News + Features
The Toro Company tapped Neal Lackritz as chief technology officer, a newly created role designed to accelerate technology innovation and commercialization across the organization.
University of Florida researchers are three years into a four-year study to help landscape and nursery workers manage low back pain caused or aggravated by physically demanding work.
Imagine winterizing a system at a busy retail customer’s location and breaking a mainline in front of the store’s main entrance on a Friday afternoon while blowing out the system.
The new program aims to reduce upfront costs for contractors to transition from gas-powered to electric-powered equipment.
Milwaukee Tool announced it has joined the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, a coalition of companies working to address workforce shortages by increasing access to career training and apprenticeship opportunities.
Shane Williams, KCAT, NPD, has managed the grounds, including the irrigation, at Mount Royal University in Calgary for 21 years.
Columns
Brilliance LED trainer Kevin Smith walks through how to match low-voltage fixtures to every application — from path lights and accent lighting to tree fixtures and advanced techniques — for professional results that reduce callbacks.
IA policy director Andrew Morris explains how drought restrictions have grown more complex in 2026 — and urges contractors to learn the rules, engage with utilities and share field experiences with the IA.
Marketing consultant Kyle McCarthy argues that the most successful irrigation and lighting contractors in 2026 aren't generating the most leads — they're generating better ones and converting them into higher-value work.
Product Spotlight
Amelia Hydro Dynamics LLC.
The Smart Lawn Treatment Ecosystem for residential irrigation is a patent-pending inline platform that automatically delivers pre-dosed treatments per zone, creating a full-spectrum lawn care delivery system.
FX Luminaire
The Terra™ TN-61 in-grade fixture blends affordability, durability, and easy installation into a single reliable solution for professional uplighting applications. It's the midsized fixture built to perform under pressure.
Hunter Industries
Save water without sacrificing landscape health. The Hunter Solar Sync® Sensor automatically adjusts irrigation run times using on-site weather data while providing instant rain and freeze shutdown. It's an easy way to add smart irrigation capabilities to compatible Hunter controllers.
FX Luminaire
The LumaKey™ Utility streamlines Luxor® fixture assignment with ActivAssign® Technology, enabling fast, wireless programming without adapters or extra hardware. Designed for landscape lighting professionals, its compact, durable design and Bluetooth® connectivity simplify installation, commissioning, and system updates, helping contractors save time while ensuring reliable communication with Luxor-compatible fixtures and devices.
Hunter Industries
Designed for precision, Pro High-Efficiency Nozzles combine a high-uniformity spray pattern with a matched precipitation rate across the line to improve irrigation efficiency and reduce water waste. These robust nozzles are packed with user-friendly features that ensure easy installation, optimal water savings, and easy mixing and matching on zones.
Hunter Industries
The MP Rotator® MP800 Nozzle Family offers a 0.8 in/hr matched precipitation rate across 6' to 24', providing efficient coverage for small spaces and spray retrofits. Featuring wind-resistant streams, high distribution uniformity, and debris-blocking double-pop technology, it maximizes water efficiency, performance, and landscape health.
In The Magazine
Let there be night
Lighting experts Dawn Hollingsworth, Wes Jackson and Thomas Paterson explain how the five principles of responsible outdoor lighting can reduce light pollution while still delivering the aesthetically compelling results clients want.
Reduce, recycle, reuse
From the EPA’s new Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0 to graywater systems and industrial applications, water reuse is rapidly moving from niche practice to mainstream infrastructure across residential and commercial landscapes.
