It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted and I apologize. I haven’t been ignoring this site, just working on something bigger and better. We’ve decided to integrate this blog with our corporate website. Please visit www.wcgminc.com to check it out. It’s a work in progress, but should be completed by the end of May 2009. WCGM, Inc. has always provided commercial landscape maintenance services under the name West Coast Grounds Maintenance, but now we’ve also added residential irrigation repair. This new service will be marketed through two new sites: www.ocsprinklerrepair.com and lasprinklerrepair.com. We want these sites to be a leading source for news, tips, and information on water conservation for the Southern California area. You’ll find some of the content from this blog on those sites already, and you’ll see much more similar content in the near future. Please check out these new sites and join in the conversation. Hope to see you there!

Topped Tree

Topping refers to the drastic cutting back of branches on a tree. I know you’ve seen it. I see it everyday. Nothing is left, but stubs. I looked out my front window the other day and almost fell over when I saw what my neighbor had done to his beautiful Liquidambars. He had cut them in half. I watched as the unlicensed and uninsured landscapers gleefully took a chainsaw to the trees, probably not even knowing the damage that they were causing. As many of you may know, a Liquidambar tree grows in a sort of pyramidal shape as high as 60+ feet. They tried to shape them into balls about 15 feet tall. By doing so they have permanently destroyed the aesthetics of the tree. It will never again regain it’s natural shape and possibly might not survive the butchering. It’s a shame.

Topping or hat-racking as it’s also known, is much too common. Even professional landscape contractors have been guilty of this atrocious act. So why would anyone, professional or not, want to top a tree anyway? The main reason is to limit the size of the tree, and there are many legitimate reasons to want to do so. Safety, security, view restoration, and utility line clearance are just a few. However, in most instances topping is not necessary. It’s common because it’s the fastest and easiest way to quickly reduce height, especially for an untrained or inexperienced tree worker. There is one pruning method that can be used to reduce the size of a tree and I’ll discuss that more in detail later. First, let’s cover some of the consequences of topping.

• Damage to Aesthetics: Topped trees are unsightly because the trees are completely defoliated, and only the bare trunk and branches are left. Topping destroys the natural look of the tree, permanently in most instances.The rapidly growing shoots that grow in reaction to the severity of the cuts can also be unsightly.
• Death: Many times severe topping can ultimately result in the death of the tree. Topping leaves large wounds that are susceptible to disease, decay, or insects. You’ve also removed most or all of the foliage, the energy producing portion of the tree, effectively causing starvation. With no canopy the tree is now completely exposed to sun, which can cause shock and potentially lead to death as well.
• Rapid Growth: Occasionally property managers will top a tree heavily thinking they won’t have to prune it again for a few years in an attempt to save money. That actually has the opposite effect. The problem is that because the topping cuts leave large wounds, the tree’s response is to rapidly push new growth known as watersprouts. These sprouts are more numerous, weaker, and tend to grow straight up. In the end you will have to prune sooner rather than later.
• Weak Limbs: Improper pruning cuts can lead to decay. Sometimes that decay can work it’s way into a point on the tree that can cause severe weakening of a large limb. I’ve seen some cases where the decay wasn’t visible until the limb had split off. Watersprouts are also weakly attached and can more easily break than normal growth. Both of these are a serious hazard situation that could potentially injure or even kill someone.
• Monetary Loss: Topping a tree can save money in the short run, but in the long run it can cost much more. If the tree dies there is the cost of removing and replacing the tree. There could be a loss in property value. There is the potential cost of liability if a weak limb were to break and cause loss of property, or worst yet, life. If the property owner were to choose to perform a crown restoration there is great expense in that as well. Crown restoration can take years to accomplish.

Now there is a way to reduce the height of a tree without topping, it’s known as drop crotching. This pruning method involves removing longer branches down to a smaller lateral branch that can replace it. With this method we can reduce the overall height of the tree while still maintaining it’s natural shape. There are other benefits including less injury and stress. Certain trees with strong central leaders, such as pine trees may not be conducive to drop crotching because of their growth pattern and shape. In these cases it’s probably best to remove the tree and replace it with something that will stay below the required height.

As usual, prevention is the best medicine and planting the appropriate tree for that location to begin with would solve most problems. For example, never plant a tree that will grow 60+ feet tall under power lines! Keep trees with large destructive roots, such as a Ficus, away from buildings, walls, and sidewalks. Don’t plant any type of tree or shrub right up against a fence where security might be an issue. I think you get the point. Most people just don’t take the time to stop and look up before they plant. Always take into consideration the mature size of the tree and how that will impact it’s location before planting.

