SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

unless the fertilizer is cheaper b/c the unit itself is not ..i have arce so i would need the ez010 that unit is over $700.00 i talked to ez flow i could use the ez050 but would have to re-fill alot

Considering you are able to use any fertilizer with the system and not a proprietary blend, it will be cheaper. In addition, concentrated granular fertilizer is more potent than liquid fertilizer so you are getting more for your money on each refill. A 10 gallon ezflo filled with water soluble granular is roughly equal to 175 gallons of liquid fertilizer based on standard solubility ratios. The tank is more expensive, but it is capable of delivering more products. I have been using the turf plus formula and it is doubling my coverage rates. I just don't fill the unit when it is empty, but my yard still looks excellent.

i guess i should have waited and got the ezflow

I am not sure if I would claim it to be the best... To be the best it would be superior in all possible ways. Maybe you meant to say it is the best value. Admin, you mention its the most effective. I would like to see the results/data that show its more effective than any other product. You also mention spike, but you dont call out specific products.

One thing I noticed is that the fertigator seems to be trying to make profits after the install of the system. This was not always the case.

If you want the original pdf file (google search fertilizer_info.pdf) from fertigator website that provided other fertilizers that could be used within their system. Now, any product that is used besides theirs voids warranty.

If the pdf file is removed here is the contents
Ewing Liquid Fertilizer - Use the 16% nitrogen option except on Centipede. Available at all Ewing
Irrigation wholesale stores located throughout the Southwest. Dyna-Gro - Use 10-5-5 liquid fertilizer. Californian products available in many Western wholesale
and retail locations.
Green Pro - Nice multi-part liquid line for the Midwestern growing season. Available at several
Northern wholesalers and retailers.
Grow More - Highly soluble powder. Use the 36-6-6. Put 3.5 - 4 pounds in a one-gallon
container and ƒill with warm water. Southern California manufacturers products are available in
some wholesale landscape stores.
LESCO - Use the 18-3-7. They also have many other liquid products available at LESCO stores
and some Home Depots nationwide.
Liberty Acres - Makes a nice line for Centipede and other Southeastern US warm weather grasses.
Available at many Southeastern retailers.
NatureGrow - Use the 16-4-4 most of the time. Repel is excellent natural pest and mammal repellant
for grubs, deer, moles, ƒire ants and even armadillos. Available at many wholesale distributors and
throughout Florida and Georgia.
Peter's Pro - Use 30-10-10 powder available at most Lowe's and in many landscape wholesale
stores. Put 3 - 3.5 pounds in a gallon jug and ƒill with water. It should dissolve easily when stirred.
Works fastest with warm water.
The FertiGator is designed to deliver virtually any liquid or highly water-soluble fertilizer or lawn care
product.
Fertilizer Information
Products Should Be:
Relatively clean (they should ƒlow through a 100 mesh screen)
pH level above 4
High in urea nitrogen for turf (other than centipede) - ideally above 14% nitrogen
Water soluble fertilizers must remain in solution once mixed and should mix at least
at the rate of 3 pounds in enough water to ƒill the rest of a gallon jug (3.5 pounds to
the gallon)

To be the best a product only has to be superior in a majority of ways. Fertigators precise metering is their only strong point, they get beat by their competitors in just about every other area. I do not think anyone is comparing ez flo or fertigator to a $30k computer controlled injector. I will say once again, for the cost, durability and flexibility, ez flo is the best option.

The "spike" referred to by the administrator is common among many fertigation systems. I am confident that he was not referring to the Fertigator system. Many differential pressure systems have a "spike" associated with their delivery of nutrients. Simply meaning, the first portion of the irrigation cycle is higher in nitrogen content then the following cycles. As you already know this is impossible with the Fertipro system.

All the studies and data your looking for are available on the internet. You can search fertigation or check each company’s website.

One thing I found out about the Fertigator system - A few years ago I installed one to fertilize my front yard. Water pressure here is approx. 80psi. I had the injector installed between the backflow preventer and the valve manifold. When the irrigation system was off mainline water would leak past the injector back into the fertilizer tank. I installed a main valve between the backflow preventer and the injector. The system has worked flawlessly since then.

Newer injectors may have overcome this problem or the problem could become worse as the injector ages (no evidence either of these are true).

EZ Flo Ball Valve Coupling EZ Flo Slip Injector Coupling

What is the difference in each coupling and which couping is for me.

How dose each coupling work.

Is this a continuas feed or are you able to turn off the barrb fitting when not in use.