Flowering Plants Ltd
Florimat™ 3
Capillary Irrigation for Garden Centre Benches
Easier Management, Better Plants and Lower Costs
Where plants are seen to thrive, they sell well. The Florimat system promotes this. Simple, robust, effective and well-proven, it is “user-friendly” and “customer-friendly.”
The Florimat system overcomes problems associated with sprinklers, hoses and “ebb and flood” systems. Whether your interest is in selling, plantsmanship, marketing or finance, the Florimat system makes sense.
Florimat
3 – how it works.
In any busy garden centre, customers move plants. Florimat 3 is thick
and soft. It makes excellent contact with the growing medium in most pots
and containers. Its’ capillary action ensures that plants make contact
with irrigation.
| 1. |
Florimat 3 delivers water (and liquid fertilisers where they are used) from the irrigation system to all plants evenly. |
| 2. |
As plants dry out, the capillary action of Florimat 3 pulls water from plants which are not using it to those which are. |
| 3. | On Florimat 3, plants dry out together. This makes the decision to water easy. |
| 4. |
In wet weather, or whenever the bottom 2 – cm (1”) of any growing medium starts to get too wet, the Florimat 3 wicks should start to syphon water out of the plants. This should continue until the substrate is properly aerated again. |
| 5. | This effect makes it easier and safer to delegate watering to junior staff. |
| 6. | Using Florimat 3 in this way will usually reduce your water bill by over 60%. |
| 7. |
Laboratory tests have shown that the beneficial microflora which make slow sand filters work do even better in Florimat 3. In practice roots, and therefore plants, generally thrive. |
| 8. | Full instructions and training pamphlets come with the system. |
Installation is easy.
Benches in course of installation
 |
|
 |
| 1 |
Using shims if required, adjust the bench deck to a slope of between 1 - 3 cm, usually from side to centre or from front to back. (FPL can supply adjustable feet.) |
| 2. |
Lay waterproof membrane, Florimat 3 and the woven cover on the surface of the bench. Fix the membrane. |
| 3. |
Insert wicks no more than 5 metres apart along the lower edge of the bench. Make a small slit in the membrane to allow each wick to hang down below the bench. |
| 4. |
Install the drip line along the upper edge, between the Florimat 3 and its cover. Simple clips fix the ends of the drip line to the bench. Associated fittings go under the bench. |
| 5. | Tuck the woven cover under the edges of the membrane. |
| 6. |
Finally, use staples or lath to secure cover, Florimat 3 and waterproof membrane to the bench surface. |
The
water supply
Using a small isolator valve and the supply hoses fixed below the bench,
you can add or remove bench modules, and turn individual benches on and
off as you require.
Connect the male connector to the water supply, and the female “Water
stop” connector to the next bench. Support hoses tidily under timber
benches by cup hooks.
Budget prices
| Capillary matting, accessories and irrigation fittings on ten 2m x 2m free-standing benches, (6 Nov 2008) | £225.00 |
| For the same on a ten metre run of benching one metre wide | £60.00 |
Allow 5% for contingencies. Prices exclude VAT and Carriage
We will be pleased to provide quotations for quantities to suit your plans
on receipt of a dimensioned sketch.