#196 - SLIDE App, Building in Public

For years I've watched irrigation contractors, designers, consultants, and water managers wrestle with the same question: How much water should a landscape actually need? The research exists. The science exists. But getting from all that information to something practical in the field often feels harder than it should. So I decided to build something. In this episode, I'm introducing S.L.I.D.E. — Simplified Landscape Irrigation Demand Estimation, a new tool designed to help estimate landscape water demand using plant type, location, and historical climate information. More importantly, I'm inviting you into the process. Visit: SLIDE Calculator and try it for yourself. Be curious about the results. Test your own property, customer sites, parks, or projects. If you find a bug, have an idea, or think something feels off, click the Buoy icon in the upper right corner and submit a ticket. Those messages come directly to me. This episode is less of a launch announcement and more of an invitation to build something together. Additional notes for fellow nerds: The S.L.I.D.E. methodology builds upon research developed by researchers with the University of California Cooperative Extension. U.S. weather and rainfall inputs use historical gridMET reference evapotranspiration and precipitation data averaged from 2021–2025. Canada weather and rainfall inputs use Open-Meteo historical climate archive data. Because sometimes the best ideas happen when we stop pretending we have it all figured out…and start building in public.