Spring Issue - Contents

• BZT® Compost Activator: Spring Your Compost into Action
• BZT® Dethatcher: Lawn Care
• BZT® Pool & Spa Treatment: Get the Pool in Shape
• BZT® Drainline, Disposal & Septic Treatment: Got the Septic System Blues?
• BZT® Aquaculture and BZT® Aqua 4-U: Decorative Water Features & Koi Ponds
• FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

BZT® Compost Activator: Spring Your Compost into Action.

Leftover leaves and grass from the winter are just waiting to be turned into useful compost. So are fresh grass clippings, kitchen wastes, paper and garden scraps. If you have a compost bin or drum, you can take advantage of these resources and turn them into something healthy for your lawn or garden. And with Springtime in full swing, now is the best time to start composting. A few simple steps can turn a rotten, stinking pile of wastes into a pleasant, reusable product.

1. If you already own a compost bin or drum, inspect it for damage and replace any broken or missing parts. Most bins are designed to provide adequate airflow and to absorb and retain heat, allowing for a speedier decomposition.
2. Start with fresh material, and blend in old leftover materials. If your bin or drum contains material left over from a previous season, remove it for now and blend it after adding fresh grass clippings, leaves, kitchen or garden scraps.
3. The key to great composting is having the correct ingredients at the right proportions. One of the leading causes of failed backyard composting is not having the right mixture of wastes. A balanced mixture of high carbon materials (such as leaves and straw), along with high nitrogen materials (like grass and manure), is the secret to perfect compost. In addition, good aeration and proper moisture levels are essential.
4. Of course, don't forget one of the most important ingredients needed for composting – microorganisms. Without them, composting would never happen. That's where BZT® Compost Activator can help. BZT® Compost Activator is a blend of microorganisms and enzymes formulated to significantly enhance the composting process. Make sure your composting is as efficient as possible so you will spend less time maintaining the wastes and more time enjoying your summer.

Our free booklet, “Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes,” is an excellent introduction to the practice of home composting. It describes the principles of composting and how to start and maintain your own compost pile. To obtain your copy, download it below (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, free at Adobe's web site). Another invaluable resource is the Internet. The complete history of composting, as well as numerous methods and approaches, are only a Google search away.

DOWNLOAD FREE BROCHURE: (right-click the link and select "Save Target As...")

• Composting Booklet (for full-duplex printers - printing both sides, PDF, 9.9MB)
• Composting Booklet (in page order, PDF, 7.4MB)

BZT® Dethatcher

Spring is also the time to focus more on lawn care. In many areas, lawns are turning green for the first time this season as dormant grasses wake up to enjoy the sunlight and rain. In other places, winter grasses are being taken over by their summer competitors. And for those lucky enough to live in warmer climates, the grass is just growing a little faster now. Still, the cooler temperature in winter slows down Mother Nature's little recycling machines in your lawn.

Dead grass, leaves, and other plant matter slowly decay and work their way down to the soil. In a healthy lawn, these materials continue to biologically decay until they become a part of that thick, dark, rich layer of “topsoil.” As these materials continue to break down, they release nutrients for further plant growth. Since these materials are derived from plants, they possess the exact nutrients plants require. That's when everything is working fine.

The addition of insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, over-watering, over-fertilizing, and all the other things we do to our lawns take their toll on the lawn's biological community. Sometimes it just can't keep up with the amount of dead plant matter present, and this material begins to build up. This is called “thatch.” Sometimes this thatch layer gets so thick that water and even air find it difficult to penetrate. A very unhealthy condition for your lawn! This leaves your lawn susceptible to disease and insect damage. A typical response from lawn owners is to apply more water, fertilizers, pesticides etc., which just makes the problem worse.

