Irrigation Mastery Blog

Choosing Smart Controllers: Taking Control choosing smart controllers epa watersense smart controllers Aug 30, 2024

By Lori Palmquist

I LOVE LOVE LOVE smart controllers! Since 2007, I've installed 56 of them. I still monitor a few of the ones I've installed and managed over the years. Of these 56 controllers, there were 15 different models. And seven of those 15 no longer exist on the market. So, smart...

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The Magic of Mulch Webinar mulch talks webinar Aug 25, 2024

 

by Lori Palmquist

I gave a UC Master Gardener webinar on July 16, 2024 that was co-sponsored by the Contra Costa County Library.

Here's the link to the recording: https://vimeo.com/997550117

In some of the other webinars I've given in the past few years, every time I mentioned mulch, the...

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Hands-On Drip Workshop drip irrigation sprinkler-to-drip Jun 10, 2023

by Lori Palmquist

The 20th annual PG&E Water Conservation Showcase is featuring a ton of education talks and events, and our hands-on sprinkler-to-drip workshop is one of them. My friend and colleague Kim Titus* and I will be converting two existing sprinkler zones to drip in this all-day...

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Mind Your Water in the Garden alternative water sources checklist drought efficient irrigation landscape water water-efficient strategies Apr 18, 2022

by Lori Palmquist

Despite the deluges we experienced back in October and December of last year, we find ourselves slipping more deeply into a state of drought as spring begins. The Drought Monitor website https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Maps/MapArchive.aspx informs us that 100% of...

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Drip Spirals for Trees and How to Schedule Irrigation for Trees drip for trees drip irrigation drip spirals Oct 09, 2021

 

by Lori Palmquist

People often ask me how to apply drip to trees and how long to water. The method I’ll show you is the way I drip trees that don’t have landscape plants beneath their canopies. When trees have plants beneath them, I handle them as part of the landscape area...

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Water in Your Garden - Taking Control - Webinar by Lori Palmquist irrigation during drought landscape water webinar Sep 18, 2021

On July 13, 2021, I gave an important talk in the form of a Zoom webinar to give the public some simple strategies for managing landscape water during drought. I gave the talk on behalf of the UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County.

See the video at the following link:  ...

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Trees Need Our Loving Support irrigation for trees trees in drought trees in lawns Sep 17, 2021

by Lori Palmquist

“Are you one of those tree huggers?”

This was the first thing I was asked as I introduced myself to my fellow students at an irrigation training in Dallas. I was surrounded by a sea of 10-gallon hats and huge belt buckles. The shaded eyes of all peered at me...

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Please Touch that Dial! drought response irrigation scheduling monthly adjustments water waste Aug 05, 2021

 

Guide for Monthly Irrigation Schedule Adjustment

Reprinted from an article I wrote for the Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener newsletter in June 2021.

by Lori Palmquist

Since we are officially in drought again (August 2021), and the water companies are asking us to cut back, I have...

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