Landscape Installation Planning and Preparation

It is mid-summer with temperatures outside in the 90’s plus, so you may wonder why article on landscape installation considerations during this time of year.  It simply is an excellent time for planning and preparing for fall and winter site prep and planting well before it arrives, reducing a time crunch when it is time to plant.

Think healthy plants for our Northwest Florida settings, proper preparation of the site before planting, and many other points to be successful with establishing a landscape that will be enjoyed by all.  This article will address the use of woody ornamental plants, but many things discussed can be applied to perennials and annuals as well. 

Before starting, make sure to do your homework not only on the plants and placement in the landscape, but any county, city, or homeowner association requirements to work within.  Many neighborhoods have review committees for these approvals.  This commitment by you when purchasing property and a home can be a part of the closing papers during the purchase.  If you are required to submit for an approval before work can begin you might want to consider consulting with a professional landscape company to assist in this process.  Always ask for references and sites you can visit before securing services. 

Site preparation can be a afterthought, with limited funding focused on this critical area, but properly addressing it leads to healthy, vigorous plant establishment and future growth.  Understanding the site from soil type and drainage, size of area, sunlight, water availability, plus needs of prospective plants goes a long way to being successful.  If there are plants already established on site that may be worth keeping, be sure to include them in the consideration.  Determining soil drainage, moisture retention that would be available to plants, soil pH and structure will also go a long way to determining the type of plants that work best for the site.  If, for example, your site does not drain well and holds higher levels of water in the root zone area (top 12″ of soil), consider plants that grow well in wet settings.  The next steps are determining soil pH and nutrient needs for general landscape plant growth performance.  Many plants thrive in slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0 to 7.0 range) while others grow best in moderately acidic settings (pH 5.0 to 6.0 range).  Contact your local UF IFAS Extension office in your county for additional information. 

The landscape site brings other considerations for plants to flourish, involving space and light.  Space should be considered both above and below ground.  With the above ground area, is there room for the limbs to expand in width and height?  If pruning is required to manage the size, considering another plant may be a viable option.  Next is the root growth and expansion opportunity for the plant.  If the root area is limited in space, other options may need to be considered to mitigate compacted soils or pavement areas.  Adding raised beds for better soil drainage and increased root growth room may be an option.  Be sure to know your soil type and use a similar soil with characteristic that match the existing soil.  If you do not, there can be incompatibility that leads to a hard pan layer between the soils reducing potential root zone establishment. 

The desire to develop and establish an enjoyable landscape for all to appreciate can be a challenge, but a positive one.  As a reminder, call and go visit with your local UF IFAS Extension office, there is great research information available for the asking.  Enjoy your gardening experience.