. Keep Your Fish Healthy: Overfeeding your fish seems harmless, but adding too much fish food to your pond can promote algae. We recommend adding no more than what they normally eat within five minutes. If your fish don’t seem as healthy as they did last summer, don’t sweat yet. Often times, they tend to slow down during the colder months and should liven up as the water temperature increase. If you are worried you can feed them medicated or antibiotic food. Try to avoid disturbing them too much as you clean the pond.

6. Consider new features this spring: Ready for a new look this year? Try adding bog plants, water lilies, different fish species, and even frogs or turtles.

Remember that you can always contact us at Irrigation Outlet for more tips on having the best pond possible this spring.

Spacing is important when it comes to sprinkler systems. If you place sprinklers too far apart you will end up with donut shaped brown spots in your lawn. If sprinklers are spaced too close together you can overwater areas and create water logged spots that suffocate grass roots. At Irrigation Outlet, we recommend using head-to-head coverage. This means that the sprinklers are placed so that the water spraying from one sprinkler touches all adjacent sprinkler heads. This applies to both rotors and spray heads. You will need to space the heads to overlap from one head to the next. Each head should throw enough water a great enough distance to hit the next head.

Get Started

We recommend beginning with the rectangular spaces in your lawn. It is best to map out your space using marking flags to make sure you have a clearly defined plan before you break ground. Start by installing sprinklers at the corners of the space and then add more along the perimeter as needed, your lawn may also require one in the center for equal coverage.

For unusual spaces, you can use more specialized nozzles like side-strip nozzles for edges, or corner strip nozzle for tight corners. You can also find sprinkler heads that have adjustable pattern nozzles for odd shaped areas.

You never want to have rotors and spray heads operate on the same zone. Rotors and spray heads need to be piped separately.

Factors to Consider When Laying Out Your Sprinkler System

Before you install the sprinklers, consider how the following factors affect them:

• Gallons per minute
• Location
• Slope
• Sprinkler head
• Types of plants
• Water pressure
• Wind conditions

The size of the area you wish to irrigate is the determining factor in whether you should use a spray head or rotor. Since rotors cover a much larger area, this is the best choice for an expanded area. You can also space them further apart, which means that you need fewer overall heads and will need to complete less trenching. Rotors typically throw water between 20 and 70 feet.

Spray heads cover a much smaller area of four to 15 feet. It’s common for many irrigation designs to require a combination of both types as well as drip irrigation to ensure even coverage for the entire landscape. Just remember not to include rotors and spray heads on the same zone.

Need More Advice?

We are happy to help if you need input setting up a sprinkler system or choosing the right products. Feel free to contact us at 803-461-0561 or send an email inquiry. You might also consider signing up for our newsletter for additional tips.

New home construction can leave the lot rutted, bare and strewn with man-made and natural debris. It can also leave topsoil in bad condition, with poor-quality subsoil mixed with topsoil, due to digging for foundation work and utility trenching. Sometimes topsoil is entirely scraped away. With the necessary soil preparation and the appropriate grass mix, you can succeed in establishing a lawn after construction. Here are some common lawn problems after new construction and ways to correct these.

1. Construction Debris

Remove construction debris, such as concrete rubble, unused bricks, strewn screws and nails, chunks of caulk, bits of PVC, etc. Remove natural debris, such as large rocks, dislodged tree roots, logs and fallen branches. etc. Remove anything that can present a safety hazard or impede grass growth in a newly seeded lawn.

2. Topsoil Slopes Toward House

Grade topsoil sloping away from the house. You can use a bow-style garden rake for this task. Also use the rake to break hard clumps of dirt and to remove any previously missed rocks or masses of plant roots. Grade the soil to promote proper drainage away from the building.

3. Missing Top Soil

Digging was necessary during construction and topsoil may have become mixed with other soil, resulting in poor soil quality for growing. Spread a layer of topsoil 4″ to 6″ deep across the area prior to seeding. Till the new topsoil into the underlying soil, to promote root penetration beyond the topsoil layer.

4. Insufficiently Fertile Soil

Use a drop spreader to apply starter fertilizer. Choose fertilizer with a higher phosphorus content, to encourage root growth. Talk to one of our experts for advice on appropriate nutrient and mineral ratios. Use a grading rake to work fertilizer into soil to a 2 to 4-inch depth.

