An irrigation system helps keep your landscaping well-watered, eliminates labor-intensive watering by hand, and aids in saving money. Modern systems are equipped with sensors that can identify when moisture is needed, eliminating overwatering or underwatering. You’ll need to consult with an irrigation professional, who will design and install the system. There are multiple factors that will need to be considered.

Traditional sprinkler irrigation systems deliver water to the top of the ground and the moisture soaks into the ground. It’s the most common type of system used by homes and businesses. You can also utilize a drip irrigation system, a highly effective, efficient and eco-friendly method of watering the landscape. It delivers water directly to the roots through underground installations and it’s beneficial for minimizing weed growth.

Lawn Size

The larger the yard, the more sprinkler heads will be needed and they’ll have to be calibrated to release the correct amount of water over the entire landscape.

Plantings

Plantings have different water requirements that must be met. The sprinkler heads in the irrigation system will need to be adjusted to deliver a specific amount of water within each different zone to ensure moisture amounts are correct for different plantings.

Water Source

Water may contain a variety of minerals that can be detrimental to plants and has the potential to clog irrigation systems with sediment. Water sources may also contain bacteria or algae that can damage plantings.

Rainfall

Normal rainfall will have a significant impact on the irrigation system. It’s just one of the reasons that an irrigation system with moisture detection sensors is so important. The system will only activate when needed. Systems without sensors will activate on a predetermined schedule, which can result in overwatering that kills your plants and lawns if there’s been a recent rainfall.

Soil

The type of soil will be an essential factor in your irrigation system. Different soil types absorb water at different rates. Your irrigation system will need to be calibrated to release different amounts of water, depending on the soil’s absorption rate.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

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With many butterfly species endangered or on the verge of extinction, home gardeners can help by planting a butterfly garden. The flowering plants are brightly colored, many are fragrant, and provide an essential food source for native and migratory butterfly species.

Butterfly Milkweed

Known in many places as butterfly weed, it’s a member of the milkweed family, has brightly colored orange flowers, and provides copious amounts of nectar. The perennial supports Monarch butterflies, a species that experts estimate could be extinct within 10 years without the help of home gardeners. It grows up to 3 ft. tall, with an average of about 1½ ft. Honey bees and hummingbirds like it, too.

Zinnias

Butterflies like taller varieties of zinnias best. They prefer single rather than double blooms and those with a yellow center. The annuals are available in multiple colors, easily grown from seed, and can grow up to 4 ft. tall with dahlia like blooms.

Lavender

The perennial has purple flowers and an attractive scent. It’s a small bush that grows up to 2 ft. tall – including flower stalks. A prolific bloomer, the foliage is attractive when not in bloom and it grows well in just about any soil.

Phlox

A perennial plant, butterflies prefer the taller varieties. Flowers are available in pink, violet, pale blue, white and red and many are fragrant. They attract butterflies, honey bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Coneflower

Also known as echinacea, the plant is highlighted with daisy-like blossoms from summer through fall and attractive to a wide variety of butterflies, honey bees and hummingbirds. It grows 2-4 ft. tall and is available in colors ranging from purple, pink, yellow, red and orange.

Asters

A fall bloomer, asters produce abundant blossoms and attract a variety of butterflies. They provide nectar for adult butterflies and food for the caterpillar stage. They’re available in purple, pink, blue and white. Depending on the species that’s planted, they can grow 1-4 ft. tall.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

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It can be tempting to use a weed killer on your garden to reduce the amount of work involved in keeping it weed free. Don’t do it. You should never apply weed killer to a vegetable garden for a number of very good reasons. Also known as herbicides, it’s important to understand how weed killers work.

The chemicals used in weed killers linger in the soil for months and some remain for years. The spray can drift to kill nearby plants and they can be especially dangerous when it rains. Soil that contains the chemicals can be washed downhill during heavy rains which it affects gardens, lawns, native plants, and waterways. It can also enter the water storage systems that supply drinking water and aquifers.

Some weed killers work by inhibiting or destroying root formation. Others block protein production or photosynthesis. Individuals need protective equipment to apply them. People, pets and wildlife can become sick when exposed to them and they even have the ability to affect DNA. Even after they’ve dried, the residue from weed killers are dangerous and can be tracked into homes and other locations by people and pets.

There are alternatives to weed killers, but they do require more effort. Other options can be highly attractive compared to the dangers and toxic effects of weed killers. Pulling weeds when they’re small prevents them from maturing, flowering, and spreading seeds far and wide.

