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"Every design I submit has an EZ-FLO Fertigation system on the Plan."

-Landscape Architect

This is an actual quote from a landscape architect who specifies an EZ-FLO fertigation system as a requirement, or an option, on every design he submits to his clients. Why is he so avid about EZ-FLO? Read on for the reasons.

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Downloadable Resources are at the bottom of this page

Why Not Suggest Something That Shows Off Your Work?

You work hard to deliver landscape plans to make each landscape look its best. You specify the landscaping materials, you design an irrigation plan suited for the plant materials and sometimes you add lighting.    You work within your client's budget to give them the best look for their money.  Then you turn it over to a landscape contractor to make your design a reality.

But what happens if the landscape doesn't take well or the landscape suffers transplant shock and the plant materials have to be replaced?  Although you are not likely "on the hook" for the replacement cost, you know that your client is disappointed in the outcome.  What does that do for your repeat business?  Wouldn't it be better to have an "insurance" plan to make sure that landscape you conceived on the drawing boards is as spectacular and pleasing as you imagined?

Why leave your plans to chance?

With EZ-FLO you don't have to leave the landscape result to chance.  By using EZ-FLO you can:

• Reduce the occurrence of transplant shock

• Keep animals and insects from devastating the plants

• Accelerate root development, build more fertile soils and develop a mature looking landscape more quickly

• Enhance the vitality of any landscape you design by adding bio-stimulants to the package

• Save your customer money by reducing water usage

EZ-FLO Helps Designers and Architects Meet Evolving LEED and Water Efficiency Guidelines

Although the new LEED Water Efficiency guidelines do not address landscape practices in a meaningful way, there is a plan championed by the Sustainable Sites Initiative to develop guidelines for "green" landscapes just like there are LEED standards for "green" buildings.  LEED has committed that these new standards will become part of the LEED rating system in 2011.

Even though the standards are not yet developed, we are confident that fertigation will become a "Best Practice" based on fertilizer and water reduction.  EZ-FLO specifically addresses many of the issues raised in the Hydrology and Soils section of the Report.  Our technology solution is not based on delivering water more efficiently, it is in making the plants more efficient with the water they get.  Therefore EZ-FLO still generates water savings even if you are using the latest high efficiency (e.g. drippers, micro-sprays, sub-surface) irrigation products.

Click here for further information on Sustainable Sites.

EZ-FLO can generate water savings from 20-50% because of the increased root mass that plants develop when using fertigation techniques.  EZ-FLO can also reduce fertilizer used by 70-90%  Our whitepaper "Why is it Important to Fertilize Responsibly™?" documents the research supporting why fertigation is a superior way to fertilize when irrigating and why it further reduces water and fertilizer usage. 

For a cost justification for the opportunities where you can save cost that you can present to your buyers, please contact us for assistance.   We can outline the reasons why fertigation makes sense for the landscape and why it makes sense to your customer's wallet too.  We have also designed financial models to show you the savings you can generate for your projects. Please register with us at the top of this page and request this free financial analysis.

For more information on Fertigation and its benefits see our Information Section of this website on the main menu at the top of this page.

Before and After Comparisons for a New Landscape

The following pictures show an actual new home landscape as it was planted and that same landscape one year later.  No additional plants were added.  One EZ-FLO unit with one fertilizer blend feeds the entire landscape.  Click on the panel to expand the after shot for more detail.  Since these are lower resolution photos to speed the loading for slow internet connections, if you want to see high resolution shots, click here for a High Resolution presentation.

Notice the concrete block wall when the plantings were first installed.  Many plants were 1-2 gallon plants when installed.  What homeowner wouldn't want to be able to entertain in this backyard after only one year!

Homeowners have to live with new landscapes for 4-5 years before they mature and fill in.  We've heard it called "living with sticks".  With EZ-FLO, homeowners can get this kind of result after one year by spending 10 minutes every 4-6 weeks to refill the landscape feeding unit.  These results are automatic when used with a standard in-ground irrigation system.

Notice those one gallon purple shrubs flanking the weeping cherry tree above when they were just planted and 1 year later.  Oh yeah, and keep your eye on that perimeter wall.  Believe it or not, it's still there in the second shot but now its covered in lush foliage!  Wouldn't you like to show your clients these kind of results in a short period of time?

Here's another photo comparison to review.  The annual beds in the foreground were cleared after the first year and replanted for another growing season.  Those tomato plants in the foreground are only 10 weeks old.  Keep your eye on that back wall, or not.

One last set of comparison photos.  This last set was taken at installation and two years later.  You can't miss that tree and the flanking bushes, right?  Oh, and the shrubs on the left also.  If you want to get a mature look in a shorter period of time, make sure you specify EZ-FLO fertigation units in your design plans.

How do I Justify the Cost?

EZ-FLO is one of those options that makes economic sense since it pays for itself!   By showing cost savings to  most property owners, they quickly come to realize what an easy investment it really is to make.  First EZ-FLO can save 25-50% in water savings from increasing the plants root mass and make it much more efficient in using the water provided.  Secondly, the property owner should also save on landscaping costs since they will no longer need to fertilize by hand.  And if you are specifying drip irrigation, how will you even be able to fertilize except by hand and then watering it in?

But it is not only a cost savings--EZ-FLO represents a way to ensure a vibrant and beautiful landscape--AUTOMATICALLY--every time the irrigation system is used.

For a cost justification for the opportunities where you can save cost that you can present to your clients, please read our publication "The Financial Case for Fertigation".  In this whitepaper we outline the reasons why fertigation makes sense for the landscape and why it makes sense for your client's budget.  We have also designed a financial model  to show you the savings you can generate for your landscapes designed with EZ-FLO as part of the irrigation package.  Please register with us at the top of this page and request your free financial analysis.  We will call you to discuss it and e-mail you  a copy of the Microsoft Excel based worksheet that you can use when presenting your project for approval.

How do I Size an EZ-FLO System to my Project?

EZ-FLO Systems come in four sizes and can easily handle a variety of property sizes when planning on a typical spray or rotor application. 

For residential properties, we suggest using the following table.  We have used the 4-6 week refill cycle as a normal cycle for a residential application.  However these refill cycles can differ if you specify a larger or smaller size of unit to the property.

For the commercial or municipal property (or even larger residential properties where you can adapt to a faster refill schedule than above), we suggest using the following table since it is  likely that a maintenance contractor is on site on a weekly basis and can propose a refill schedule to meet the property size.

Drip system sizing represents a different sizing question since coverage in square feet is not the driving factor;  you will need to know expected water usage over a given period of time to properly size the unit(s) to the portion of the landscape covered by the unit.  The table below shows the unit size corresponding to the gallons used (on a monthly basis) and the resulting  refill schedule.

For an Adobe .pdf version of these tables in one reference file,  Click Here

Resources That We have to Make Your Job Easier

We produced a variety of resources to make your job easier.  We have CAD elements for to drop into your landscape designs.  We have specification design details for inclusion for bid proposals.  We have detailed operating and technical specifications so that you can size the system to the property and irrigation scheme.  We have published materials suitable for inclusion with your design and we have written support that you can provide to your client showing why EZ-FLO enhances their landscape investment while paying for itself.

Finally we have an in-house consulting department that can consult with you and help you design EZ-FLO into your next landscape.  We can review your CAD drawings and make suggestions and supply  CAD call-outs for your plan using industry standard CAD software.  In short, we are an extension of your business and we will become your valued business partner.

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