5. Soil Compacted or Poorly Constituted

A building lot with compacted soil, or soil dense with rock or gravel at the surface may require more through tilling and slightly deeper than usual additional top soil. Severely nutrient-depleted soil may require additional treatment. Allow heavily worked soil to settle for at least one week prior to planting.

6. Little or No Grass

Fill a rotary spreader with a type of grass seed appropriate for conditions in your yard (shade or sun). If you want to grow grass quickly to cover bare ground, use a seed blend that contains perennial ryegrass that establishes grass quickly. Apply half the seed along rows (at the rate recommended per 1,000 square feet for your seed type). Then, apply in rows moving in the opposite direction across the same area. Gently rake about 1/8 inch of topsoil over the seed to cover it. Of course if you want an instant lawn, laying sod is also an option.

7. Dry Area

Water the newly planted area until soil is moist at a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Water lightly but frequently, until the seed germinates (usually within 2 weeks). Then, water seedlings every other day as they become fully established. Reduce watering to once or twice per week, depending on weather. Consult with your landscape irrigation expert, for advice on possible need for an irrigation system.

What You Need for Establishing a New Lawn

• Topsoil
• Garden Tiller
• Drop Spreader
• Bow Rake
• Grass Starter Fertilizer
• Grass Seed

Additional Tips for Starting a New Lawn After Construction

Obtain guidance from your landscape supply expert to determine whether or not you may need to install an irrigation system, have more extensive soil replacement work done, or undertake other measures in order to have a successful lawn in your area. Additionally:

• See your property survey for your lawn dimensions, in order to calculate the correct amount of soil amendments, seed and fertilizer to use.
• Keep foot traffic limited on the new lawn during the first season it is established.
• Remember that it may be up to two months before you should start mowing your new lawn.
• Seeding in March, April, September, or October generally gives new grass the best chance of becoming well established. New grass can be seeded during other months, after new construction is completed, but consult with your lawn supply expert for advice on additional help for starting a lawn immediately after construction.

Irrigation Outlet

We are an online irrigation supply company. We help professional landscape maintenance companies and homeowners with their landscape and outdoor living needs. For more information about establishing a lush new lawn after new construction, contact Irrigation Outlet, to speak to an expert.

Fungi live in the soil, and mushrooms are the reproductive part of that fungi. The fungi usually stay out of sight, busily working to break down organic material below the surface of your lawn. When conditions permit, mushrooms spring up and appear above ground. While mushrooms are visible, they spread their spores into the air. Then, they disappear when sunlight returns, or when the soil becomes dry again.

You can control the emergence of mushrooms by altering certain conditions in your yard. Here are some reasons why mushrooms may be growing in your yard, and some methods for prevention or treatment to eliminate unwanted mushrooms.

1. Standing Water

A particular mix of shade or (cloudy skies), moisture, and organic material in soil provides the right environment for mushrooms to grow. If your lawn remains damp for extended periods after rain, or has areas of standing water, you are likely to see mushrooms sprouting. Level out depressed areas of your yard, or add a drainage system to prevent standing water that promotes mushroom growth. Also, make sure that you are not running your sprinkler system too long.

2. Shade Issues

Mushrooms can thrive in shade. Abundant sunlight prevents mushrooms from appearing. Trim branches or shrubs to allow more light and decrease shade.

3. Drainage Issues

Decreasing moisture by increasing drainage discourages mushrooms and increases oxygen to the roots of your grass. Aerate your lawn to improve drainage. Thatch in your lawn that is over a half inch thick absorbs moisture and attracts fungal growth. Dethatching can help prevent mushroom growth.

4. Old Trees

Dead roots underground, beneath stumps or from trees or stumps that have already been removed encourage mushroom growth. Have stumps removed. After removal, keep the area raked and aerated, to facilitate optimal drainage.

5. Pet Droppings

Pet waste and wildlife droppings on the lawn can promote mushrooms. Keep animal feces cleared off of your lawn, to help keep mushrooms in check.

A Good Thing About Mushrooms

Mushrooms indicate that your soil contains abundant organic material. Mushrooms are helpful in breaking down the material, to make your soil even more organically productive. If you do not have serious shade or drainage issues, after a rain, you can just pluck or knock down the unwanted mushrooms with a garden hoe.