Home remedies of vinegar, water and dish soap are effective on weeds, but the spray can affect nearby plants. Unlike commercial preparations, the formula doesn’t remain in the soil very long and typically breaks down in 2-3 days – less if it rains.

However, one of the most effective ways to prevent weed growth is mulching. It reduces evaporation and helps retain moisture in the soil, which means less irrigation and reduced water bills. As it decomposes, it adds nutrients to the soil and increases the ability of soil to hold water.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

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Almost anyone can grow a garden and they don’t need acres of space to do it. There are a number of vegetables that grow well in pots and can be placed on patios, decks or next to fences. They can be tucked in any place there’s enough space for the pot in which they’ll grow. A minimum pot depth of 12 in. is required, with sufficient drainage holes. Avoid black pots due to the tropical climate.

Beans

Bush type beans can be grown without support. A climbing variety is happy to ramble over a trellis or vertically on a deck or up a fence with a little help.

Chili Peppers

Multiple varieties are available, each with its own level of spiciness.

Lettuce

Leaf lettuce – rather than head lettuce – grows well in pots and gardeners can choose from varieties in various colors to add interest to dishes. “Baby” leaves can be harvested or individuals can wait until the leaves mature to pick them.

Peas

Just like beans, growing peas in a pot is easy. A dwarf or bushy variety works very well in pots and typically won’t need support. Climbing varieties can be grown in a pot and allowed to climb vertically up a fence, pole or netting.

Spinach

This is a veggie that can even be grown on a windowsill. It has a shallow root system, so be careful when harvesting. Different varieties have different colors and variations in flavor.

Sweet Peppers

Choose traditional bell peppers or one of the long sweet varieties. Both adapt well to being grown in containers.

Tomatoes

Known as a vegetable, but classified as a fruit, its highly productive and needs full sun. Choose a cherry or grape tomato variety. However, one species, the Atlas Hybrid, is a beefsteak tomato created specifically for growing in pots. Just be prepared to provide plant support if needed.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

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Climate change, drought and other factors are leading many people to turn to xeriscaping to conserve water. It’s a landscaping style requiring little water beyond what it receives from the natural climate, or at the very least, minimal irrigation. It provides people with up to 75 percent savings on their water bill and its climate-friendly.

There are 7 principles of xeriscaping: water-smart planning and design; low-water plants; limited grassy areas; water harvesting techniques; efficient irrigation systems; mulch; and proper maintenance. Many individuals that aren’t ready to completely transition to a strict xeriscaping model employ a hybrid option.

In residential areas, over 50 percent of water usage is for gardening, lawns and landscaping. Xeriscaping utilizes drought-tolerant trees and plants, along with mulch, rocks and elements such as statuary. That doesn’t mean that people need to go without bright blossoms or shade around their homes. There are plenty of plants that serve the same purpose and xeriscaping is presenting individuals with unique new possibilities.

Flowers that are drought resistant include daffodils, coneflowers, lavender and California poppy, along with lantana, Russian sage, moss roses, yarrow and cacti. There are also trees that can withstand low-water conditions and produce shade encompassing evergreens, burr oak, Northern catalpa, hackberry, London planetree, and Kentucky coffeetree.

Instead of water-dependent grass, the landscape will include grasses that survive on a fraction of the water needed for a traditional lawn. Xeriscaping encompasses mulching to save moisture, decorative rocks, and companion planting of species that have similar moisture needs. Xeriscaping requires far less maintenance, with weeding and pruning being the primary tasks.

The native plants used in xeriscaping are typically more resilient to pests and don’t necessarily require fertilizer. It eliminates the need for chemicals to control pests and weeds, saves water, provides natural habitats, and preserves native species. It also saves space in landfills and decreases air pollution and noise pollution, with no mowing needed.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

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An exploration of any nursery will yield an abundance of colorfully blooming annual plants. The problem with choosing annuals is that they’re typically offered during spring when they’re blooming profusely, but that may not last. There are a number of annuals that will bloom all summer long to add beauty and interest to your garden.

Ageratum

They make great container plants and can be grown in beds. Offered in blue, violet, pink and white, they grow well in full sun or light shade.

Geraniums

Annual geraniums will tolerate partial shade, but prefer full sun. They’re available in solid and bi-colors in shades of red, orange, white, lavender, pink and salmon.

Fan Flower

The annuals from Australia are pest resistant and drought tolerant. They’re excellent for growing in baskets, containers, and can be used as a bedding plant. They come in colors of blue, purple, white and pink, don’t need to be deadheaded, and do best in full sun to part shade.