With worsening economic times, I predict that I’ll be seeing more and more hat-racking. As companies look to save some money, they’ll either be hiring contractors that are less than qualified, or prune more heavily to feel that they got their money’s worth. I hope that I am wrong. In the meantime I am doing my part to educate my customers and those around me. As property managers, you can help by ensuring that you’re hiring licensed, professional contractors that understand the ramifications of topping.

The City of Los Angeles instituted a new water use ordinance last month in an effort to encourage water conservation. The new ordinance expands restrictions and increases penalties for excessive use. (For more information you can see Mayor Villaraigosa’s press release here.) The entire state of California is in a drought and water conservation should be important to all of us. Did you know that as much as 50% of your water use occurs outdoors? That’s significant! So what can we do to reduce our water usage you ask. Below I’ve listed for you, in no particular order, my top 10 water conservation tips for landscapes.

1. Add mulch to planter beds. Mulch helps to retain moisture and can reduce watering requirements.
2. Aerate turf areas. Aerating can improve drainage and reduce compaction which will help the soil absorb water better and reduce runoff.
3. Maintain your irrigation system. Broken heads and lines can be a major source of wasted water.
4. Adjust controllers often. Adjust your controllers often to compensate for changes in the weather.
5. Install smart controllers. Today’s higher end controllers have many water saving features including the ability to add rain shut offs, moisture sensors, and ET sensors.
6. Reduce turf areas. Turf is one of the highest users of water. Reducing the amount of turf in the landscape will in turn reduce your water consumption.
7. Use plants with low water requirements. Use plants that are adapted to the area and require less water in your landscapes.
8. Install low-volume type irrigation systems. Use drip irrigation or bubblers where possible.
9. Retrofit existing spray-head nozzles with new multi-stream rotor nozzles. Nozzles such as the MP Rotator use up to 30% less water and irrigate more evenly.
10. Water early in the morning. Watering earlier in the morning helps to reduce evaporation.

Healthy Myoporum Foliage

All across the Southern California coast, from San Diego to Santa Barbara, our landscapes are being attacked by a foreign invader. This enemy comes from Australia (or possibly New Zealand), is so tiny that you would probably miss it if you didn’t know it was there, and can cause some serious damage.  This new pest is known as the Myoporum Thrip (Klambothrips myopori) and as you might have guessed attacks Myoporum.

There are two species of Myoporum which are popular in California and are especially susceptible including:

• Myoporum laetum – a large shrub/small tree
• Myoporum ‘Pacificum’ – a large, fast-growing groundcover

Myoporum Thrip Damage

These plants are popular because of their aesthetics, low maintenance requirements, and hardiness. Relatively few pests or diseases attacked these plants until recently. Now the Myoporum Thrip is causing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to our Southern California landscapes. Often used along freeways and roads you can see miles worth of these plants severely infested and in many instances completely defoliated.

Thrips feed on the foliage causing it to twist and distort. Leaf galls will also appear where the adults lay their eggs and the larvae develop. If the infestation is heavy enough it can completely defoliate the plant and cause death.

Identifying this pest is not difficult if you look closely. While very small, the adults are only 2 -2.5 mm in length, they are visible to the naked eye. They are distinguishable by their long skinny bodies. The adults are a dark brown or black color, while the larvae are a translucent to slightly orange color. You’ll know they are there by the tell-tale damage on the plant.

Myoporum Thrip Adults

So how do we combat this new invader? Since it’s not a native species, the Myoporum Thrip has no natural enemies here in Southern California. That’s why it has run rampant. At the moment there is no effective solution except to provide proper cultural care, which might or might not help. Imidacloprid (Merit), a systemic insecticide, may help somewhat, but it’s not entirely effective and may harm other beneficial insects. Researchers are working on biological controls to help stop the devastation. In the past they have been able to introduce natural enemies of a pest, such as parasitic wasps, that have helped control similar epidemics. For now we’ll just have to wait and see.

Irrigation repairs can be a bit tricky sometimes. There’s been many a time where we make a repair and once we’re done, we find another repair that needs to be made. Sometimes our customers can’t understand why there are additional repairs; they’ll tell us “didn’t you see it the first time around?”. It’s sort of like going to the mechanic. You pay to get your car fixed and you expect everything to be ok. But how many times have you driven away and a just a few hours later another problem arises? Well, I can’t speak for the mechanic, but I can help explain why this can happen when it comes to irrigation repairs.

Example #1 – Certain Problems Can Mask Others
Broken pipe lines often cause a severe loss of pressure. If there is not enough pressure, the sprinkler heads will not work properly; sometimes they won’t work at all. If there’s a broken or leaking head, we might not notice it until we have repaired the line and have full pressure again. There is also the potential for a second broken line, which is even more difficult to find because they’re usually buried below ground. If it’s buried low enough and has not had time to push through to the surface, or if it’s broken below asphalt or concrete, we might not notice it until our next visit. Problems with a valve or multiple broken sprinklers on a line can also cause a severe pressure loss.

