How It’s Made: Dripline

Landscape Products likens how the company makes its pressure-compensating dripline to a favorite family recipe—other recipes may look the same, but they’re never quite as good.

The company believes it has perfected its “recipe” for a durable and functional pressure-compensating (PC) dripline.

Based just outside of Phoenix in Tolleson, Ariz., Landscape Products has been supplying drip/micro irrigation products, valves, sprinklers, and other landscape and agriculture products since 1978.

The company began manufacturing its PC dripline in 2009, said Fermin Perez, sales and marketing manager for Landscape Products.

PC dripline has been growing in popularity for its easy installation and water conserving capabilities compared to other irrigation options. It’s typically used above ground or under mulch, often to irrigate hedges and groundcover on commercial landscapes and large gardens.

The pressure-compensating emitters, integrated into the dripline, adjust to varying water pressures ensuring a consistent flow rate (Landscape Products offers 0.6 or 0.9 GPH PC emitters).

Despite the simplicity that PC dripline provides in landscapes, manufacturing the product is a complex process that Landscape Products has aimed to perfect.

The company produces thousands of feet per day of their 17-millimeter PC dripline. Like Landscape Products’ other dripline products, the process begins with a high-grade linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) resin, in the form of small, colorless beads or pellets.

“It’s the best there is for the application,” said Jose Flores, plant manager.

While other dripline manufacturers may use recycled plastics in their products, Landscape Products uses only virgin resin for a longer lasting product. Recycled plastics can introduce impurities into the tubing, causing weak spots and possible bursting, said Flores.

“That way our customers get fewer headaches,” Flores said.

The poly pellets are melted and mixed with a color concentrate and UV inhibitor, which protects the material from breaking down over time. The mix is filtered through a fine mesh screen to remove any other potential impurities.

Next, the mixture is pushed through an extruder machine, shaping the resin into a tube, which is formed around the emitters that are spaced every 12 or 18 inches in the line. The temperature of the resin must be just right to properly bond with the plastic emitter before the tube travels through tanks of water and an air blower to cool and dry.

Once it has cooled, a perforator or drill punches two holes through the tube at each emitter. The dual outlets reduce the possibility of clogging. The emitters are also designed with built in maze-like channels that also help flush sand or other particles out, preventing clogs.

Then an ink-jet printer imprints information on the tube, such as the product description and the date of manufacture.

The dripline is inspected and samples are taken to undergo checks for quality assurance.

One check is performed by cutting a cross section of the dripline and looking for any signs of improper adhesion of the emitter to the tube.

Other samples are also taken throughout the day to test the flow rates at various pressure levels. A section of dripline is connected to an automatic flow tester that records the flow rates. The data is reviewed to ensure the emitters are delivering the right amount of water.

Finally, workers wind the dripline into 100- and 500-foot coils ready to be shipped out to suppliers across the country.

Although most of the process for producing their dripline is highly mechanized, the company’s skilled craftsmen and operators—each with more than a decade of experience in manufacturing and extrusion—are also key to producing a top-quality product.

“From assembly to packaging to shipping, the Landscape Products manufacturing team goes to great lengths to produce and deliver products of the highest caliber. The 17mm dripline manufacturing group takes great pride in delivering nothing but the best,” Perez said.

Landscape Products hopes their recipe for high quality dripline will become a favorite among customers.

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology for landscape lighting has arrived. Make no mistake about it, LED is here to stay, and will soon become the light source of choice replacing less efficient lamps. As a landscape lighting contractor, if you are not familiar with this technology and haven’t applied it to your jobs, it’s time to get started or you might get left behind. Let’s explore the benefits of selling energy efficient LED technology.

Benefits to the contractor
LED is 50 to 70 percent more efficient than the standard incandescent halogen lamps. For example, compare light output in a 5-watt LED to a 20-watt halogen lamp. From an installation standpoint, you can put more 5-watt fixtures than 20-watt fixtures on a single wire run from the transformer. At a 100-foot wire circuit, you can effectively attach five halogen fixtures at 20 watts for a total of 100 watts. Switch to 5-watt LEDs and the number jumps to 20 fixtures on the same circuit. This can result in a huge savings, not only on labor, but also material costs, such as wire and smaller transformers.

