The owner of Ecoyards, Andy, has become a certified landscape irrigation auditor through the Irrigation Association, the leading membership organization for irrigation professionals.

What does that mean for you as an Ecoyards customer? Irrigation Association-certified professionals like Andy are leading the way in the evolving field of irrigation technology and smart water management. Simply put, they are the best in the field. In hiring a certified professional, you can feel confident that Andy has state-of-the-art training and technical skills to audit varieties of irrigation systems. He’s trained to perform field tests on irrigation systems to determine whether they’re efficient, as well as examine plant water use, soils and local weather data to calculate accurate water schedules. As a certified landscape irrigation auditor, he’ll work with you to manage overall irrigation use on your property.

To be certified, Andy passed a written exam, demonstrated irrigation-related work experience, passed an audit of his work, agreed to follow a code of ethics and has committed to continuing education requirements.

You wouldn’t hire an electrician or a plumber who wasn’t licensed or endorsed, so why would you hire someone to install or maintain your irrigation system who is not certified? A certified irrigation professional not only provides keen technical know-how, but they also offer a higher level of specialization and service.

Compost pile. Photo by Bryn Pinzgauer, Creative Commons License.

The city of Seattle and other partners are offering discounts on compost and kitchen scrap bins during Compost Days, a promotion that runs through April 15, 2013. The city is celebrating its success in diverting 125,000 tons of food scraps and yard waste from landfills last year, and that means coupons and discounts for you!

All that waste was turned into compost that can be used in gardens. During Compost Days, you can buy 2 bags of compost and can get the 3rd bag free. The promotion also offers deep discounts on bulk compost and kitchen scrap kits.  Contact Ecoyards if you need help with mulching your landscape beds with compost.

What is compost, and why do gardeners love it so much? Compost is decomposed organic matter (grass clippings, newspaper, egg shells, food waste, etc.) that can be added to garden beds and landscapes to improve soil. That rich organic material adds nutrients and beneficial microbes. It helps soil hold on to nutrients and water better, reduces water runoff, promotes healthier roots and prevents oil erosion.

You can find a variety of compost products at local garden and hardware stores in the area, or you can make your own compost in your backyard. The city of Seattle is a great resource on backyard composting; it also sells compost bins through Seattle Conservation Corps, Parks & Recreation Department.

Here was the dilemma: one of our clients had a gorgeous Lions Head Japanese maple that had grown too big for its location. It was already 7 feet tall when the homeowner planted it on his property 12 years ago, so you can imagine how much it had grown since.

Our client was looking to move the maple because it was planted too close to the house; its roots were likely to get tangled in underground gas lines and the top branches would soon interfere with overhead cable lines. He also had a personal attachment to the tree, so wanted to find a way to preserve it if possible. And what’s not to love about it: this deciduous tree has beautiful green foliage that turns red in spring and a spectacular gold in the fall. It can grow to about 20 feet tall at maturity with a spread of about 15 feet.

Air vaccum and air knife. All photos by Ecoyards

The problem: the roots of the Lions Head Japanese Maple were so close to gas lines that we couldn’t dig it out without striking those lines and causing all kinds of mayhem.

The solution: we hired an arborist who used “an air knife” to safely excavate soil from the maple’s tree roots without having to hack away with a pick or shovel and otherwise damaging the roots.

Opening up root-ball with air knife.

The air knife uses compressed air (not unlike air tire pumps you find at gas stations) at about 185 psi rating. The pressure from the air knife removes soil away by focusing a stream of air around the roots. Apparently, this technology has been used by the military to excavate land mines.

Crane places tree in truck for move.

The process of air-excavating the tree from its original location was tedious. It took hours to gently remove the soil away from the root ball. Once we had freed the soil from the root ball, we brought in a crane to raise the plant and moved it into a truck where we then transplanted it into its new location.

Crew places Lions Head Japanese Maple in its new location.

Happy tree in its new location. This maple, Acer palmatum “Shishigashira”, loves full sun to partial shade, and is relatively low maintenance. It can live to be about 80 years old!

Contact Ecoyards if you ever need help solving a tricky landscaping situation.  

Rain barrel. Photo by Ecoyards.