Example #2 – Parts Fail
Just like the parts in your vehicle can fail, the same can happen to the parts in your irrigation system. You never know when it’s going to happen. We might make a visit out to make some repairs, and the following week the controller drops dead. I’ve seen a few times where we made a repair to a broken line, and because of the increase in pressure, older heads will blow out. The older the part, the more likely it is to fail. It makes sense that if one part fails on the system, other parts of the same age are likely to fail at the same time.

Example #3 – Debris in the Line
Sometimes dirt, sand, rocks, or other debris will find it’s way into the line. Usually it’s after a pipe breaks. We do our best to keep debris out of the line, but if it’s sitting in a hole and water is running, something is going to work it’s way in. If debris gets into the line, it can clog valves and sprinklers. We usually flush the system after a repair, but occasionally it still becomes a problem. Of course it only happens after we’ve left the site! The most common result of debris in the line is a stuck open valve which won’t shut off.

There are hundreds of reasons why we might have missed it “the first time around”. The above are just a few examples. When we provide estimates for irrigation repairs, we often note at the bottom that “additional problems may be found after the initial repairs are made”. Mostly we’ll note that on the larger jobs where we’re making many repairs and are unsure of exactly what the damage is. When 90% of the irrigation system sits below ground, and with every job being completely different, it sure doesn’t make it easy to find everything, every time.

Are you planning to hire a general contractor to renovate a building or do some work around your property? If you are, I would highly recommend that you include your landscape contractor in the initial meetings. A professional landscape contractor can provide some valuable insight that might save you a bit of money and or time in the long run. Usually we’re the last ones on the job and because of this most property owners, facility managers, and even generals don’t think to include us in the initial meetings. This could prove to be a costly mistake in the end.

Here are some items that should be discussed with the general contractor prior to the start of any new construction:

• Discuss what landscaped areas will need to be protected prior to the start so that everyone is aware
• Locate any underground utilities such as irrigation lines and wiring that should be protected
• Locate other important items such as the backflow prevention device and the irrigation controller
• Discuss whether the water will be kept on to protect any existing landscape
• If the water will be off, discuss what options are available to continue irrigating
• Verify that the power will be kept on to the irrigation controller throughout construction
• Address whether sleeves will be installed under any new concrete or asphalt areas for future use
• Ask the general to note the location of any damaged sprinklers, lines, valves and/or wires

Discussing these items with the general contractor prior to the start will definitely save you some money. I don’t know how many times I’ve come on to a site where I have no idea what has been done. As I begin to test some stations I find broken lines and heads everywhere. The controller has been disconnected and there’s no power to it. There’s a new concrete handicap ramp with no sleeves installed underneath, etc., etc. etc.

So to keep it short and simple. Please give us a call before you start! Include your landscape contractor in your meetings. I guarantee you it will save you some money and headaches in the long run.

Who isn’t familiar with the Rain Bird 1800 series pop up spray head? It’s a black plastic sprinkler that has a pop up stem with a nozzle on top. While you many not know them by name, you definitely have seen them somewhere at some time. If you haven’t, then you need to get out more. We have thousands upon thousands of these heads spread across all of our properties. It’s been the most commonly used sprinkler over the past 15 years. These were fantastic heads when they first came out. They replaced the old inefficient Champion brass heads that everyone was using at the time.

However; as time went on we began to notice two recurring problems with this product. First, we started to see split seams. Along the side of the 1800 is a seam that would split when there was too much pressure to the head. We’ve replaced many of these sprinklers due to this problem. The second and more serious issue is due to the deteriorating plastic around the stem. There is a white plastic ring around the stem on what is called the cover. It is designed to create a seal so the head will not leak when it pops up. Over time this plastic begins to degrade and eventually the head would leak. If enough heads leaked on a circuit, it would cause a severe pressure loss.

We’ve replaced more of these covers than I would ever care to count. We buy bags of 25 at a time and they never seem to last. While the cover itself is inexpensive. The labor in replacing these is not. We began to notice this problem more than 10 years ago. I spoke to a Rain Bird representative about the problem and he told me that they were aware of it.

Apparently the plastic resin they had used was susceptible to sunlight. He said that they had come up with a new resin that was much more durable and that it was being used in all the new heads. This was approximately 10 years ago! However, even to this day we continue to replace these heads. For many years we all continued to use the Rain Bird heads because there was no real alternative until recently. This contributed to the problem.

During a meeting with a supplier of mine I mentioned these issues to him. He was also aware of the problems and recommended the Hunter Pro-Spray as an alternative. Basically the same sprinkler with a few important changes.