You’ll have the peace of mind knowing you are doing your part to save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. An incandescent lamp produces light with only 20 percent of the energy it uses, while the other 80 percent is released as heat. LEDs require different amounts of electricity, but in general use more energy to directly emit light than to create waste heat.

LEDs can better handle voltage drop, the reduction of voltage caused when a current passes through a circuit’s wire. Unlike LEDs, conventional halogen lighting systems can accept only a small voltage reduction, even as little as one volt, before wasting energy and becoming inefficient. LEDs can accept a greater amount, generally between nine to 15 volts.

Benefits to the customer

Upselling an LED lighting system to an end user requires some knowledge between the differences between LEDs and halogen. LEDs offer a longer lamp life compared to halogen. Lamp life on an LED light source is rated at 50,000 hours, while halogen lamp life is typically 5,000 to 10,000 hours. The longer lamp life of LED sources not only reduces lamp replacements, but also saves on electricity costs. A 50,000-hour lamp can last more than 17 years, on an average lighting system burning six to eight hours a night.

Is cost a factor? To truly define the benefits of an LED lighting system, help customers understand how it will pay for itself over time in electricity savings and maintenance costs. Instead of focusing on the cost to install an LED system, explain it to your customers in terms of cost per hour of light. An energy-efficient lighting system will save on costs in the long run, which leads us to the cost of ownership.

Cost of ownership

Explaining cost of ownership is without a doubt the easiest way to close the sale. We are asking a potential client to spend more of his hard-earned money up front to save on costs down the road. Simply saying, “Mr. or Mrs. Client, by choosing an energy-efficient LED system you will save money for years to come,” will not close the sale. But being able to explain and demonstrate the savings based on the system wattage requirement you are proposing in an illustrated worksheet will confirm you are on top of your game. This is what will separate you from your competitors and help you close more sales.

For example, let’s illustrate the cost of ownership over a ten-year period using a 50-fixture 20-watt halogen package versus a 50-fixture 5-watt LED package. The halogen package consists of 1,000 watts versus 250 watts for the LED. We will assume the lighting system will operate for eight hours a night, at a cost of $0.134 per kilowatt-hour (the 2011 national average).

Potential electricity costs
Let’s start with the halogen 1,000-watt system:

1,000 watts x 8 hours / 1,000 = 8 kilowatt-hours x $0.134 = $1.072 per day x 365 = $391.28 per year

The numbers for a LED 250-watt system:

250 watts x 8 hours/1,000 = 2 kilowatt-hours x $0.134 = $0.268 per day x 365 = $97.82 per year

The difference of $293.46, multiplied by 10 years, equals a potential savings of $2,934.60 in electricity costs.

Now look at lamp change-outs for a 10-year period. A halogen lamp will burn for 5,000 hours and require six change-outs. That comes to 300 lamps, and at $8 each the total becomes $2,400 before including a contractor’s labor costs.

The LED will require no change outs.

Potential maintenance costs

What if we add the labor costs to those six halogen change-outs?

Three hours per change-out at $85 an hour equals $255. Multiply that by six change-outs and the cost becomes $1,530.

Total savings

So now we can compile the savings over a 10-year cost of ownership:

• Electricity: $2,934.60

• Lamp change outs: $2,400

• Labor: $1,530

• Total: $6,864.60

This hypothetical system could save the end user $6,864.60 over the course of 10 years. Having the knowledge to upsell LED landscape lighting is a great way to grow your annual sales and put more profit in the bank.

Investing in a lighting system that could pay you back the difference on the upgrade to LED in four years, and save you money each year thereafter, just makes plain sense. So remember, speak in terms of cost per hours of light and ownership of cost. You will be well on your way to being an all-star energy efficient landscape lighting expert.

