Green from the Ground Up
Green California Summit
March 2009
ValleyCrest Companies
ValleyCrest Landscape Development
Since 1949 ValleyCrest Companies, formerly known
as Environmental Industries, has built, maintained
and beautified some of America's most distinctive
landscapes.
ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance
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Private residences
Large municipal properties
Hotels and resorts
Corporate campuses and office buildings
Golf courses
Public highways
Theme parks
Museums
Sports venues
and more...
ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance
Valley Crest Tree Company
ValleyCrest Landscape Development is the
nation’s largest landscape and site construction
company.
Royal Pacific Resort FL
ValleyCrest Landscape
Development
• Site development
• Pre-construction services
• Landscape construction
• Hardscapes
• Irrigation installation
• Decorative concrete
• Water features
• Themed construction
• Design – build
• Golf course construction
• Tree relocation
• Natural and artificial sports field
• Erosion control
• Snow and ice removal services
• Wetland restoration and native re-vegetation
J. Paul Getty Center CA
Our Services:
ValleyCrest Landscape Development
Northern California Projects Include:
Pac Bell & McCovey Cove
Bay Meadows Linear Park
Raiders Practice Facility
Cache Creek Casino
ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance, formerly
known as Environmental Care, is recognized
nationwide as a leader in landscape maintenance
services.
Our Services:
• Exterior landscape maintenance
Cisco Systems – CA
ValleyCrest Landscape
Maintenance
• Landscape renovation / enhancement
• Irrigation and water management
• Seasonal color design and installation
• Fertilization, weed and pest management
• Tree care
• Plant healthcare
• Interior landscape maintenance
• Snow plowing and ice removal
Post Addison Circle - TX
• Turf and ornamental maintenance
Green Landscape Management Practices
• Return organic debris to landscapes as
mulch
• Radial and other trenching to improve
root growth on compacted soil
• Irrigation efficiency
• Detain stormwater and runoff via
bioswales and basins
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Live oaks growing in old neighborhood.
Soil is not compacted
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Container oak
transplanted into
undisturbed
agricultural soil
(notice cracks and
clods.)
Roots have grown
over 2 feet down.
John T. Law Jr., Ph.D.
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Commercial Landscapes
Large Developments
• Soil has to be compacted as part of protection
from earthquake damage.
• Compaction eliminates voids or pores in the
soil where water can collect.
– Water in soil can act as a lubricant allowing
the soil to move.
– Water in soil can cause liquefaction
• The result of this compaction is that it is only
near the soil surface where gas exchange
between soil and atmosphere is rapid enough
to provide the roots with enough oxygen to
support root function.
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Soil liquefaction caused failure of parking
structure during Northridge Quake
Cracked pavement from soil
movement
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Voids and organic matter that could create
voids are removed
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Roots growing in crack. Unstable for structures or slopes.
Cut and fill land development cannot have organic matter.
Soil can slip
along the crack
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Restore developed areas using native or adapted
vegetation or other ecologically appropriate features
Soil in “built environments” needs
to have pores (voids) and organic
matter removed for stability.
Soil has to be compacted so it
won’t settle.
Undisturbed soil has
lots of pores and
microbial life;
but not stable for
buildings and hardscape
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How do roots grow into soil?
• Root tips grow into existing pore space
• Roots cannot push their way into compacted
or clay soil
There must be
a mix of water
and air.
Saturated soil
has no air.
Turf irrigation
often saturates
soil
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Roots turn when they hit dense clay soil
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Roots are deflected (bottom 2 arrows) by the
mechanical impedance and low oxygen present in
the compacted soil.
Many roots
spiraled around
inside the
original planting
hole
Several escaped
and proliferated
in the well
aerated soil at
the soil surface
Remediating compacted soil by vertical
mulching and radial trenching
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Or remediate compacted soil using life in the soil
Feed the soil
food web with
mulch.
Plant roots
feed the soil
food web
John T. Law Jr., Ph.D.
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Rhizosphere
sugars
exuding out of
roots.
Somewhere
between .1 to
.5 lb of
organic
compounds
per sq. yard
per year.
Food for the soil food web was hauled
away. We are reducing this by about 30%
and making continuous improvement
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Turf is very biologically active
can biodegrade a significant amount of
organic debris - Mulching mower
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Using mower to chop up pruning
debris for mulch or composting
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Reducing waste
Make compost onsite
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Blowing pruning chips directly onto landscape.
Feeding soil food web and reducing fuel use
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These microshredders-mites, skeletonize
plant leaves start cycling of carbon,
nitrogen, etc
Small insects living in soil under mulch
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Irrigation Efficiency
• Management by maintenance personnel
– Adjustment and repairs
– Uniformity is usually less than 50% in
beds
• ET based controllers
• In-line drip, rotors, flood bubblers
• Recycled water where available
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Reducing water use
Documenting water reduction
Sub-metering to
track water use
on different parts
of landscape
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Irrigation improvements can be done
better and be done worse.
Cost: $3,610
Savings: $9,001
Recycled water is an
important part of sustainability
Transition
border from
potable to
recycled
water
Reducing water
use
Turf areas narrower
than 15 feet should
be removed. Loosen
soil to 18 inches and
plant trees
Limit the use of potable water for
landscape irrigation.
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Turf reduction
After
Outdoor seating and congregating areas
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Bioswale to capture runoff from pavement
Reducing air and water pollution
Storm water running through bioswale is cleaned
and recharges ground water.
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Reducing air and water pollution
Storm water detention area recharges and cleans water.
“Wetland” takes carbon dioxide out of the air and traps
(sequesters) it in the soil.
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