We’ve been enjoying unusually warm, dry and sunny weather in Seattle lately. The lack of rain means it’s a great time to tap your rain barrels to water your plants. Most of you know that rain barrels are used to catch rain water and store it for later use. We get a lot of questions about rain barrels from customers, so we’ve tackled a couple of them here.

Can I use my rain barrel water for vegetables? Unless you get your water tested, there’s really no way to know for certain whether the water that runs off your rooftop and into gutters and then your rain barrel is completely safe for edible plants. The water could contain heavy metals (depending on what’s in those roof shingles), or fecal coliform and other bacteria from bird or other wildlife droppings. The safest bet is to use the water for non-edible plants only. If you must use the water on vegetables (depending on your personal comfort level), here are some tips: water close to the ground through a drip system; keep the water in the soil and away from fruits, veggies or foliage; avoid watering lettuce or other plants that are grow close to the ground; and always thoroughly wash your produce with drinkable water before eating. The city of Seattle’s Rain Barrel Guide recommends not using rainwater for plants if your roof is made of copper, or if it has wooden shingles treated with any chemical such as chromated copper arsenate to make them resistant to algae, moss or lichen.

How do I prevent overflows during storms? Install an overflow hose adapter, which allows water to flow through a small hose and drain to a nearby lawn or landscape bed. Make sure you direct it away from a basement or your foundation.

How much water can I actually collect from my roof? A general rule of thumb says that you can catch about 600 gallons of water for every 1 inch of rainfall on a 1,000 square foot roof. If you want to do your own math, the city of Seattle has a good formula in its rain barrel guide to help you out.

hummingbird; photo by lambatofa via Creative Commons License

Each morning, my son runs to the window to see what little creatures are feasting on seeds, nectar and berries in our front yard. Last week, we spotted a couple squirrels, a raccoon traipsing across our neighbor’s front yard, and several birds on the branches of our bare Japanese bloodgood maple). This week, we watched a couple hummingbirds flitter from branch to branch on the white-flowering currant that is getting ready to explode with its clusters of white flowers. Ribes sanguineum is one of our favorite plants in the Seattle landscape because of its spectacular white and red blooms are magnets for birds and butterflies.

Over the years as we have added to and edited our landscape in Seattle, we’ve added more shrubs and plants that can support wildlife. A typical neighborhood can hold more than 25 species of birds and mammals, such as hawks, raccoons, robins, chickadees, and even an occasional coyote, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. You can design your Seattle landscape with wildlife in mind by providing creatures with four basic needs: food, water, shelter, and space. Bees, birds and butterflies feed on flower nectar; squirrels feast on nuts and berries. Have a variety of plants that flower at different times of the year so wildlife have a steady pick of food throughout the seasons. Insects are also an important food source for birds, so develop a high tolerance for bugs and avoid insecticides.

Trees and shrubs, brush piles, groundcovers and plants that grow at different heights provide creatures with various safe places to hide and rest. A good wildlife habitat has many levels of habitat, from the ground on up to the tallest evergreen. Plant groundcovers for bugs and taller trees like western hemlocks for woodpeckers and hawks.

Consider adding a water source for animals, such as a birdbath, stream or other fountain. The Humane Society recommends studying your yard from the viewpoint of an animal seeking shelter and food when you start gardening for wildlife. Learn the habits and tastes of the species you hope to attract, and identify any potential conflicts early enough to head them off before unacceptable damage has been done to your garden.

The National Wildlife Federation also offers tips on how to garden for wildlife and how to certify your landscape as a wildlife habitat. The Audubon Society has a website on Healthy Yards.

Contact Ecoyards if you’d like to redesign your landscape to attract more wildlife.

Shotweed

By far, shotweed is one of the most annoying weeds in Seattle area landscapes. It’s a delicate annual broadleaf that shoots seemingly hundreds of seeds everywhere when you pull or disturb it. The weed also goes by little western bittercress, snapweed, bitterweed, or cardamine hirsuta. Whatever you call it, it’s a menace for Northwest gardeners. This annual weed is most prolific from fall through early spring, but its seeds, which live in soil for a long time, can germinate throughout the growing season. Shotweed loves the cooler gardens and landscapes of the Puget Sound.

