Horizon Tigard has just released their training and event calendar for the upcoming fall and winter seasons.

There are 26 trainings and events in total covering topics such as LED lighting, hardscaping, rainwater harvesting, irrigation design, and synthetic turf.

If you want to expand the services your company offers or learn how to integrate the latest products into your current offerings, you'll want to pick your course(s) and sign up right away.

Spots are limited, so be sure to call Horizon Tigard at 503.670.9949 or email Mike Gailey, Tigard's Sales Center Manager, to reserve your spot.

Fall & Winter Training Schedule

Download the Flyer (Word)

Open Training Dates: February 11th, February 18th, March 11th, March 13th

Horizon San Antonio has joined forces with Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting and CMA to offer landscape contractors a free professional lighting seminar on October 16th!

If you've been thinking about expanding your services to include lighting or want to get the inside track on important trends in this field, this seminar is for you.

This seminar will focus on the following topics:

• Why 12-Volt Lighting?

• Light and its Characteristics

• Lamps & Lighting Techniques

• Cable Sizing & Voltage Drop

• Designing a Project

• Transformer Sizing & Installation

• Getting Started

• "Solid State Lighting" - The Future of Lighting?

• The Benefits of Solid State Lighting

• What is LED Lighting?

• How do LEDs work?

• The Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting LED System

• New Energy Policies & Standards for LED Lighting Technology

• System Engineering and Layouts

When: Wednesday, October 16th from 10am - 2pm

Location: Drury Inn & Suites

Address: 801 North Loop 1604, San Antonio, TX 78232

Lunch will be provided!

Click Here to Download the Flyer (PDF)

Have Questions?

Call Horizon San Antonio at 210-408-9090

or Sajjad Razvi at 832-768-0000

Horizon has partnered with Irrigator Tech, a leading provider of irrigation, landscape and maintenance trainings, to help you and your crew develop the skills needed to grow your business. A new series of courses for Certified Irrigation Auditor (CIA) starts October 1st at Horizon Las Vegas.

The CIA course provides you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to perform landscape irrigation audits. Auditors analyze water billing records, inspect site conditions, tune-up irrigation systems, conduct performance tests, create irrigation schedules, and implement efficient landscape water management programs.

The course consists of six half day classes which must be taken in sequence.

Name of Course: Certified Irrigation Auditor

Location: Horizon - Las Vegas

Dates: October 1st - October 8th

Certification Requirements: Attend all six CIA course classes and pass the CIA course exam with a score of 80% or better. To maintain certification, auditors must submit documentation of two completed audits per year along with a $25 evaluation fee. In the event that you do not maintain currency, you must take Class 306 review and test for renewal.

Classes within the Certified Irrigation Auditor course:

Class #1: Landscape Site Inspection

Tuesday, October 1st from 8am-12pm

An introduction to the auditing process and an overview of water management principles. Learn how to read water meters, evaluate water billing records, gather plant weather data, and measure plant canopy area. With this information, you'll then calculate the cost-effective potential for establishing a water management program for any landscape site.

Class #2: Irrigation System Tune-Up

Tuesday, October 1st from 12:30pm-4:30pm

Learn how to conduct visual inspections of the various station zones in operation, identify plant material, take soil samples, conduct pressure checks, and determine if there are any unseen water leaks. This class also covers how to document problems with photos, use manual and recording pressure gauges, determine soil texture type, and identify plant problems as a result of poor irrigation practices.

Class #3: Irrigation Performance Tests

Wednesday, October 2nd from 8am-12pm

Evaluate the results from the Site Inspection and learn how to make system adjustments to get the best system performance station by station. Learn how to adjust water pressure and control flow rates. For sites with severe problems, this class will discuss potential design and/or equipment changes.

Class #4: Landscape Irrigation Scheduling

Wednesday, October 2nd from 12:30pm-4:30pm

An intensive field work session. We will conduct multiple performance tests of sprinkler, bubbler, and drip stations. Gather field data and analyze this information to determine station net precipitation rates, distribution or emission uniformity, and runoff time. Further discussion will include soil water uniformity and hydraulic redistribution and their impacts on irrigation scheduling.

Class #5: Landscape Water Use Analysis

Monday, October 7th from 8am - 12pm

Learn how to calculate a Irrigation Base Schedule from collected field data. Using software, we will build a schedule step by step considering plant factors, microclimate influences, system performance, root zone characteristics, and site scheduling limitations. Class will also cover how to implement, fine tune, and monitor the schedules for successful water management. Further discussion will include controllers, flow sensors, and flow management.