First, no side seam! This eliminates the problems we’ve had with the Rain Bird heads splitting at the seams. Second, the plastic around the stem doesn’t deteriorate with sunlight. We’ve never replaced a Hunter head for this problem. The stem will accept a Rain Bird nozzle so we were able to use our existing stock. It’s a top notch product. If you have a need for a commercial grade pop up spray head, I highly recommend the Hunter Pro-Sprays over the Rain Bird 1800’s.

I was at a shopping center near my office today grabbing a bite to eat, when I noticed the landscape crew spraying the weeds. It never ceases to amaze me how employees will fail to wear their PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). In the state of California there is a minimum PPE that must be worn for ALL pesticide applications. #1 safety glasses with brow and temple protection. Most of the fancy safety glasses in use today are not sufficient. #2 nitrile rubber gloves. NOT leather gloves! #3 long sleeve shirt and long pants. #4 Shoes and socks. Yep, you must wear socks. That is the minimum required PPE no matter what you’re applying or what the label says.

So knowing what the minimum PPE requirements are now, you should be able to spot a “not-so-professional” contractor fairly easilly. The person I saw today was applying what I’m sure was Round Up. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt, NO safety glasses, and NO gloves. Where’s an Ag Inspector when you need them? This is a $500 fine! I know because I had to pay it once.

Let me tell you the story. I don’t remember the year, but it wasn’t too long ago. I had just finished my meeting with the Ag Inspector. He had checked my training records, our written training program, and our respirator program. He had looked over my training materials and viewed the Power Point presentation that we used for training. He was amazed at how organized and well kept our records were. He commended us on the fantastic job we were doing. We had just had a training session a couple of days before his visit.

Well, you’ll never guess what happened. As he left our office he drove down the street, not even a mile away, and saw one of my crews. He decided to stop and take a look. The foreman who was making the application, I won’t mention his name, was applying Round Up to one of the planters. To the dismay of the inspector, he was wearing his saftey glasses backwards on top of his head and had on leather gloves. The inspector was furious! He thought I had pulled a fast one on him. He called me immediately and had not too many nice things to say. I didn’t know what to tell him. This employee had been with us for years. He had just done the training session a few days before.

Needless to say a couple of weeks later I received a letter with my fine of $500! I spoke with the employee after the fact and asked him “what in the world were you thinking?”. He told me it was really hot that day and he just didn’t feel like wearing his glasses and rubber gloves. It was an expensive lesson for us, but now I can use the experience as a training tool to show my employees that this is serious.

Now when I see a landscape crew making a pesticide application without the minimum PPE, I just shake my head. It’s just a matter of time before they learn their expensive lesson. The point of this story is that professional companies provide the proper training and equipment to their employees. While the employees may not always follow the rules, such as in our case, problems such as these can be kept to a minimum. A professional contractor will also be licensed, registered with the counties they operate in, and carry the proper insurance; thus limiting the risk to the property owner. Make sure you hire a professional landscape contractor and check to make sure they carry the proper licenses and insurance coverage for the type of work they will be performing for you.

Hello world! Today I’ve started the Southern California Landscaping blog, mostly as a way to keep my current clients and prospects up to date on what’s happening in the world of Southern Californian landscapes, but also as a way to get my ideas, thoughts, and knowledge down into a permanent record. I write from a commercial perspective since that is what my company deals with. As some of you may know, I am V.P. of Sales for West Coast Grounds Maintenance. We’re a commercial landscape contractor serving the Southern California area. The company was first founded in 1964, but incorporated as WCGM, Inc. in 1987. I myself have been with WCGM, Inc. and in this industry for over 18 years now.

For those of you looking for help with your backyard vegetable garden, sorry that’s not my area of expertise. If you’re a property or a facility manager looking for answers to some of your landscape issues, then maybe this is the place for you. I’ve learned over the years that most facility managers have strong backgrounds in HVAC systems, plumbing, and electrical, but most don’t have a clue when it comes to landscape. It’s been many a time I’ve heard “yeah, we need to take out that one plant, the one with the green leaves”. They don’t have a clue as to the name of the plant, cultural care requirements, susceptibility to disease, etc. Nor should they really. That’s why they hired a professional landscape contractor in the first place. So they wouldn’t have to know. Does it make my job easier if my client’s know a little about landscape? Absolutely, and that’s why we’re here.

The ultimate goal of this blog is to help facility managers gather important information that will help them make better, more informed decisions regarding their landscapes. Beautiful well planned and well maintained landscapes can help increase property values, public perception of companies, and employee morale among other things. A landscape is an asset that has to be managed in much the same a way a building would be. There are regular maintenance costs, repair expenses, and a value that can be measured in more ways than in just dollars.

Knowledge is your best friend and hopefully this will be your number one source of information when it comes to managing your landscapes. Thank you for visiting and keep an eye out for my next post.