Get some oxygen where it counts!  AERATE, AERATE, AERATE!  Over the winter, spring, and summer your soil has become compacted.  Doing a thorough aeration before overseeding can help relieve this compaction.  The more you do the better it will be.  While you have the soil open add some organics that will increase the biology in your soil.  The microorganisms, that help your plants survive, need the oxygen to survive.  More attention needs to be paid to the area where your plants roots are.  By working the soil and increasing activity in the root system, you will notice a healthier and easier to maintain lawn

MOLES!!! They seem to be tunneling rampant here in Tennesssee and surrounding areas! We had several inquires regarding mole control at the Nashville Lawn & Garden Show last month. If you visited us there and purchased our mole control products……we thank you…….and I’m sure that you are also now part of our Talpirid fan club as are many of our customers! We carry two products…..Talpirid bait and Aloft granular insecticide. There are several bait systems out there to choose from but Talpirid sets itself apart from the rest….backed with extensive testing proving that it is the most preferred food source for moles next to earthworms. Aloft is a two ingredient insecticide that not only eliminates grubs but will control surface feeders as well such as….ticks and fleas.

Send In Your Lawn Photos!
We want to see what you have done! Will be collecting photos to post on our website or the next newsletter to show off your efforts.

oming up next month……. tips on Bermuda Control in Fescue Lawns!

Remember Calcium Needs
Before Summer Months!

Second to the three most important nutrients…..nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium…….is Calcium. Calcium is the most neglected nutrient for plants. Calcium is needed to aid in summer time stress……it builds the cell walls for an increased resistance to disease and drought. Solu-Cal is recommended over regular calcitic limes largely due to the carboxy organic acid contained in Solu-Cal. Carboxy acid with calcium becomes instantly available whereas a regular lime could take 6 months to 2 years before soluble to plants. One – 50lb bag of Solu-Cal replaces five – 40lb bags of lime.

Annuals Planting Time – After April 15th!

We carry all your needs from start to finish:

Erth Food Compost – for amending the soil
T-Methyl granular fungicide – for preventing diseases
Florikan 14-5-14 Color Change fertilizer – lasts 6 months!
Mulches – mini nuggets, soil conditioner, or shredded pine
Monty’s Joy Juice – for liquid fertilizer applications

The Importance of Re-Mulching All Beds

Most people who care about landscaping understand the importance of using mulch on beds and around trees, but they may not realize the importance of re-mulching all beds periodically. Mulch is a protective covering of plant or natural materials or synthetics. The main reason for using mulch is to help offset any local climatic effects throughout the year. Mulch is also used for beautification of landscaping.

Our Landscape professionals at Peach Tree Landscaping have training and experience with applications of mulch products to the particular soils in the middle Tennessee region. We mulch, re-mulch and maintain landscape beds in residential and business properties in cities large or small, including Nashville, Murfreesboro, Gallatin, Brentwood and Clarksville. They know which mulch materials will work best in different areas and around various plantings. Our crews do regular mulch maintenance and renewal several times yearly for satisfied customers.

It is incorrect to believe that once mulch has been placed onto the landscape the job is done. Proper care of mulched areas means maintaining the quality of the original materials so that they work as desired. Since mulch is exposed to the elements of sun, wind and rain, it will deteriorate over time. Problems may also develop with unattended mulched areas. Re-mulching annually or twice a year can prevent many problems from developing. It is important that mulch be in good condition to function as intended.

Mulch is used on beds and in other landscape areas to protect plants from weather, keep soil moist, beautify, prevent weed growth, warm up soil for early season use, conserve water and to reduce soil erosion and compaction. Many types of mulch products can be used. Organics, compost, rubber, plastic or gravel are just a few common mulch materials that are popular. Some are temporary due to decay, while others are long lasting. All require follow-up attention for best results.

Things to watch out for include weed seed growth, termites, bacteria, toxicity, fungi and other problems that are negatives for plant success. Mulches should be kept a certain distance from buildings and trees to avoid unwanted damage. Layers should not be above two inches in height for maximum effectiveness and to allow air and water to circulate.

Peach Tree professionals know how different materials react over time and in the outdoor elements. Call our office today or visit http://www.peachtreeinc.comto learn more about our award winning landscape and design services.

Landscape Design

 At Peach Tree Inc., our landscape design team envisions your property as an opportunity to create a fresh new living work of art. Professional landscaping adds value to your industrial, commercial or residential property and designing can be done at any time. Experience shows that the best time to bring in our in house landscape design team is during the initial planning stages prior to building. It is like starting with a blank canvas and creating a masterpiece with all the little essentials included.

