Tag: Mirage Landscaping

Professional Landscaping In Calgary Monitoring Your Underground Sprinkler System

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To maintain their landscaping, Calgary residents and businesses need to make sure to maintain their underground sprinkler systems. Keeping the sprinklers in good condition ensures plants get the water they need and the system runs efficiently without any leaks. Yet, even with the best maintenance, leaks and other problems can occur. Monitoring helps detect problems early.

Monitor These Areas

What should you monitor when it comes to your sprinkler system?

Check your water bill and compare it to the same month last year. If you have seen a noticeable increase in use, you may have a leak somewhere in the sprinkler system. This happens due to freeze/thaw cycling, faulty sprinkler heads or infiltration blockage. In any case, if you suspect your system has a leak, you should have it checked out and have any repairs made before you use it again.

Watch your system in action. This is a part of maintaining the landscaping Calgary residents and business owners often neglect. Start with making sure each sprinkler head is working. You want to make sure all the heads are providing the pattern and coverage you want. Make sure each section in the sprinkler system is getting a steady flow of water. You may notice some areas getting too much water or too little water.

Check the system’s supply and drain valves and makes sure they are functioning properly. Wait to do this after a series of dry days. You want the soil to dry out a bit. Look under the valves and make sure they are dry also. If these valves are leaking, the soil will be damp when the rest of the area is dry.

Check for perpetually wet areas. If you have an underground leak, the ground around the leak will be saturated, no matter what. You may not see standing water, but the grass or plants may be drowning due to excessive water.

Performing routine maintenance can prevent problems or catch them when they are minor. Doing a spring check-up will make sure the system did not sustain damage during the winter and that it is ready for the coming growing season. Check each sprinkler head and make sure its in good shape. Make sure the ground is thawed to beneath the sprinkler system before starting it up for the first time.

If you suspect that your sprinkler system may have some major problems, you need to contact a professional landscaping company to handle the repairs. They can find the problem and fix it faster than most homeowners. Plus, they can check the rest of the system and be sure its ready for summer. Contact us here at Mirage Landscaping. We install, maintain, and repair sprinklers in the landscaping Calgary homes and businesses have.

Commercial Calgary Landscaping Companies Winter Tree Care

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The winter weather in Calgary is a challenge for any landscape. Trees and shrubs can sustain damage due to the variable weather. It is important to take care of trees throughout the winter to keep them healthy for next spring’s thaw.

Calgary Landscaping: The Challenges of Winter Weather

Calgary’s unique position in southern Alberta places it right in the path of the warm chinook winds coming off the eastern slopes of the Rockies. The winds pick up speed and strength going through the Bow Valley. This warm wind can cause extreme temperature fluctuations. Add dry air to the mix and you may see tree damage everywhere.

Tip Kill

As the air warms up, but remains dry, the tips of tree branches start to dry out. Since the roots are frozen, they are unable to bring water into the tips to replenish the supply. This leaves the tips starved of moisture, which causes them to die. This condition is known as “tip kill” or “die back”. Common signs are dry twigs and discolored evergreen needles. The damage done can be extensive enough to kill smaller plants. Creating wind breaks or covering plants with mulch are effective options for preventing this kind of damage.

False Spring

Calgary landscaping professionals dread false spring. When the warm Chinook winds stay around longer than normal, it begins to warm the ground. The warm ground can bring trees out of dormancy too early. The sap flows and the tree begins spring growth. When the winter winds return, the freezing temperatures can cause severe damage to the new growth that won’t go away with the approach of real spring.

Another cause of false spring is sun scald. Snow is on the ground and the sun is bright in the sky. As the sun’s rays reflect off the snow, it can cause tree tissues on the south side to start thawing. Then, when the sun goes down, the thawed tissues refreeze. This continual freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw cycle can cause the tree’s bark to split. This can damage inner tissues and even kill the tree. If you notice a split limb or trunk, wrap it to prevent further damage.

Animal Damage

Non-hibernating animals like deer and rabbits are another challenge for Calgary landscaping professionals. They will eat tree bark during winter, plus pillage your perennials and shrubs. This can cause exposure of the tender inner tissues of the tree. Placing wire fencing around the base of the tree is an effective option for preventing this kind of damage.

De-Icing Agents

Plants along sidewalks and near parking areas are vulnerable to any DE-icing agents you put down. Use those DE-icing materials sparingly and only where necessary. Excess use can cause damage and even kill smaller trees and plants.

If you need help with your winter tree care or want a four-season land maintenance company, call us here at Mirage Landscaping. We have been proudly serving the Calgary area for three generations with landscape services and snow removal.