Twenty-five members of the Stay Green Inc. team from all over Southern California recently completed a 10-week irrigation training program focusing on water use efficiency and maximizing the benefits of state-of-the-art irrigation control systems.

“While we’ve had one wet winter here in Southern California, we still need to be diligent in managing our natural resources,” Stay Green CEO Chris Angelo said. “Water prices are climbing, and our state’s long-term water picture is subject to constant change. Training programs like this are part of our proactive approach to managing these resources efficiently on behalf of our clients.”

“The team members who participated in this program gained valuable expertise and broadened their knowledge of irrigation principles and concepts, which will help them in the field as they maximize water use efficiency on our clients’ landscapes.” The program was led by irrigation expert Toni Monzon of the Bilingual Training Institute (BTI). As the director of BTI, Monzon specializes in providing consulting services and irrigation training to the landscape industry. She said the program succeeded in elevating the knowledge of a team that was already dedicated and experienced.

“The focus of the program was to expand on their experience,” Monzon said. “In the field, people do the best with what they know, and I try to strengthen what they know.” Much of the focus, she said, was on troubleshooting and fine-tuning irrigation systems to ensure the proper water pressure, flow and volume are delivered to the landscape.

Monzon, who holds a master’s degree in plant science/soils and irrigation from Fresno State University, led the Stay Green team members through a series of troubleshooting and water management training modules. The group also conducted technical site visits to demonstrate the knowledge and techniques in the field. “The program led by Toni Monzon was extremely thorough,” Angelo said. “The modules covered all of the most important technical aspects and best practices in irrigation, and included important opportunities for hands-on training for our team of irrigation professionals.” The irrigation training program’s topics included hydraulic principles, troubleshooting and fine-tuning of irrigation systems, electrical components and valves, fundamentals and application of drip irrigation, sustainable water management principles, practical techniques for irrigation scheduling, programming of irrigation systems and landscape water budgeting methods.

The Stay Green team members who participated in the program will bring their elevated irrigation expertise to all eight of Stay Green’s service districts spanning throughout Southern California. “Our team serves a wide and diverse variety of climate zones,” Angelo said, “and in each of those zones, the irrigation knowledge the team members gained through this training program will benefit our clients’ landscapes for years to come.”

Founded in 1970, Stay Green Inc. (www.staygreen.com) provides award-winning landscape maintenance, tree care, and plant health care services for premiere residential, commercial and industrial properties throughout Southern California. Stay Green serves clients throughout Southern California, and exercises environmental stewardship through its Sustainability Practices, which are applied across all service lines to help customers protect the environment as well as the bottom line. Stay Green Inc. is recognized as a leading provider of high-quality landscape services, having achieved a 95 percent customer retention rate, along with receiving the industry’s most prestigious awards.