Class #6: Course Review and Prep

Monday, October 7th from 12:30pm - 4:30pm

Class #7: Audit Presentation & Exam

Tuesday, October 8th from 8am-4:30pm

Have questions or want to sign up?

Call Irrigator Tech at 1-909-983-7000 or visit irrigatortech.com.

It’s going to be another tight year for perennial ryegrass! Market conditions have pushed grass seed prices for perennial ryegrass and many tall turf-type fescues to near-record levels. 

In a recent Capital Press article, Bryant Muntz, Oregon Seed Association President, and Mark Simmons, Executive Director of the Oregon Grass Seed Bargaining Association, cited 3 reasons why many grass seed prices are at their highest prices since 2007.

Reason #1: Less carryover than previous years. Perennial ryegrass had about a 40 million pound carryover from 2012. Much less than the estimated 100 million pound carryover experienced during the recent recession. Warehouses are currently working around the clock to keep up with demand.

Reason #2: Crop yields are down due to the dry weather conditions in Fall 2012 and May 2013.

Reason #3: Many growers have transitioned to higher revenue crops. When the economy took a downturn in 2008, there was an overstock of grass seed and many Oregon growers turned to wheat and other crops.

Choosing Cost-Effective Grass Seed

As seed costs rise, you may be faced with difficult choices. Do you bite the bullet and purchase the more expensive seed that you know will deliver the results you expect? Or do you opt for cheaper seed and risk higher maintenance costs?

It's not an easy choice, especially when you're working with a tight budget. But you're more likely to make the right decision by evaluating the current issues and needs of your turf and the characteristics of the seed you're planning on purchasing.

There can be added costs for using cheap seed. Many times, cheap seed is an older cultivar. And while it may be attractive to lower your bag cost, older cultivars tend to have the following issues:

• Less resistant to disease

• Need more fungicide

• Need more watering

• Poor turf quality

• Reduced density

In contrast, cultivars that have a higher seed cost generally exhibit superior drought resistance, wear tolerance and sod strength.

Another key factor to consider is the type of water you're using. If you're using effluent water to irrigate your turf, salt tolerance is a characteristic that will become more and more important over time. You'll need to choose a seed that can consistently yield superior germination at high salt levels. Otherwise, the density of your turf will suffer and reseeding may be required.

In the end, an investment in quality seed can directly translate to lower maintenance costs. Both in terms of additional product required and labor. So as you're purchasing your seed, be sure to ask not only about price, but also about the quality of the seed.

If you have concerns about what type of seed is best for your property, be sure to contact your local Horizon store. We choose our seed partners not just on price, but also based on who will provide answers, research, and support to ensure that what you put down delivers.

Horizon has partnered with Irrigator Tech, a leading provider of irrigation, landscape and maintenance trainings, to help you and your crew develop the skills needed to grow your business. A new series of courses for Certified Irrigation Repair Technician started today at Horizon Orange.

The course consists of 10 classes and a test. If you are just hearing about these classes and don't want to wait until the next series starts, you can sign up for classes individually and make up today's classes in the future.

Name of Course: Certified Irrigation Repair Technician (CIRT)

Location: Horizon - Orange

Dates: September 20th - October 18th

Eligibility: Anyone is eligible to register, but Irrigator Tech recommends that you have 4,000 hours experience in the industry or 2,000 hours of experience and successful completion of a two-year or four-year curriculum in the landscape field.

The 10 Classes within the Certified Irrigation Repair Technician course:

Class #1: Wire Tracking and Electrical Troubleshooting

Friday, September 20th from 8am-12pm

This class teaches the general skills of troubleshooting an electrical irrigation system through the use of basic electrical equipment. It includes general instruction on the function and uses of a voltage ohmmeter and shows you how to use wire-tracking equipment to locate wire faults in the field. The class goes from testing the transformer of a controller to checking the ohms of a solenoid all other functions of testing the irrigation electrical system.

Class #2: Controller Programming, Maintenance and Scheduling

Friday, September 20th from 12:30pm-4:30pm

This class covers the basic steps of programming and maintaining mechanical and solid state controllers. You get to practice on several major brand controllers. This class is designed to make you aware of common problem solving techniques for all irrigation clocks.

