Fertigator FAQ's

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the FertiGator?

What is fertigation?

What are the benefits of fertigation?

What is wrong with fertilizing the old way?

Where can I buy one?

How do I install one?

How does it work?

What must be done to keep it operational?

Are there any systems on which the FertiGator can't run?

Where is the fertilizer kept?

What kinds of fertilizers do you have to use?

Why do you recommend organic-based fertilizers?

Can it deliver other lawn-care products?

How is contamination of water-supply avoided?

What kind of backflow prevention is required?

I have a poor irrigation system. My sprinkler head spacing is less than perfect. Will the fertilizer cause green circles around the heads?

Will the nutrients burn the grass if I have a blow-out or a head sticks on?

Will the fertilizer in the lines cause damage to irrigation system heads or valves?

Does fertigation only aid in leaf growth? Will it produce poor roots?

What is the FertiGator?

The FertiGator is an automatic fertilizer injection system that attaches to any in-ground sprinkler system. It is programmable by zone to deliver fertilizer precisely where you want it. It is ideal for residential systems and can also be used for commercial, municipal, sport turf applications.

What is fertigation?

Fertigation is a time-tested process of delivering small amounts of fertilizer through an irrigation system each time the system is operated. Fertigation has been used extensively in agriculture for more than 30 years and has gained wide acceptance in the golf course, nursery, turf and athletic industries over the last 10 years.

What are the benefits of fertigation?

Supplying grass and other plants with small amounts of fertilizer on a frequent basis through an irrigation system allows plants to thrive in a constantly nutrient-rich environment. Plants use nitrogen and other necessary nutrients quickly. Fertigation keeps the nutrients readily available to the plant resulting in strong root growth and better plant health. This is what slow-release fertilizers try to mimic. It is also less time-consuming and more affordable for the homeowner than walking behind a spreader or using a lawn care company.

What is wrong with fertilizing the old way?

The traditional method of monthly fertilization results in substantial over feeding as the plants use up the nutrients in the first few days following treatment. After a week or so, the lawn must endure a period of near starvation, until the next chemical release or treatment in several of weeks. Another huge dose of chemicals is followed by another stressful low nutrient period. This sequence of peaks and valleys can be difficult for the plant. This process is also more time-consuming for the do-it-yourself homeowner and more expensive for everyone.

Where can I buy one?

FertiGator is currently available for purchase on line at www.sprinklerwarehouse.com.

How do I install one?

The system is easy to install. Mount the controller next to the sprinkler timer and connect the appropriate wires. 'T' the injector into the irrigation mainline between the backflow preventer and the first zone valve and run wires to the controller. Run a tube from the injector to the fertilizer container located in the valve box, garage or shed. You are done!

How does it work?

The FertiGator is composed of two main parts - an injector and a controller. The controller reads the sprinkler system timer to determine what zone is on. It then tells the injector how many times to pulse in order to deliver the right amount of product to that zone. The injector pulses the proper number of times, drawing the fertilizer through a tube from the fertilizer jug and injects it in one milliliter pulses into the sprinkler system line.

What must be done to keep it operational?

Nothing! Once it is installed and programmed, the FertiGator will automatically fertilize your lawn each time the sprinkler system operates throughout the year. When the bucket or jug of fertilizer is empty simply stick the fertilizer tube into a new bucket. The FertiGator is designed to easy to use and hassle-free. It even remembers its program over the winter or after a loss of power.

Are there any systems on which the FertiGator can't run?

The FertiGator can be installed on any system and will operate at any water pressure capable of operating a traditional in-ground sprinkler system. The FertiGator will not operate properly on the very rare systems where the mainline pressure is less than 25 psi.

Where is the fertilizer kept?

The fertilizer container is located anywhere the property owner desires - in the valve box, backflow cover, fake rock, basement, garage or shed. The fertilizer is drawn from the container it is purchased in through tubing to in the injector and out into the sprinkler system. It can be a maximum of 1500' away on a level surface.

What kinds of fertilizers do you have to use?

Virtually any liquid fertilizer will work through the FertiGator. We recommend that you use organic-based fertilizers to maximize the environmental benefits of fertigation. Click here for our list of recommended fertilizers.

Why do you recommend organic-based fertilizers?

Organic and organically-based fertilizers do not contain any chemicals harmful to humans and include substances that enhance microbial activity and restore the soil's structure and richness. Some chemical fertilizers include extraordinary and unnecessary levels of nitrogen, solvents, binders and other chemicals that, once released on the lawn, are harmful to the many microbes that live in the soil. These microbes are critical to the plant's ability to convert molecules into nutrients that the plant can use.

Can it deliver other lawn-care products?

Yes. The FertiGator is capable of delivering any liquid such as FertiGrow's organic-based specialty lawn care products Pest Repellent, DroughtCare and Rust Stopper. Be sure the label does not prohibit use through fertigation systems.

How is contamination of water-supply avoided?

Because fertilizer is being injected into the water stream, a proper backflow preventer is required in all states. A backflow preventer is a mechanical device that does not rely on electricity, but it will keep any liquid containing fertilizer from flowing or migrating back down the water line into the public drinking water system.

What kind of backflow prevention is required?

The FertiGator will not increase the pressure in the irrigation system, therefore it should only require a pressure vacuum break backflow preventer. However, each state and local code has different rules for this sort of system. Each irrigation installer must determine the requirements in the area.

Michael Chaplinsky in Fertigation Strategies, provides responses to the most frequently asked questions about fertigation systems, which are contained within quotations below:

I have a poor irrigation system. My sprinkler head spacing is less than perfect. Will the fertilizer cause green circles around the heads?

"This has been a problem with the old practice of injecting just a few times a month, but when fertilizer is lightly injected with each irrigation cycle (micro-dosing) the coverage is very even. Even coverage is achieved because the sprinkler impact area will move around slightly with changes in the wind and fill in spacing gaps. Also, the spray mist will carry the nutrients to other areas. This light foliar application will produce a very even coverage and color response."

Will the nutrient burn the grass if I have a blow-out or a head sticks on?

Unlike other systems, the FertiGator only works when the irrigation system timer is intentionally opening zones. In addition, "the micro-dosing injection rate of the system is designed to prevent this from ever happening. This means the fertilizer in that water will be very diluted. You will have a greener area, but you will not burn or damage the turf."

Will the fertilizer in the lines cause damage to irrigation system heads or valves?

"Since the low part-per-million rate is used, it will never harm the irrigation system."

Does fertigation only aid in leaf growth? Will it produce poor roots?

"There is foliar uptake of about 15 to 25 percent, which improves nutrient efficiency. The biggest improvement is the light feeding, which keeps the top growth down and allows the plant to put its energy into root growth. You are not storing in the soil large quantities of nutrients that can cause uncontrolled plant growth, or be leached away by rains."

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