What you Need to Know About the Carbon Monoxide Safety Act
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Prepare Your Irrigation System for Winter
Winter is here!! To minimize the risk of freeze damage to your irrigation system, you'll need to "winterize" it to prevent water from freezing and rupturing the pipe walls. These are the basic winterizations steps -
- Shut off the water and all automatic systems.
- Analyze the system to final all possible locations for entrapped water and drain them. Also drain irrigation components that hold water and open any component that allows water flow to make sure that no water is stored above the shutoff.
- Drain the water from the pipes either by using gravity or by blowing out the pipes – best left to the professionals.
- Insulate the components and valves above ground.
Finally, turn off the automatic controller or put it in “rain mode", install threaded caps over the open ends of the backflow risers, anti siphon risers, and any blowout fittings. Store the backflow preventer inside for the winter.
Fall & Winter Lawn Care Tips
Last winter was a dry one for lawns along the Front Range. The Covenant Compliance and Assistance Department of the HRCA observed many lawns that had large areas of dead or damaged sod that homeowners seemed unable to remedy with water and nutrients. The causes of these problems can vary, but turfgrass mite could be the problem.
Three spider mite species are among those that damage Colorado turf: clover mites, Banks grass mites, and brown wheat mites. The injury caused by turfgrass mites further damages turf already under stress from lack of water. Most damage occurs during early to mid spring. During early to mid-spring, clover mites damage turfgrass around building foundations and other warm, dry areas of the lawn may be totally killed, appearing as light brown, irregular dead patches. Clover mite injury to turf is commonly mistaken for winter kill and usually is found in the same sunny, dry areas of the lawn where winter drying problems occur. Banks grass mite is a common mite species in Colorado. It causes grass to turn a bleached straw color, often killing it rapidly. South facing hills are particularly vulnerable to this type of mite damage.
The purpose of winter watering is not to stimulate the turf, rather it is to keep the roots and the crown from drying out. Depending on the amount of damage done, with proper care, lawns can recover. Some lawns will sustain significant damage, which can be so extensive that lawn renovation can be necessary. In order to prevent problems next spring and summer, please ensure adequate watering during the fall and winter if nature is not providing it. This will help in preventing the mite damage that could seriously impact your lawn’s health in the spring. For more information about mites, consult with the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Office for Douglas County at 720-733-6930 or see www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/insect/05507.html.