Flood Preparations and irrigation

Life has taken an unexpected turn here in the last week. The Missouri River is rising rapidly into the yards and homes of countless people who live along her banks. We have customers in Dakota Dunes, Wynstone, South Sioux City and Sloan that are at imminent risk of flooding.

Since last Thursday Galen has had his crew working on flood control rather than on irrigation. They have installed sump pumps, moved hundreds upon hundreds of sandbags and have even hauled furniture. I am proud of these young men, they have worked tirelessly, going far beyond what they signed up to work for this summer! I am absolutely certain this is not how anyone in the area planned to spend their holiday weekend.

Officials have asked that all irrigation at the Dunes and other areas along the river be shut off. We are asking that you not only turn off your controller, but as an added safety please shut off the water to your irrigation as well. A full winterization is not necessary, simply turn the water off in the basement or at the backflow device outside your home and turn the controller to OFF.

If you are pumping from the river or canal systems you will need to remove your pump and move it to higher ground. They are made to move water, but their electrical systems are not waterproof. Even if you have a submersible pump, the sheer volume of water flowing through the area has the capability of snapping off the pump feed line.

I can't imagine the stress of having to move out entire communities in a matter of days. We are thankful that there has been adequate warning. Only time will tell if all the efforts will pay off.

God be with all of you who will feel the direct impact of the flood waters.


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Congratulations, Graduates!

At Jensen Sprinkler we get the distinct pleasure of seeing boys grow up to be fine young men. They start off often coming to us in the early years of high school as their first job. Some leave when they start college, and we have had several continue with us throughout their college years. This year we have three graduates among our employees, two from high school and one from college. It is our distinct pleasure to offer congratulations to these young men:

Marshall Tuttle, an employee since 2009,  graduates Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morningside College. Marshall will have another milestone moment later this summer when he marries his high-school sweetheart, Megan.

Luke Schauer has also been with us since 2009, he graduates from Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School and will be attending Morningside College in the fall. (go Mustangs!)

Chad Pruehs has been with us since the summer between his freshman and sophomore year. Actually, Chad came and asked us for a job when he was still an 8th grader. We told him to wait a year and he did. I can't believe the scrawny kid that showed up here 4 years ago is now several heads taller than either of us and heading off to college. Chad graduated from Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School and will be attending University of Nebraska, Lincoln in the fall.

To these and all the other graduates in our community:

Congratulations! May all your dreams come true!

Even Sprinklers Need a Tune-Up!

A well-tuned sprinkler is much like a well-tuned car.  A car uses less gasoline when it is running at peak efficiency. A properly adjusted and maintained sprinkler will keep your grass and landscape green using less water. To have a well-tuned sprinkler you can't simply turn on the water, set the backflow and walk away. You should walk every zone checking for leaks and damaged heads. Check that your sprinkler heads are all still set in the ground straight. A misaligned head is not watering effectively. Also be on the lookout for debris or landscape growth blocking sprinkler heads.


If you live along one of the busier streets in your area you probably have quite a bit of sand along the front edge of your property from winter street crews. Sand has a way of creating problems for mist heads by clogging nozzles and reducing the effectiveness of their spray. Should this happen, unscrewing the nozzle and cleaning it out with a straight pin usually works. Remember to always make sure the plastic filter screen is in place in the neck of the head before reinstalling the nozzle.

Lastly, check your controller settings. Watering three times per week is common for this time of year. Your yard needs about 1" of precipitation per week. We certainly have had quite a bit of precipitation this spring. If you do not have a rain shut-off  on your system yet, we strongly recommend you have one installed. These cost-effective devices keep your sprinkler from running when mother nature has already taken care of it for you.

Have a super spring! Enjoy the sunshine!

Welcome April!

 

Welcome to April!

It certainly feels like it has been a long time arriving. This first day of April has brought along with it a blustery wind and beautiful sunny skies. The wind still has quite a bite to it, but the sunshine sure feels nice. I would imagine it won't be too long before we are complaining that it is too hot! 

Although the nighttime temperatures are still getting down into the not-so-sprinkler-friendly range, we aren't too far from being able to safely run sprinklers. Historically the nighttime temperatures tend to stay above freezing after April 15th. Of course, we live in the Midwest and anything is possible, but most years waiting until after tax day is a safe bet. 

What can you do in the two weekends in between? There is always something you can do for your yard. I will give you one easy on and one tough one for homework. The two best things you can do for your yard while the grass is still dormant are: 1) Give it a good raking and 2)  Get your mower blades professionally sharpened. 

Admittedly, raking is hard work, but one good raking a year is all your yard needs and spring is the prime time to take care of that. Raking removes any dead grass which prevents drainage and retards growth. Raking lets air into the crown of the plants and encourages the formation of new shoots. Besides the health benefits for your lawn think of all the great calorie burning and fresh air that benefit your own health!