Class #3: Valve Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Friday, September 27th from 8am-12pm

Another “hands-on” class designed to make you aware of the numerous types of sprinkler, valve and backflow applications. You will go through the major elements of an irrigation system so that you know what to look for in different scenarios. This class also contains a troubleshooting component where you will go through a complete analysis of a diaphragm type irrigation valve.

Class #4: Water Management Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Friday, September 27th from 12:30pm-4:30pm

In this class, you will learn valuable skills to estimate water use and costs. By combining estimating skills and other information like local weather data, you can better budget for a property’s watering needs. The class also covers flow sensing, weather sensing, evapotranspiration, nozzle sizing, water auditing and distribution.

Class #5: Pipe Fitting - Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Friday, October 4th from 8am-12pm

This class covers pipe joining, pipe repair and maintenance on multiple pipe materials including steel, PVC and copper. Techniques using couplings, reducers, flanged adapters, repair clamps and various fittings for water and sewerage systems are also covered. Applications cover a wide range of sizes and include above and below ground connections (meter pits, valve boxes, etc.). Types of seals and gaskets are discussed including pressure assisted hydraulic seals and mat-type gaskets with pressure ring sealing capabilities. A short overview of NSF and AWWA standards is also included.

Class #6: Irrigation Field Hydraulics

Friday, October 4th from 12:30pm-4:30pm

A comprehensive class combining hydraulic principles and irrigation theory. Designed to give you a thorough understanding of irrigation hydraulics and the various reference materials available (tables, charts, etc.). The course also includes basic calculations for pressure loss, velocity and the effect of elevation. Some information is also included on pipe and head layout, precipitation rates, zoning and irrigation scheduling.

Class #7: Backflow Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Friday, October 11th from 8am-12pm

This class covers the proper techniques to repair and service backflows. Hands-on includes: disassembling backflows, reassembling, and testing for proper function.

Class #8: Master Valves Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Friday, October 11th from 12:30pm-4:30pm

Learn to properly repair and service master valves in the field. Hands-on includes: disassembling master valves, regulating master valves, and reassembling master valves.

Class #9: Basic Pump Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Friday, October 18th from 8am-12pm

learn about common problems with pumps, how to troubleshoot, and how to properly service a pump.

Class #10: Soldering and Brazing Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Friday, October 18th from 12:30pm-4:30pm

An introductory “hands on” class where you will learn basic soldering and brazing to plumbing standards. The class will also include an overview of tools and equipment used, safety, cutting tubing, cleaning, brazing and soldering copper pipe, cutting and brazing galvanized pipe. The use and advantages of various gases will also be discussed. Supervised practice comprises most of the class time.

Have questions or want to sign up?

Call Irrigator Tech at 1-909-983-7000 or visit irrigatortech.com.

Horizon has partnered with Irrigator Tech, a leading provider of irrigation, landscape and maintenance trainings, to help you and your crew develop the skills needed to grow your business. A new series of courses for Backflow Certification Course #30 started today, September 20th.

The course consists of 5 classes. If you are just hearing about these classes and don't want to wait until the next series starts, you can sign up for classes individually and make up the today's classes in the future.

Name of Course: Backflow Certification Course #30

Location: Horizon – Orange

Time & Dates: Every Friday from September 20th - October 18th, 8:00am-4:30pm

Certifications: The Irrigator Tech Certificate is approved and can be shown as formal statement of your class completion in order to apply for the AWWA or ABPA certifications, or to take directly to a water district.

Exam Options:

Option 1: You would like to work in multiple water districts and they all recognize AWWA or ABPA Certification. Contact local AWWA or ABPA Offices for testing dates. The completion of our 40hr. class allows you to take this separate exam within 30 days.

Option 2: You would like to work within only a specific water district. Contact the water district you would like to work in and take their districts test.

Have questions or want to sign up?

Call Irrigator Tech at 1-909-983-7000 or visit irrigatortech.com.

Marin Municipal Water District, which services south and central Marin County in California, has started a new rebate program for homes and businesses that install a qualifying smart water controller on their property. The program allows rebates up to $20 per active residential valve or $30 per active commercial valve.

MMWD's Smart Irrigation Controller Rebate Program started 9/1/13 and is schedule to go through 12/31/15 or until funds last. Purchases made before 9/1/13 do not qualify.

How Do You Get a Rebate?

1. You must schedule a water conservation survey at the property as a first step in the rebate process, before purchasing your new smart irrigation controller. Call MMWD at (415) 945-1527 to schedule your survey.