Other Fungi

Other kinds of fungi can be more problematic. Fusarium blight, rust, and brown patch are some of the diseases that can proliferate in damp yard conditions.

Irrigation Outlet

We are an online landscape and irrigation supply company for landscape and irrigation professionals and homeowners. We provide our customers with solutions to a vast range of landscaping problems and needs for improvement of outdoor living spaces. For more information about mushrooms and other fungi in your lawn, contact your Irrigation Outlet expert for guidance.

When it comes to your landscape, a well-designed drainage system is a must. If you don’t have proper drainage solutions in place, then water might collect in areas. This can turn your backyard into a wet swamp. Here is a guide to selecting the best drainage solution for your landscape.

Do you Have A Drainage Problem?

Here are some common signs that you have a drainage problem. If you notice of these issues in your residential or commercial lawn, your best bet is to contact an irrigation specialist for the best solution for your landscape.

• Frequent flooding
• Water in your basement
• Sunken areas around your foundation
• Grass won’t grow
• Areas of standing water

If you notice any of these issues, then you need a good irrigation and lawn drainage system in place. Here are some factors to consider when selecting your landscape drainage system.

Where Is The Problem Located?

If you have a buildup of water next to your driveway each spring, then you’ll probably need a channel drain. These drains are similar to roof gutters. They are usually placed at the edge of a driveway or patio. Channel drains collect water that flows over the surface and redirects it to another location.

Standing water in your yard, on the other hand, usually requires a catch basin to remedy the situation. A catch basin is a box-shaped drain that is placed near areas of standing water to help the water drain.

For more information about landscape drainage, contact a professional irrigation specialist today.

Some common plants found in residential ponds in the Southeast can multiply very aggressively and alter your pond’s or lake’s chemical composition, threatening indigenous aquatic plants and fish populations. And, they can make your pond or lake less enjoyable. So, it’s important to take control of invasive plant problems as quickly as possible. Here is some helpful information about eight plants that South Carolina pond owners are advised to learn to identify, followed by a list of recommended ways to control or eliminate these plants from your home’s pond or lake.

1. Egeria (Brazilian elodea)

The Egeria weed is a perennial. The slender branching stems grow up to 6 feet high. The leaves have linear, finely serrated margins. The small 3-petal flowers bloom above the water. Egeria grows year-round, but it is very competitive during summer in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.

2. Cabomba [Cabomba caroliniana]

Cabomba is an annual plant with green or reddish leaves that are dissected, opposing and fan-shaped, soft and flexible. Its small flowers blossom above the water level, and are three-leafed, white, cream, pink or yellow, and sometimes spotted.

3. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)

Hydrilla is among the most common invasive aquatic plants in the US mid-Atlantic region. Its slender, branching stems grow submerged up to 20 feet long. Its leaves are small and pointed, with a spiny ridge on back. The tiny flowers are translucent to white. Hydrilla forms thick mats, which may float up and cover water surface areas. Hydrilla looks similar to Egeria, but is smaller and rougher in texture.

4. Chara (muskgrass)

Chara may look like a plant that will flower, but it is really a multi-cellular macro-alga. It grows clinging to the bottoms of lakes, ponds, rivers, and even ditches. It forms beds of vegetation that can grow from several inches to several feet in height. It has no leaves, just 6-8 branches growing along the stem. Chara is also recognizable by its strong garlic-like odor.

5. Lyngbya (Blue-Green Algae)[Lyngbya agardh)

Lyngbya grows into thick floating or submerged mats of cells covered with its own external sheathing. In warm months the mats may completely cover a body of water. During the spring, Lyngbya is black, and it gradually forms hair-like filaments through the summer and fall that are green, black and white. Lyngbya can flourish in extreme temperatures, from icy water to hot springs.

6. Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum)

Coontail is a free-floating, rootless, submerged plant that thrives in stagnant ponds, lakes, and rivers. Its stems can grow up to 15 feet in height. Its small, feathery, fan-shaped leaves grow in whorls around the stem (giving it an appearance resembling a raccoon tail). The leaves have tiny teeth-like edges that give the plant a rough feel. Its tiny flowers grow in its leaf axils.

7. Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)

Eurasian water milfoil has slender stems and feathery, thread-like submersed leaves. Its small, 4-petal flowers grow in the axils of the plant above the water. Coontail looks similar to milfoils, but without individual leaves.