Our team meets with clients to gather and exchange ideas to formulate a game plan that will efficiently and effectively create all the landscape features desired by the client that also work for the property. Our design services include planning, installation and maintenance services. Irrigation systems, piping, outdoor lighting, patio, deck, garden and water features are all important to proper landscape design. Our award winning staff is also proficient at planning and maintenance of hardscape areas such as patios, paved areas, and walkways.

Our Peach Tree staff includes an award winning landscape designer who is available for consultation and creation of custom master landscape plans for our clients in middle Tennessee. Our company serves commercial, industrial and residential customers in the central area of the state including Nashville, Bowling Green, Clarksville and Franklin. Our crews do maintenance regularly in all size towns and are always able to add new clients to our service routes.

We have over 400 clients in Nashville. Large corporations such as Wal-Mart, Lowes, Taco Bell, Cracker Barrel, McDonald’s, Kohl’s and Kroger have entrusted landscape services to Peach Tree Inc. We have many satisfied customers in Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Brentwood, Clarksville, Manchester, Springfield and Cookville.

Our landscape design team starts from below the ground up, planning for custom irrigation systems, plant and garden beds, green areas and water features. They take all the guess work and hassles that come with achieving proper watering out of your project so your project progresses smoothly. Being able to get a photo finish look when completed is only possible with expert landscape design planning from the start.

You can rely on Peach Tree Inc. for continued maintenance service to keep your landscaping looking exactly as planned. Maintenance also keeps costs to a minimum as problems that might develop are caught promptly. We take Tennessee pride to heart and will be around for years to come with the same excellence of service. The size of our company also benefits your landscaping projects as we are able to make advantageous purchases for projects and have the best equipment available.

Contact our headquarters or visit our website at http://www.peachtreeinc.comto arrange for professional custom landscape design service for your property location.

Irrigation Management and Water Conservation Preventative maintenance applies equally to your irrigation management and water conservation measures just like it does to any other complex mechanical equipment. Regular irrigation system inspections should be done monthly for optimum continued performance and prevention of problems that could be expensive. Broken heads, leaks and wasted water lead to equipment failure, misuse and waste of water resources and can cause water bills to skyrocket if left unseen and unrepaired.

Water waste and conservation procedures are very important current issues in the irrigation management industry. Routine inspections of irrigation and water control systems will catch problems before they cost clients up to thousands of dollars in excessive water bills. We service hundreds of clients in the central Tennessee area and are experts at doing irrigation management and water conservation. If your business is located anywhere near the central Tennessee area from Brentwood to Bowling Green or Clarksville to Cookeville, call on Peach Tree Landscaping for regular irrigation maintenance services. We are regularly in the areas of Nashville, Franklin, Spring Hill, Manchester and Murfreesboro with our award winning landscaping teams and can easily make a stop at your business.

Visit our website at http://www.peachtreeinc.comfor a complete listing of our service potential. Peach Tree teams will visit your location monthly and check the entire irrigation system for problems. In winter and spring they can also do your cold weather winterization and spring start up service. Leaks are never good even if they are outdoors. When you are pumping water it should go where you want it to go and not pay for wasted water resources. Irrigation systems experience heavy duty use and that is another reason for doing regular service maintenance on your system. Clients in Gallatin, Henderson, and Spring Hill are enjoying the peace of mind that regular maintenance of expensive irrigation systems brings. This type of service is best done by our professionals who know just what to look for and how to make needed repairs. Cut service costs to a minimum by having regular maintenance done monthly and catch problems before they become systemic and expensive. Call Peach Tree Landscaping today or get in touch with us through our website contact link. Landscaping requires more than a sprinkler and push mower to keep a business in top condition. We have the equipment and the professional staff to do your job efficiently and properly, every time. If you are cutting costs, be sure that a Peach Tree Landscaping crew is doing the cutting for you! Peach Tree serves all of central Tennessee with superior landscaping services.

We can come in on the ground floor when you purchase property, work with you for years, or salvage a disaster in progress on property recently purchased. Good looking landscaping makes good sense and saves you money in the long run. It is an investment that will grow even more beautiful over the years you own your property and aid conservation efforts at the same time.