2. Purchase and install a qualifying smart irrigation controller on the property. The new controller must carry the EPA WaterSense label.

3. Complete and mail in the smart controller rebate application (provided during the water conservation survey) along with the original receipt. Be sure to carefully read all the terms and conditions on the application form, and to keep a copy of the form and your receipt for your records. Rebates are processed on a first-come, first-served basis while funds last.

For complete information about the rebate program, including terms and conditions and application instructions, see MMWD's Smart Irrigation Controller Rebate Information Sheet. If you are modifying the landscape, please check if MMWD’s Landscape Plan Review Requirements are applicable. All requirements must be met before a rebate will be paid.

Have Questions?
Email: rebates@marinwater.org
Call: (415) 945-1527

Know of a water rebate program that isn't currently featured in our directory of water rebates? Please let us know in the comments and we'll be sure to add it.

Efrain Ramirez, Lighting BDR for Horizon, shows how to choose the right voltage tap on your transformer by calculating the total voltage drop throughout the lighting system.

Video Transcript

Hello, my name is Efrain Ramirez, Lighting BDR for Horizon, and your next period of instruction is going to be on voltage drop.

As you can see here, we’re going to be calculating voltage drop on an LED Hub Method. Now to do that on the bottom left hand corner circled in red is the formula for your voltage drop calculations.

VD = ((L x W)/WC) X 2

Now let me go over that. The “L” represents length of the wire times your wattage. Dividing by your wire constant. Times 2.

Now your wire constant, as you can see on your chart on the right hand side, when using 12 gauge, your wire constant will be 7500. 14 gauge is 3500. Now these are the two gauges that we’re going to use in this example here.

So as you see, that on your home run, your 12/2 is 150 foot times 75 Watts, which is your total load on this one home run. That equals 11,250. You take that number and divide it by your wire constant, which is 7500, it gives you 1.5. Multiply that times 2 and you get a voltage drop of 3.

Once you’re done doing your voltage drop on your whole entire system, you calculate individual legs.

As you’ll see here circled in red, you have 50 foot of 14/2 times 25 Watts equals 1250. Divide that by your wire constant, which is 3500. It gives you .3571. Times 2 is .71 voltage drop.

The same thing here. We’re using the same gauge wire. Same distance. So if you have 50’ x 25w = 1250. Divide that by the wire constant 3500. Gives you .3571. Times 2 is .71 voltage drop on that leg.

Now your top leg circled in purple, same exact calculations. You have 50 foot times 25 watts of load equals 1250. You divide that by your wire constant, 3500, comes out to .3571. Times 2. It’s .71 voltage drop there.

Once you calculate everything, you add all your calculations up, which gives you 5.13 of total voltage drop. Now once you’ve done that, you simply add that to 12 volts, which that you want at your fixtures. So you’re going to be utilizing 12 volts.

See at the very bottom left, we have added all of your voltage drop calculations. It gives you 5.13 Voltage Drop. And on your far right, you’ll be utilizing your 17 Volt Tap on your transformer.

That concludes my period of instruction on Voltage Drop.

Efrain Ramirez, Lighting BDR for Horizon, outlines important steps and procedures to follow when setting up an outdoor LED lighting system.

Video Transcript

Hello, my name is Efrain Ramirez, Lighting BDR for Horizon. In this period of instruction, I’m going to be telling you about wiring steps and procedures.

This period of instruction is going to be over LED steps and procedures using the LED Hub Method.

Home run is a circuit ran from your transformer straight to your hub or the first fixture. When running your home run, use 12/2 wire from your transformer straight to your hub or your first fixture.

Laterals or legs. That’s a wire from your hub or the first fixture to five fixtures or less. So don’t exceed five fixtures on each leg.

Now you can daisy chain up to five fixtures per leg from the hub or first fixture, but make sure you don’t exceed 50 foot. This is the 5/50 rule.

So you can run as many legs allowable per home run but make sure you calculate the voltage drop. Down below there’s a formula there and don’t exceed the home run wire capacity

VD = ((L x W)/WC) X 2

Now for instance, here we’re using 12 gauge wire. Don’t exceed 192 watts. That’s 80% of your load.

Last, check your voltage at the hub or the first fixture. Ensure that the proper voltage is between 12v and 15v.