8. Brittle Naiad (Najas minor)

Brittle Naiad grows submersed. It’s an annual weed with numerous branched stems up to 4 feet long. Its small, linear, toothed leaves become brittle with age. The plant has a bushy appearance, with barely noticeable flowers in the leaf axils.

Strategies for Controlling Invasive Species

Invasive plant species may grow submerged, or live on the surface of your pond. Each species comes with its own potential impacts on your pond’s ecosystem health. So, each type requires specific strategies for remediation. Commonly recommended approaches to controlling invasive plant species include:

Mechanical – Rakes, harvesters, seines, hoes, grappling rigs, and other tools can be used to quickly clear out invasive plant growth. If you use your pond or lake for recreational boating or swimming, this is an efficient method for restoring its pristine natural beauty.

Biological – Lakes and ponds are ecosystems. They must function healthily as such. Introducing natural predators can be effective in eliminating invasive plants that are crowding out other vegetation. Disposing of unwelcome plants properly is fundamental for controlling their numbers.

• Include recommended species of fish and insects.
• Check your plant purchases for unwanted plant fragments, seeds, fish, or snails.
• Don’t dispose of unwanted plants or animals by releasing them in other water bodies.
• Don’t throw plant debris in your composter. Seeds can transfer elsewhere. Dry the plants completely and then dispose of them in a trash can.
• Follow regulations governing sale, possession and transport of invasive plants. If you are unclear on what is allowed, use only native plants.
• Avoid putting your pond very close to natural ponds or lakes that may contain invasive plants which may be too easily transferred to your area.

Physical – Altering your pond’s or lake’s physical properties can help promote healthier water chemistry and limit damage that can be caused by invasive species. There are several simple, long-term solutions to a range of water quality problems that contribute to growth of algae and various other invasive species. Consider adding one of the following features to your pond or lake.

• Fountain
• Aerator
• Waterfall

Herbicides and Algaecides – Applying commercial products to control the proliferation of unwanted plant life in your pond or lake can be a very efficient method.

• When this approach becomes necessary, it is of paramount importance to have the process performed by a qualified professional.
• A trained professional can assess your specific needs for applications and ensure minimal negative impact on other plants and animals.

Takeaway

Invasive plants can be carried from other waters or by discarded plants from aquariums, by winds or birds transporting their seeds to nearby public waters. They may then begin to rapidly over-take lakes, creeks, or rivers. This encroachment often leaves indigenous plants and animals to perish in un-survivable water conditions.

You may need to combine some of the above methods for managing your pond to prevent encouragement of invasive plants. For instance, biological or mechanical means may be effective interventions for clearing out some nuisance plants. In other cases, careful application of appropriate amounts of herbicides that are professionally recommended for your specific needs can be used to eliminate invasive plant species.

For More Information

For more information about how to overcome encroachment by invasive plants in your pond or lake, or for irrigation issues, contact Irrigation Outlet any time for help from our expert team.

Water is essential to your lawn. It is the key to a healthy lawn. Most lawns need approximately 1 to 1.5 inches per week of water to stay healthy. The exact amount depends on a variety of factors including the amount of sunlight, type of grass and climate. It is important to ensure that your lawn gets adequate water. One way to do that is to be sure that you are irrigating your lawn correctly. This will help keep your lawn green and lush and save money. Here are some important irrigation tips to keep in mind when you water your lawn.

#1 Check Your Irrigation System

If your sprinkler system is not working correctly, you could end up using more water than you need to. If your irrigation system is working correctly, it should deliver water in the most efficient way possible. Observe your sprinkler system while it is working. If you notice an uneven spraying pattern or signs of leakage, then contact a professional for advice on repair and/or replacement of the system.

#2 Check Out New Advances In Irrigation Technology

New irrigation technology can make watering your lawn more efficient, therefore saving you money. Rotary nozzles, for instance, deliver water in an even, slow stream. These produce a slow, deliberate water delivery, which is more efficient.

#3 Consider Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation is very efficient as it is highly effective at supplying water to the soil with little evaporation or run-off. It is excellent for use in flower gardens and mulched areas as it directly soaks the soil without washing away the mulch.

For more tips on saving money on lawn care, visit Irrigation Outlet. Our professionals will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have about irrigation or lawn care.