Shotweed is part of the mustard family. Its seed pods are called siliques. The plants are small, no taller than about 5-8 inches. It grows pretty little white flowers, and isn’t a bad looking plant. But don’t be fooled. Shotweed can quickly become a huge nuisance in your garden if allowed to go to seed. Annual weed seeds persist in the soil for years and can grow when turned and exposed to light.

The best way to get rid of shotweed is to pull them by hand before they develop seed pods. Generally, annual weeds are easy to pull, especially in loose soil. As with most weeds, pulling them often and early is the best  way to get rid of them. Also, make sure to mulch your beds with a thick layer of compost, bark or other mulch; eliminate bare soil by adding dense ground covers to your landscapes to keep out undesirables; and keep plants growing healthy so they can out-compete weeds. All those practices can help you improve your chances against annual weeds like shotweed.

A propane weed torch also can be an effective tool against shotweed, since you can instantly kill the plant without risking sending seeds flying everywhere. Please follow all safety precautions when using a weed torch, including having a fire extinguisher on hand and wearing proper gear. Weed torches work great for annual weeds, whose roots aren’t as deep or thick as, say, those of a dandelion. They’re also best for sidewalk cracks or gravel beds where you won’t run the risk of torching other plants.

Winter storm Jan. 2012 – photo courtesy of Hector Castro

Rain, snow, ice, wind. The Seattle area got walloped with all of that in January 2012, when a storm toppled trees, broke branches and downed power lines. The storm caused a lot of damage when trees landed on cars, homes and in yards. For big trees and big jobs, homeowners dealing with tree damage should call a certified arborist. Need a referral? PlantAmnesty can help.

For smaller trees, make sure you prune the branches properly. Use a sharp pruning tool and make clean cuts. Contact Ecoyards for help.

Whatever you do, don’t top the trees. The practice of topping, or removing large branches or the tops of trees, can actually create more problems in the future. As PlantAmnesty explains, topping can lead to thick regrowth of suckers or sprouts that make the tree more top-heavy and more likely to catch wind. That makes it more vulnerable to getting blown down in a storm. Selectively thinning trees is a better way to go. This allows wind to pass through the branches.

Sometimes you can’t anticipate what Mother Nature does, but you can take measures to protect your trees from damage during wind, snow and rain storms. Proper tree care can minimize hazards during storms. Trees that are pruned regularly tend to be more resistant to storm and wind damage. Neglected trees are much more likely to fall or shed limbs during storms.

Japanese maples rank among my favorite plants. They provide spectacular fall color, are easy to grow, thrive in our temperate Northwest climate, and don’t need much maintenance, except for some selective pruning each year. We have five Japanese maples on our property. Two are upright bloodgood maples whose purple-red leaves turn a brilliant crimson during the fall. The centerpiece, however, is a mature Crimson Queen laceleaf maple planted in front of the house. It has a graceful, weeping shape, with delicate layers that let in light from bottom to top. I’m particularly fond of this specimen, because it was one of the first I purchased and planted when I moved into the house seven years ago.

Because of their delicate appearance, Japanese maples may seem difficult to care for. In truth, they don’t need much — just well-drained moist soil and some protection from afternoon sun (though some varieties will tolerate full sun). These are hardy plants that do well in containers, if given water during the summer drought months. Most varieties grow well in the Northwest without much fertilizers. If you do fertilize, go easy on nitrogen fertilizers which stimulate growth and makes pruning more of a challenge.

To some, pruning Japanese maples can seem an art form. But really, it doesn’t take much expertise – only a good pair of pruning shears and some patience. Some experts say to avoid pruning maples in the winter when cuts on the trees are more likely cause it to ooze sap. We follow the advice of Cass Turnbull, with Seattle-based PlantAmnesty, widely considered the pruning expert in the Northwest. (Her pruning guide, by the way, is one of the books all gardeners should have on hand). Turnbull says any time is a good time for selective pruning of Japanese maples, but these trees are most easily pruned in the winter and summer. In an excellent article published in Fine Gardening, she writes:

With the leaves out of the way in winter, it is easy to see the branch structure and, in turn, make the right cuts. In summer, however, you can judge the right amount of thinning needed to see the tree’s bones. Summer pruning also stimulates less plant growth than winter pruning, so you can get away with a little more and the tree will stay thinned out longer.