And importantly, when designing wire runs and selecting a transformer, ensure that the voltage taps available on the transformer are sufficient. Make sure you have a high enough voltage tap on that transformer to compensate for the voltage drop.

Horizon has partnered with Irrigator Tech, a leading provider of irrigation, landscape and maintenance trainings, to help you and your crew develop the skills needed to grow your business. A new series of courses for Certified Irrigation Repair Technician starts September 23rd!

The course consists of 10 classes and a test. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to take all of the courses, you can sign up for classes individually.

Name of Course: Certified Irrigation Repair Technician (CIRT)

Location: Horizon – San Jose

Dates: September 23rd - October 23rd

Eligibility: Anyone is eligible to register, but Irrigator Tech recommends that you have 4,000 hours experience in the industry or 2,000 hours of experience and successful completion of a two-year or four-year curriculum in the landscape field.

The 10 Classes within the Certified Irrigation Repair Technician course:

Class #1: Wire Tracking and Electrical Troubleshooting

Monday, September 23rd from 8am-12pm

This class teaches the general skills of troubleshooting an electrical irrigation system through the use of basic electrical equipment. It includes general instruction on the function and uses of a voltage ohmmeter and shows you how to use wire-tracking equipment to locate wire faults in the field. The class goes from testing the transformer of a controller to checking the ohms of a solenoid all other functions of testing the irrigation electrical system.

Class #2: Controller Programming, Maintenance and Scheduling

Monday, September 23rd from 12:30pm-4:30pm

This class covers the basic steps of programming and maintaining mechanical and solid state controllers. You get to practice on several major brand controllers. This class is designed to make you aware of common problem solving techniques for all irrigation clocks.

Class #3: Valve Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Tuesday, September 24th from 8am-12pm

Another “hands-on” class designed to make you aware of the numerous types of sprinkler, valve and backflow applications. You will go through the major elements of an irrigation system so that you know what to look for in different scenarios. This class also contains a troubleshooting component where you will go through a complete analysis of a diaphragm type irrigation valve.

Class #4: Water Management Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Tuesday, September 24th from 12:30pm-4:30pm

In this class, you will learn valuable skills to estimate water use and costs. By combining estimating skills and other information like local weather data, you can better budget for a property’s watering needs. The class also covers flow sensing, weather sensing, evapotranspiration, nozzle sizing, water auditing and distribution.

Class #5: Pipe Fitting - Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Wednesday, September 25th from 8am-12pm

This class covers pipe joining, pipe repair and maintenance on multiple pipe materials including steel, PVC and copper. Techniques using couplings, reducers, flanged adapters, repair clamps and various fittings for water and sewerage systems are also covered. Applications cover a wide range of sizes and include above and below ground connections (meter pits, valve boxes, etc.). Types of seals and gaskets are discussed including pressure assisted hydraulic seals and mat-type gaskets with pressure ring sealing capabilities. A short overview of NSF and AWWA standards is also included.

Class #6: Irrigation Field Hydraulics

Monday, October 21st from 8am-12pm

A comprehensive class combining hydraulic principles and irrigation theory. Designed to give you a thorough understanding of irrigation hydraulics and the various reference materials available (tables, charts, etc.). The course also includes basic calculations for pressure loss, velocity and the effect of elevation. Some information is also included on pipe and head layout, precipitation rates, zoning and irrigation scheduling.

Class #7: Backflow Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Monday, October 21st from 12:30pm-4:30pm

This class covers the proper techniques to repair and service backflows. Hands-on includes: disassembling backflows, reassembling, and testing for proper function.

Class #8: Master Valves Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Tuesday, October 22nd from 8am-12pm

Learn to properly repair and service master valves in the field. Hands-on includes: disassembling master valves, regulating master valves, and reassembling master valves.

Class #9: Basic Pump Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Tuesday, October 22nd from 12:30pm-4:30pm

learn about common problems with pumps, how to troubleshoot, and how to properly service a pump.

Class #10: Soldering and Brazing Application, Maintenance, and Repair

Wednesday, October 23rd from 8am-12pm

An introductory “hands on” class where you will learn basic soldering and brazing to plumbing standards. The class will also include an overview of tools and equipment used, safety, cutting tubing, cleaning, brazing and soldering copper pipe, cutting and brazing galvanized pipe. The use and advantages of various gases will also be discussed. Supervised practice comprises most of the class time.

Have questions or want to sign up?

Call Irrigator Tech at 1-909-983-7000 or visit irrigatortech.com.