News
City of Palmdale Exceeds 20% Mandated Water Conservation:
February 21, 2023Arborjet | Ecologel, leaders in plant health care and water management solutions are pleased to
announce that according to the Palmdale Water District (PWD), they collaborated with two of the district’s
top water users – the City of Palmdale and the Antelope Valley Union High School District, to reduce their
water usage last year by more than the mandated 20% compared to 2020. Proven data shows in the two
districts combined, PWD saved enough water in 2022 to serve about 300 Palmdale households with four
people for one year.
PWD began conservation outreach in April 2021 before a statewide drought was declared. City of
Palmdale Parks Superintendent Steven J. Montenegro said, “Trained urban grounds and green spaces
staff applied lessons learned during previous drought cycles to manage the impact on the city’s urban
forest. City of Palmdale Inspector, I.S.A. Certified Arborist, Evan Armstrong adds “The urban grounds and
green spaces team for the City of Palmdale strives to exemplify a best-in-class mentality which is
reflected in the daily implementation of water conservation best management practices.”
“Collaboration with PWD has been exemplary,” said Palmdale Landscape Superintendent Paul
Wood. “We are committed to using water wisely and remain proactive in irrigation management. The team
surveyed sites and reduced programs to meet the guidelines. We utilized central control to manage
irrigation systems, adjusted programs based on daily weather data and recognized excessive flow when
there was a failure, ensuring repairs happen promptly” said Wood.
“We are encouraged and delighted by the collaboration between stakeholders,” said Montenegro. “We
recommended PWD add innovative technology such as Hydretain® to their water conservation rebate
program and were pleased with their positive response.”
“Hydretain served an important role in our water conservation success last growing season.
Applying Hydretain to turf and planter areas allowed us to mitigate plant stress, declining plant
health and unsightly curb appeal typical when reducing irrigation of green spaces in our high
desert microclimate. Palmdale is in the Mojave desert. Hydretain is a great product that can
quickly compensate for irrigation system inefficiencies common in most older systems,” said
Montenegro.
Ecologel’s flagship brand, Hydretain® is designed to drastically reduce watering requirements of
turfgrasses, trees, shrubs, flowers, and agriculture by up to 50%. It works by allowing turf and plants to
use the moisture vapor in the soil that would otherwise be lost to evaporation. Different from a wetting
agent or a superabsorbent polymer, it attracts moisture vapor from the soil and condenses it back into
usable water droplets.
According to Rick Irwin, President of Ecologel LLC, “Municipalities and award winning landscape
companies across the country are offering Hydretain application services to help successfully maintain
healthy sports fields, parks, urban forests, lawns and landscapes using far less water.”
Hydretain’s ability to manage soil moisture between watering cycles and/or rainfall, provides
many other benefits such as, increased seed germination, enhanced fertilizer efficiency,
improved sod establishment, extended flower life and maximized crop production. Hydretain
is safe to use on commercially grown food as well as residential vegetable and herb
gardens, school grounds, sports and playing fields, and golf courses.
PWD Resource and Analytics Supervisor Claudia Bolanos says she meets regularly with stakeholders
and provides monthly water usage reports to facilitate water management. “Because of the meetings and
collaboration, PWD began offering commercial rebates, including ones for landscape conversion,
weather-based irrigation controllers, and moisture retaining soil additives. We will continue working
together to find ways to save. Conservation needs to continue no matter how much rain we get. It really is
the way of life now.”
Media Contact: Kelly Rostad kgrostad7@gmail.com
About: Arborjet | Ecologel are partners in plant care with a focus on environmentally responsible solutions for tree
injection technologies, water conservation, and plant nutrition. Founded in 2000, Arborjet Inc. has always focused on
providing the most effective formulations and delivery systems to protect trees, shrubs, and plants from a wide variety
of insect, disease, and nutritional concerns. Ecologel Solutions LLC. is a long standing, premier developer and
manufacturer of innovative products for water conservation, plant nutrition and pond and lake management. Together, both companies are backed by years of research, and remain committed to advancing the industries they
serve through thought leadership, product and technology development, scientific research, and exceptional
customer service.
About: PWD Since 1918, Palmdale Water District has provided high-quality water at a reasonable cost. PWD strives
for excellence in providing great customer care; advocating for local water issues that help their residents; educating
the community on water-use efficiency; and leading the region in researching and implementing emerging
technologies that increase operational efficiency.
Arborjet | Ecologel Sponsor Project EverGreen for Fifth Consecutive Year:
February 1, 2023Feb.1, 2023: Arborjet | Ecologel, leaders in plant health care and water management solutions, are pleased to announce that for the fifth consecutive year, they will be an official sponsor of Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops™ program in 2023. “We are proud to support Project EverGreen as their mission directly aligns with our philosophy of preserving green spaces, including lawns, trees, parks and communities in a sustainable way,” said Ecologel President Rick Irwin.
GreenCare for Troops (GCFT) is a needs- based program for active-duty deployed service members. Last year, the program engaged 2,000 active volunteers, who helped more than 1,000 military families maintain their home lawns. Since its inception, more than 12,000 military families and 7,000 contractors have registered for the program donating more than $15 million towards in-kind services.