One of the best things you can do for your lawn, besides a good spring raking, is to have good, sharp lawn mower blades. If you have did not have your lawn mower blades sharpened over the winter get out there and get it done before you need to mow. Dull blades have a tendency to rip grass blades instead of cutting cleanly, leaving grass susceptible to diseases. A good, sharp mower blade is a simple step to a healthier lawn.

When your lawn does require that first mow be sure not to cut it too short. Spring mow height should be around 2",  you should never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time. This is particularly critical as the weather gets warmer. Much grass damage and disease can be prevented by proper mower height. When in doubt, raise the blade!

Enjoy the milder weather!

Keep it Green!

Hot Topic!

We spent two days last week at the wonderful Siouxland Garden Show. It is such a delight to see live green plants so early in the spring. The variety of speakers, vendors and available products certainly fan the flames of spring fever. We enjoyed the opportunity to chat with folks and show them some of the new technology available in irrigation.

The most talked about item at our Garden Show booth is technically not an irrigation product, but a rain collection product.   It is pictured above and is a rain barrel. Collecting rainwater is a great way to water your house plants or annuals. Rain water has trace minerals that you just don't get from city water.

This particular unit is not your average rain barrel. It has a large 75 gallon capacity. The lid can be used as a planter. One lady I spoke with also thought she could fill the top with small pebbles and use it as a bird bath as well. The gutter inlet is screened to keep debris and small critters out of the barrel. There is a brass spigot for garden hose connection. Unlike other less expensive rain barrels, this model has a large safety overflow that will direct the water overflowing from the barrel away from house. Barrels without this feature will overflow right against your foundation. Thick plastic, UV resistant walls are durable and will withstand extreme conditions. The barrel is currently available in two colors, the sandstone pictured above and a terracotta color. All these great features and as an added bonus this product is Made in USA.

We look forward to installing a rain barrel at our house. It will be a great addition to the watering systems all ready in place. I can use it to water all the plants that came home with us from the Siouxland Garden Show - Earl May had some beauties we couldn't resist!

Keep it Green!

Garden Show!

Ahhhh, Spring! You can feel it in the air, you can see it in the landscape. I am amazed at how much the trees have changed in the past two weeks. Now that the snow has melted I can look across my domain and... see how much yard work there is to do.... heavy sigh...

Before we deal with all the to-dos that show up with the arrival of spring we ought to have a weekend to have some fun. The Siouxland Garden Show is a fun, educational and informative way to fan the flames of spring fever. 

Here is a link to a PDF of the schedule of events and speakers:
2011 Garden Show Schedule

I am really excited about hearing Dr. Jennifer Boussalot talk about green roofing. This is an exciting idea that is taking root (no pun intended) in major metropolitan cities around the globe. I would love to see it utilized in the Midwest. Two years ago Galen and I attended a presentation on green roofing and we were both amazed at the innovations people came up with that were easily sustainable and healthy for the environment.

Jensen Sprinkler will have a booth at the 2011 Garden Show. We will be in our usual spot along the back wall - close to Earl May. I think John Kluver plans that because he knows we can't resist the beautiful plants he has on display and always have to take a few home with us.

We are focusing our Garden Show displays on the ways you can conserve water with your existing or new irrigation system. We will have on hand SMART controllers from both Hunter and Rainbird and Rain Shut-Off devices to show you. The guys have created a great display to show you how to water your outdoor potted plants using your sprinkler system as well.

There is also a rumor floating around that Galen will be interviewed on the Ask Earl May show on Saturday morning on KSCJ. I haven't received confirmation on that yet, but tune in and see what John Kluver has to say!

We hope to see you at the Marina Center!

Happy Spring!

Winter Dreaming?

Flowering Crab Apple Tree

Has the cold and snow started to get you down a little? Are you dreaming of warm spring days? I gave you a little taste of spring up above with the picture of our Flowering Crab Apple tree. I took that last spring, isn't it pretty? Sigh.....

We have reached February, which is the unofficial halfway point of winter. Have you been dreaming of what you want to do with your yard in the spring?

Whatever outdoor project you have been dreaming of during the dreary days of winter, if you need a contractor to help you fulfill your dreams, NOW is the time to contact them. If you live in an area where outdoor work is seasonal, odds are your contractor has carry over from last fall. Before you ever call him or her you are already in line after those folks. Much like the recorded operator who tells you that your call will be answered in the order it was received, the majority of contractors will work their projects in the order they were committed.

If your dreams include in-ground work such as irrigation, landscaping or a pool installation and you live in a snowy place,  you may have to wait for the bulk of the snow to melt so your contractor can see the lay of the land and provide you with an accurate estimate. It doesn't hurt to start making phone calls and doing some pre-planning before the snow melts!

Dream on, my friends, but remember to make your dreams come true you need to add some good planning into the mix as well.