Call upon the middle Tennessee experts at Peach Tree Landscaping for your biannual irrigation system service and winterization service. It is essential to properly protect your investment in your irrigation system from winter damage caused by freezing temperatures. Without proper professional preparation your system has many points at which costly damage may occur. Winterization prior to the first frost is the best way to prevent damage to equipment and added repair expense.

We offer winterization services to all areas of middle Tennessee from Nashville and Murfreesboro to Hendersonville, Gallatin, Clarksville and others. Peach Tree’s award winning service crews will come to your location and make ready for the winter onslaught all the pipes, valves, pumps, timers and other parts of your irrigation system.

From main shut off valve to underground piping your irrigation system requires a professional service treatment to insure that all parts of your system have no water left behind to expand during cold weather freezes. Blowing out irrigation systems can be a dangerous job. It is necessary to wear eye protection and gloves to prevent accidental injuries to those persons performing winterization service. Touching a high voltage wire or hot transformer may cause burns and high pressure compressed air blow outs could result in eye damage to those who are unprotected.

System drainage cannot be fully completed by gravity; it is important to get the system cleared of all water. Parts and pipes that are exposed to weather and that lie above the frost line must be winterized. In springtime call Peach Tree Landscaping to again turn your irrigation system on for the season. Technical expertise makes resetting of timers, stations and other aspects of irrigation systems a breeze instead of a nightmare.

Proper annual service to your irrigation system should be performed at least twice yearly, before and after winter freezing weather. Protect highly technical equipment properly to get longer lifetimes from your equipment and optimum operation. Modern systems have controllers, shut off valves, master valves, and pumps that can be damaged by overheating or by freezing temperatures. Any air vent or drain outlets need to remain clear and functioning properly for your system to continue to work.

If you are located in areas from Spring Hill to Cookeville, Bowling Green, Gallatin, Franklin and Brentwood call the award winning service team at Peach Tree. Visit our website for fast service and all the information you need, http://www.peachtreeinc.com

Beautification and maintenance of your commercial property is just a phone call away to Peach Tree Inc. for those businesses that are located in middle Tennessee. Call upon this area’s premier full service landscape professionals to perform excellent commercial landscape maintenance duties. We are ready to tend all your commercial or residential properties in Nashville, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Clarksville, Franklin, Gallatin, Hendersonville, Clarksville and other central Tennessee areas with award winning service.

The best way to keep your properties healthy and looking their best is to have regular, on-going maintenance for lawns and landscaped areas. Our services also include sweeping parking lots nightly so that all areas of your business look their best. Services are available to all types of commercial establishments and residential properties. There is no need to call upon several companies as Peach Tree Inc. offers complete outdoor services and maintenance.

We already have service contracts with over 400 commercial properties in the Nashville area alone for commercial landscape maintenance. Here you can see our work in action at well known commercial businesses including Cracker Barrel, Kohl’s, US Bank, McDonald’s and other large businesses. No job is too large or too small for our crews to handle and every job receives our top priority level of service attention. Peach Tree landscaping services include maintenance, outdoor lighting, design and irrigation services and installations.

You probably have seen our crews on location conducting commercial landscape maintenance in the central Tennessee towns of Spring Hill, Manchester, Bowling Green, Springfield, Cookeville and others. We have a large staff that can handle your on-going landscape maintenance requirements year around. Your landscaping is a large investment in your property holdings and it should receive dedicated attention due to its visibility and the delicate nature of living plants and trees.

Peach Tree Inc. is fully licensed and we are insured. In a way we leave no stone unturned that should be turned. Our commitment to exceeding client expectations is held by all staff from management to crew members. We take Tennessee pride in our job and your satisfaction comes first. For this our Peach Tree team extends landscaping and maintenance services that still have a down home personal touch yet have received top awards for excellence and professionalism.

Peach Tree offers those in central Tennessee the best price for the highest quality landscaping maintenance service backed by industry awards. We have recently received “Best Landscaping Contractor” designation from Murfreesboro Magazine, and the “Beautification Award” from the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.

Call upon Peach Tree at your project’s first conception for superior professional landscaping planning. Rely upon our team of landscape professionals to maintain your property in like new glory through regular maintenance services. If you require additional information about Peach Tree’s commercial landscaping and maintenance services, please visit our website at www.peachtreeinc.com. To get started please call and ask for our commercial landscape maintenance division.