Ecologel is a natural fit for the program as they are a premier developer and manufacturer of innovative products for water conservation. One of their flagship products, Hydretain® is a revolutionary soil moisture management technology that is designed to significantly reduce watering requirements of turfgrasses, trees, shrubs, flowers, container plants and agriculture by as much as 50 percent.
Ecologel has committed to provide free Hydretain products to help maintain the lawns and landscapes of deployed military personnel, while also helping them reduce their water bills. Through GCFT, military personnel can request lawn and landscaping services during their period of deployment. Volunteers who provide these services can sign up for free Hydretain products once they are matched with a military family.
“We are fortunate to have Arborjet | Ecologel as a sponsor again this year. We're all working toward the common goal of maintaining healthy green spaces while supporting GCFT and SnowCare for Troops (SCFT) across the country. In addition to their financial and product donations, Ecologel’s Marketing Director, Sarah Spatola is volunteering her time on the GreenCare for Troops Committee, helping further support the program’s initiative. Our goal is to continue to create environments that bring families, neighbors, and communities together in support of a greener, healthier, cooler Earth” stated Cindy Code, Executive Director Project EverGreen.
In 2021, Ecologel began offering another beneficial product pertaining to SnowCare for Troops. Na-X, which quickly reduces sodium levels in the soil, and can be used to flush sodium left behind from the use of ice-melt products. Na-X will continue to be available to volunteers through the 2023 sponsorship.
About Arborjet | Ecologel: Arborjet | Ecologel are partners in plant care with a focus on environmentally responsible solutions for tree injection technologies, water conservation, and plant nutrition. Arborjet Inc. focuses on providing the most effective formulations and delivery systems to protect trees, shrubs, and plants from a wide variety of insect, disease, and nutritional concerns. Ecologel Solutions LLC. is a long standing, premier developer and manufacturer of innovative products for water conservation, plant nutrition and pond and lake management. Together, both companies are backed by years of research, and remain committed to advancing the industries they serve through thought leadership, product and technology development, scientific research, and exceptional customer service.
About Project EverGreen: Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Project EverGreen is a national non-profit organization committed to helping people work together to create healthy green space. They do this through GreenCare for Community initiatives that revitalize parks and public green spaces, and through the GreenCare for Troops program that mobilizes lawn and landscape services for military families. Their efforts, empowered by donations and volunteers, result in remarkable lifestyle improvements, environmental impact and economic benefits.
Arborjet Taking Root Scholarship Program
February 1, 2023Woburn, MA. Jan.31, 2023: Now in its tenth consecutive year, Arborjet Taking Root Scholarship Program will award eligible applicants up to $10,000. Arborjet | Ecologel, a leader in plant health care, announces the 2023 program will award scholarships to graduating high school seniors, who have a desire to pursue a career in arboriculture or plant health care, with a passion to study the science and technology to advance the industry.
Ideal candidates should demonstrate prior community engagement and a curiosity to explore plant health care needs. This includes, but is not limited to the study of plant pathology, entomology, or chemistry related to invasive insect & disease management, arboriculture, urban forestry, horticulture, and landscape architecture.
“We want parents, educators, counselors and the greater tree care community to join us in encouraging young students to transform their ingenuity and passion into a career in this important industry. Through this scholarship program, we recognize dedicated students who are already demonstrating achievement in their schools and communities, and who want to lend their skills and talents to continue to grow our industry,” said Arborjet President and CEO Russ Davis.
Applicants for Arborjet’s 2023 Taking Root Scholarship Program must be graduating U.S. high school seniors planning to major in forestry or related major (listed above) for the entire 2023-2024 academic year at an accredited two or four-year college or university. Interested students and educators can find out more at Taking Root Scholarship Program. The application officially opens to students February 1 and the deadline to apply is April 6, 2023.
Media Contact: Kelly Rostad kgrostad7@gmail.com
About Arborjet | Ecologel: Arborjet | Ecologel are partners in plant care with a focus on environmentally responsible solutions for tree injection technologies, water conservation, and plant nutrition. Arborjet Inc. focuses on providing the most effective formulations and delivery systems to protect trees, shrubs, and plants from a wide variety of insect, disease, and nutritional concerns. Ecologel Solutions LLC. is a long standing, premier developer and manufacturer of innovative products for water conservation, plant nutrition and pond and lake management. Together, both companies are backed by years of research, and remain committed to advancing the industries they serve through thought leadership, product and technology development, scientific research, and exceptional customer service
"I’ve been injecting a 70“ ash tree on the campus of Miami University since 2014. It has typically taken three long mornings to coax the needed volume of TREE-äge® into this tree. Using R10 for the first time, the entire treatment for 2020 was completed in 2.5 hours, in mid-August! R10 is revolutionary for my business - reading about R10 is one thing, an experience such as this quite another. I’ve instantly become a convert.”
– Mark Gilmore,
Arbor Medicine LLC & Audubon Ash Tree Project