Turnbull’s advice for pruning maples involves a lot of math and fractions, but they’re good rules to keep in mind: don’t take off more than 1/5 of the maple’s crown; don’t prune any branch that is more than half the diameter of the parent stem; don’t remove more than 1/4 of leaves on a given branch, since the leaves provide the plant with nutrients.

As with most pruning jobs, start by removing dead branches, branches that have criss-crossed, branches that are too vertical or horizontal, or those that touch the ground or crowd into other plants or hardscape. You want to be able to see between overlapping branch layers. Turnbull says if you plan to remove the lowest branches of your tree, take out only a few each time otherwise you’ll end up stressing out the plant. If you take one limb out, don’t take the one either directly above it or directly opposite in the same year. You often see Japanese maples pruned into an umbrella or mushroom shape, or not pruned at all so that they resemble a tumbleweed. There’s nothing delicate or pretty in this. Don’t try to hack off the top of the tree, otherwise, you’ll get lots of tiny branches that look like a mess.

You could tell by all the freshly-cut lawns this weekend that people were out doing a lot of yard work. As you’re weeding, planting or pruning and have gardening questions that you don’t have the answer to, you can turn to the King County Master Gardeners, a group of volunteers who will help you find the answer.

If you have a burning question that can’t wait until the weekend, try calling the Master Gardener Phone Clinic. The phone number is 206-543-0943, open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Otherwise, take your questions to one of several dozen Master Gardener Clinics around King County. There are several in West Seattle, Burien and White Center. If you don’t know what’s bugging your azalea, not sure what kind of conifer you have in your backyard or want to know what to do about a most lawn, these experts can help.

One of the most frequent questions we get at Ecoyards is how to control weeds organically. The truth is, there’s no easy way to get rid of dandelions, shotweed, knotweed, and other nasties, especially if you don’t want to use herbicides. Our favorite tools are our hands and standard garden tools, like a hori hori, trowel or hoe. You also need a lot of persistence and a little knowledge about the type of weed you’re dealing with.

There are annual weeds that grow, flower, set and die each year, and perennial weeds that live and return for many years. Annual weeds spread only by seed, so the best way to kill them is to pull them before they produce even more seeds – and to continue pulling them several times. The reality is that you’re never going to completely eliminate them, but if you’re persistent you can stay on top of it. Pull them early, when they’re young and before they set seed: tackle winter annual weeds such as common chickweed when they germinate in late summer, and get spring annual weeds such as common lambsquarters when they germinate in the spring. Annual weeds tend to have short roots, so they’re easy to pull or hoe. The downside is that annual weeds produce thousands of seeds, and the seeds tend to persist for a very very long time in soil. Avoid deep hoeing or rototilling, as that can bring up seeds buried in the ground.

Canada thistle

Perennial weeds can spread by seed (dandelion) or through a creeping rooting system (such as Canada thistle or quackgrass). The best way to get rid of perennial weeds is to pull them early, typically in the first several weeks of germination. Get them before they’ve developed an extensive root system that can store energy. When you miss this window, it’s an uphill battle. In this case, you can try to exhaust them to death by depleting their energy; frequent mowing, for example, to cut the tops of dandelions can help exhaust the amount of energy stored below ground. For perennial weeds, you have to dig up the entire root system so rototilling only breaks up the plant and spread the weed; Canada thistle can produce a new plant with a root section as small as a quarter of an inch.

The best way to control weeds is to prevent them in the first place. Get them early, get them often. Try to weed, if possible, on a sunny dry day so that the weeds you pull will dry out and die. We also can’t stress enough the importance of having a good thick layer of mulch, whether bark, compost or a mixture of both, to suppress weeds. Mulches also conserve soil moisture and reduces soil erosion. A good mulch applied annually is about the easiest thing you can do to keep weeds at bay. Mulching and regular monthly maintenance are two ways we control weeds organically for our clients. Contact us to find out more about our maintenance services.