contact contact details directions terms & conditions Agents products plants Tropical Houseplants Exterior Italian Specimens Artificial Plants Planters Livingreen Planters Planter Options Environment & Ethics Bespoke Design Available finishes Vertiss Vertical Garden Tanker irrigation Tanker Systems Research Proven Fitting Tanker replica rocks greenscreen sundries about us company Why ACF Planters?

Interior planter clearly showing superior plant development in Tanker (bottom) fitted planters after 70 days of trials.

Tanker, Research Proven

"In summary, planters containing Tanker systems will save you half your costs of watering while providing a more attractive, healthier plant with a much stronger and better developed root system."

Tanker was invented some 25 years ago and at least two installations from that period survive and are still functioning perfectly today. However, to further prove the effectiveness of the system, and in particular its potential to dramatically cut the costs of watering seasonal exterior displays, Tanker has recently been the subject of intensive research at the world renowned University of Reading Horticultural Technology Unit.

The trials were carried out on typically planted interior office plant displays and also on contractor style hanging baskets, window boxes and exterior planters. In every case identical control units were set up without Tanker being fitted.

All the units were watered whenever the soil moisture content fell below a predetermined point as measured by use of a Theta probe. The exterior planters were assessed for 70 days and the interior for 5 months before a destructive analysis was carried out to look at the root systems and the fresh weights of the plant material in each.

The results conclusively prove that fitting Tankers will both save money on maintenance and improve plant quality.

Root systems: left (without tanker), right (with tanker)

Proof Positive

A summary of results of trials conducted at the University of Reading summer 2004 on hanging baskets, window boxes, patio planters & interior displays.

• The use of Tanker systems in all situations tested halved the number of watering visits required to maintain the plants.
• The amount of moisture in the soil was always more controlled with Tan systems present – they were less likely to be either very wet or very dry promoting better plant development.
• The plants in the Tanker watered units looked visually more pleasing tha those in the control units having a better, more compact growth pattern
• The root systems of the Tanker grown plants were far better developed than those that were top watered only. In exterior trials, the roots reached the bottom of the planters and formed dense masses while also being thick and fleshier.
• Interior trials using Tanker or top watering alone proved that Tanker watere units required at least 30% less water and still produced a better display.