There are several ways to alleviate this problem. One way is to use a mechanical means such as a thatch rake or a verticutting machine. What these do is literally tear up your lawn down to the soil to loosen up the thatch. You may temporarily alleviate the thatch problem, but now your lawn has to recover from the damage and may be susceptible to diseases for awhile. Not to mention that it just doesn't look too good after this messy, laborious task is over. So how does the homeowner get their lawn quickly looking good again – more fertilizers, water, pesticides, etc. – Do you see a trend?

Stop the never-ending cycle of lawn abuse! Start an all-natural, completely safe, and highly effective lawn dethatching program by utilizing Mother Nature's own process. BZT ® Dethatcher contains a blend of completely natural microorganisms and enzymes formulated to restore and enhance your lawn's ability to recycle those precious wastes into nutrient rich fertilizers and soil enhancers. It's simple to use; just mix in water and spray over your lawn. No machines, no mess, and best of all, no weekend wasted breaking your back to get rid of thatch.

BZT® Pool & Spa Treatment

With summer approaching, it's time to get the pool in shape. Follow this, or your local pool-care professional's, Spring Start-up Checklist:

1. Check the equipment. Make sure that everything is working properly. Check for leaks, cracks, corrosion (pump/motor, filter, heater, controls, cleaner, pipes/valves).
2. Clean the Filter (should be taken apart and thoroughly cleaned at least twice a year).
3. Clean up (hose deck, skim pool, clean baskets, scrub tile, brush & vacuum pool).
4. Run filter for approximately 4 hours.
5. Test the water.
6. Adjust the pH and alkalinity.
7. Shock the pool.
8. Stabilize the pool with conditioner.
9. Run filter for approximately 4 - 8 more hours, or until water clears.
10. Re-test the water the next day. Adjust as necessary.

If you treated and closed your pool last year with BZT® Pool and Spa Treatment, you probably aren't noticing much of a problem. Many of the above tasks will be a breeze. Filters, baskets, tile, side and bottom surfaces will be much cleaner. Organic scum that normally collects on these surfaces will be non-existent; filters are cleaner, lines and valves are open and clean. That unsightly “pool ring” won't be there to scrub off.

If you didn't use BZT® Pool & Spa Treatment – well, there's still time to get that pool back into shape before temperatures warm up and the swimming starts. Make you life easier. Spend less time maintaining your pool and more time enjoying it. Start a BZT® maintenance program on your pool now. BZT® Pool & Spa Treatment is All-Natural and completely safe for humans, animals, plants, and the environment. It is safe all types of pool and spa finishes.

Got the Septic System Blues?

Winter can be tough on drainline and septic systems. Lower temperatures slow down the biological activity of your septic tank and drainfield. Already taxed systems may show major problems during the winter or spring months causing backups, ponding, odors, or pumping needs. Now is the time to get your septic system on the road to recovery.

In a perfect world, a septic system can offer maintenance-free service without any outside help. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Systems frequently receive more wastes than they were designed to handle. Occasional overloads are expected; but these can become too frequent. Bleach, disinfectants or other toxic chemicals are dumped down the drain, wiping out the system's ability to break down wastes. Heavy buildup of solids and grease can occur in your drainlines, tank, or out in the drainfield. Once initiated, the problem just continues to get worse until it reaches catastrophic failure.

BZT® Drainline, Disposal, & Septic Treatment can alleviate your septic system blues. Our powerful blend of all-natural microorganisms and enzymes break down and digest the organic solids (feces, food wastes, paper, oils, greases, etc.) that wreak havoc in septic systems. Your system's biological community is enhanced with our aggressive and efficient microorganisms. BZT® Drainline, Disposal, & Septic Treatment can be used to restore systems experiencing problems. A preventative maintenance program ensures these problems will not arise. A tablespoon per month per drain is all it takes to keep your drainlines, septic tanks, and drainfields running smoothly as they were designed. Mix in warm water and pour down each drain.

