The following info is for clients that are ready to have us install plants (plant them in the ground).

If you’d like to do your own plant installation please see our Planting Guide .

Your tasks before installation:

• Unless we have agreed to do it for you, prep the space by:

  • Killing or removing the lawn in the design area. Consult with us on all the ways this can be done.

  • Removing unwanted plants in the design area, roots and all.

  • Killing any fire ants on site.

• 811. We call 811 at least a week before the scheduled install. This free service will send representatives to mark all underground utility cables such as internet and electricity so we can avoid cutting them with a garden shovel while digging. If we do cut through a utility line, the homeowner is responsible for any damages or costs.

• Mark existing irrigation. Know how to fix breaks in your system and have the tools and parts on hand to do this yourself, or work with an irrigation specialist. We will do our best to avoid breaking any irrigation that is well marked, but if we do break a pipe, the homeowner responsible for fixing any damages and for any damage expenses incurred.

• Have a hose available that is long enough to reach the planting area so that we can use it to hand water the install as we go.

• Mulch and other materials are usually delivered the day before the installation. If we are delivering mulch and/or other materials, please have tarps down in an easily accessible area for the material placement. We can help you choose a spot that is as close to the work area (without being in the work area) and that the delivery truck can access.

Your role during installation:

• Be onsite in case we need to consult with you or inform you of any issues.

Your responsibilities after installation:

Watering:

• With Florida heat and our very nutrient-poor and quick draining soils, it’s important that you provide ample water for your brand new plants in the beginning and then slowly wean off that watering. The goal is to slowly reduce the plants dependency on the heavy watering that it received while growing in a small pot at the Nursery and to provide a gentle transitionary zone for small roots to expand out.

• A plants watering requirements depends on soil, sun and the time of year.

• The following is only a basic guide to weaning off water. It’s important that you pay attention to your plants and increase and decrease the amount of water if needed. You might find that you can safely speed up the weaning off water process or you might need to extend it. You can gauge how much water is reaching the plant and how moist the soil is by simply sticking your finger into the soil near the plant.

• At a minimum, water deeply (soaking the soil to the base of the roots) every day for the first two to three weeks. The soil must be kept moist at all times during the beginning of the establishment period so that root hairs will grow into the surrounding soil.

• Water every other day for the second two to three weeks.

• Water every third day for the third two to three weeks.

• No need to water on days when it rains more than one inch.

• During the first year water larger trees and shrubs at least twice a week especially during spring months when it is hot and dry.

• Larger plants may require supplemental watering during hot and dry periods for the first three years.

• Larger plants that received hand watering daily and by rain during summer months, might still need to be slowly weaned off water by hand into the dryer months of the year for the first three years.

• Keep an eye on your plants for signs of water stress: curling, drooping, browning or dropping leaves. Sometimes a plant will shock and drop its leaves. This sign that your plant is a fighter and if you up the watering for a bit, it will most likely flush back out.

Fertilizing:

• Native plants do not require fertilizer if planted in the right place. They will respond to sunlight, rainfall, soil temperatures, and humidity and grow at a naturally sustainable rate.

• To encourage faster growth, fertilize lightly but only four to six weeks after planting. New tender growth attracts hungry insects. It’s a trade off.

• If you choose to fertilize, use a slow release organic fertilizer, or better yet, use your own compost. Learn how to start composting locally: https://www.sunshinecommunitycompost.org/copy-of-about-us

Maintaining:

• Walk through your garden daily in the beginning and then weekly as it matures to recognize what healthy plants look like over time (and to keep on top of weeding!) Plants have different flowering cycles and times when they are dormant. Some are annuals; some are perennials. Some reseed; others do not.

• Keep your garden weeded and re-mulch when needed, especially during the first three years of plant establishment. Here in Florida, invasive exotic species continually move into the garden. There is no such thing as a no maintenance landscape.

Pruning:

• Keep in mind that pruning is technically wounding and doesn’t need to be done at all. Trimming encourages new growth and new growth is sensitive to cold and insect damage. So it’s best done after the danger of frost in early spring. Native plants gardens are naturally, well, more natural-looking. A healthy gardening goal is to design the garden with adequate spacing so plants don’t need regular pruning and if you are to prune, to prune lightly and without the appearance of being pruned at all.

  • Groundcovers (lawn alternatives for pollinators): keep area weeded for a “no-mow” approach and make sure the area is getting adequate water if you have a very dry site. Another approach is to let planted groundcovers compete with eventual invading plants and just mow it all together for a mixed species “floral” lawn. Do not apply chemicals or fertilizers.

  • Wildflowers: Can be left to their own devices or perennial wildflowers can be deadheaded or trimmed back to the green growth after they have gone to seed. You can also remove or cut back annual wildflowers after their time to make room for the reseeded baby plants. Do not apply pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

  • Grasses: After they are established, grasses can be trimmed back yearly to help keep them green and lush. Do not “ball” the grasses, but instead cut them low to ground - to about 6 inches to remove the dead material that attracts rot and leaf eating insects. In nature, fire trims back native clump grasses, so the goal is to take it low to the ground to emulate fire.

  • Shrubs: Some shrubs take to trimming much better than others. Consult with us about which ones can be regularly trimmed and which ones do best left alone. We prefer trimming with hand held clippers for a more natural look rather than machine trimming. Try not to “ball” shrubs but rather trim them in the shape of a mountain so the leaves at the base get equal amounts of sunlight.

  • Trees: Trim trees as they grow. We like this guide for a DIY approach or we recommend working with a Florida Certified Arborist that appreciates and knows native trees.

Pests:

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