BZT® Aquaculture and BZT® Aqua 4-U

Springtime also means it's time to take a serious look at your decorative water feature or your Koi pond. A preventative maintenance program initiated now will payoff greatly when summer arrives. For Koi, you have some work to do. The following is one recommended set of springtime activities. Consult your local professional for more details.

As the water slowly warms, parasites and pathogenic bacteria become active before the Koi's immune system is fully functioning. This leaves the Koi vulnerable to their attack. Closely examine your fish for signs of problems. Do not start feeding the fish until the water temperature gets above 46° F and then start with a low-protein feed. After two weeks, perform regular 15% water exchanges to bring salt levels back to normal. Initiate a biological treatment when the water temperature approaches 50° F. When temperatures reach 60° perform a 0.3% salt treatment. Monitor your filters and keep clear of debris during startup. Check pH, ammonia, and alkalinity every week and adjust as needed. Keep aeration on.

For decorative ponds and fountains and Koi ponds, it's time to thoroughly clean out filters and remove as much solids (from the bottom or floating) as you can. Inspect your pump and filter assemblies for cracks or other damage brought on by freezing temperatures. Make sure everything is running smoothly and there are no leaks. As soon as the water temperature is about 50° F, start your biological treatment with BZT® Aquaculture or BZT® Aqua 4-U.

Don't forget that BZT® Aquaculture can be used in very large ponds such as farm ponds to provide the same results. In fact we would like to remind you of all our products and benefits they provide. If it has been a while, take the time to visit our website to learn more about our other products. As a satisfied customer already, you may find we have other products or uses that would apply to your needs. Our products are used in a variety of applications such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants, agricultural waste lagoons, fish farms, restaurant drainlines/grease traps, hydrocarbon remediation, floor cleaning, and odor reduction. Just about anywhere you find contamination with organic compounds, our products can help.

FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

These are some common questions fielded by our support staff this time of year

Will BZT® Aquaculture get rid of weeds and cattails growing in my pond?
No. BZT® Aquaculture is a blend of bacteria & enzymes formulated to minimize available nutrients in the water. Some of these nutrients are in toxic forms to fish such as nitrogen-containing compounds like ammonia or nitrite. Nitrogen-containing compounds are also required for algae and plants to grow. Getting rid of the nutrients in the water helps control algae. However, rooted plants like weeds or cattails can get their nutrients from deep in the sediments where our bacteria are not working.

Will treating my pond with BZT® products harm other animals like frogs, waterfowl, or pets?
No. BZT® products are completely safe for humans, animals, plants, and the environment. All the ingredients in BZT® products can be found on the USFDA-GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) list or are identified for use as animal feed ingredients by AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials).

Will BZT® Dethatcher turn my grass brown?
No. our microorganisms break down and digest dead organic matter they will not harm living plants. There will be no immediate visible effects to your lawn when BZT® Dethatcher is applied. We recommend you apply a slow-release fertilizer at the same time you add our product to make sure the bacteria have enough available nutrients to perform their tasks. So usually your lawn will green up due to the fertilizer application.

Can I quit using chlorine or bromine in my spa or pool when I use your products?
No. these chemicals destroy harmful bacteria to keep your water safe to swim in. Our bacteria are more tolerant of these disinfectants than most of the harmful bacteria. In pools and spas our bacteria are busy breaking down and digesting organic wastes (oils, skin cells, etc.) found in the water or the filter. A lot of the chemicals you add are used up on breaking down or get bound up with organic wastes. By keeping these wastes at a minimum, the life of your disinfectants may be extended and thus would be able to add less and still maintain proper concentrations in your pool or spa.

Thank you for your continued support of United-Tech and our products.

We still have some territories available in the U.S. open for Dealers or Distributors and welcome the interests of satisfied clients. To learn more about business opportunities visit our website or contact United-Tech for more information. Please also contact us with any questions regarding the above or any other applications.

If you have any questions, visit our Contact Form to submit them. For more information, visit our web site at www.united-tech.com.

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