Impatiens

Offered in red, purple, violet, yellow, white and pink, they perform best in partial shade where they get 4 hours of filtered sun.

Marigolds

The cheery blooms of red, yellow, orange and bi-colors in single and double blossoms are a welcome addition to any garden. Easy to grow, they bloom profusely all summer.

Moss Rose

The succulents readily self-sow, bloom profusely, do best in full sun, and tolerate dry conditions. Available with single and double blooms, colors encompass pink, yellow, white, orange, salmon, red, peach and lavender.

Tuberous Begonias

The plants are known for their long bloom season, but they require protection from the hot summer sun. They do best with partial shade where they receive 4 to 6 hours of morning sun. They’re available in single and double blooms in colors of red, yellow, orange, pink and salmon.

Zinnia

The tall, profuse bloomers like full sun. Their colors include red, purple, white, lavender, yellow, pink and orange, along with bi-colors. Hybridization has also created a pure green variety.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

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A great many pests can take up residence in your garden. Some are relatively harmless, while others will devastate plantings. Signs to look for include holes in foliage, speckled leaves, and leaves that have a lace-like appearance when insects are the problem. In potted plants outdoors, grubs may have taken up residence around roots. Animals may also be feeding on the roots, leaves, stems, seeds and fruit of your plants.

Insecticides

The formulas are available in solid and liquid forms. They’re effective in addressing multiple types of insects, but they can also result in the death of birds that eat insects that have ingested plants treated with the poison. Insecticides kill indiscriminately and can be the death of pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

Insect Traps

Using Insect traps is a much better solution than insecticides and they’re highly effective. They use pheromones to attract a specific type of insect, where they’re drawn into a device and trapped. The traps can then be tossed in the trash. Another option is to plant varieties that been engineered to be resistant to the predations of insects and diseases.

Animals

A wide variety of animals take advantage of a smorgasbord of garden plants. They include deer and rabbits, and voles and mice, along with squirrels, chipmunks and woodchucks. The best solution is to erect a physical barrier to keep them out or employ live traps. New growth may be nibbled, fruit damaged or missing, or plants eaten completely to the ground. Underground pests are particularly fond of seeds and will abscond with newly planted seeds.

Clean Gardening

Make sure any soil that’s amended into the garden is clean and free of potential insect eggs. It’s also important to leave sufficient space between plants. Crowded plants are more susceptible to insect predation and have weaker growth. Be sure to remove leaves and other types of debris from the area that can attract insects.

Weed Control

Weeds can harbor a great number of insect pests and weeds compete for nutrients that make desirable plants weaker. Mulch is a good way to minimize weed growth.

Beneficial Insects

Attracting lady bugs and similar beneficial insects feed on mites and aphids, along with their eggs and larvae.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

There’s a wealth of advantages to mulching the plants in any yard. The best time of year to mulch is spring when the soil begins to warm, but before the hot days of summer come rolling in. Doing so provides a variety of advantages for the plants and is easier on gardeners.

Supplements Soil

Mulch is an easy way to supplement the soil around trees, bushes, vines and flower beds. Organic mulch breaks down and enriches soil. It’s especially important in landscapes that are built on poor soil. There are many types of mulch from which to choose, with cypress, pine, eucalyptus and cedar being the favorites.

Reduces Evaporation

Mulch reduces the rate at which moisture leaves the soil. It’s an excellent way to conserve water, reduce watering, and save on water bills. A byproduct of reducing evaporation is that it encourages the proliferation of earthworms that are essential for healthier soil.

Reduces Weeds

One of the great things about mulch is that it works to minimize weed growth, which means less work for gardeners. For DIY fans, it’s a good idea to remove as many weeds as possible before laying the mulch.

Beautiful Landscapes

Mulch is available in a variety of colors that enhance the beauty and value of properties. Undyed mulch can begin to turn gray over time and may need to be replaced to maintain the aesthetic value.

Replenishment

Mulch will need to be replenished periodically as it decomposes or becomes discolored. It will typically need to be removed and replaced every 5 years or so, but much will depend on the amount of rainfall, the type of mulch, exposure to sun, and high winds. Mulch of wood bark will typically last longer than mulch composed of wood chips and shredded mulch will need to be replaced most often.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

People can spend thousands of dollars trying to “sweeten” their acidic soil, Acidic soil is typically referred to as sour and there are actually plants that prefer an acidic soil. Some of them include azaleas, hydrangeas, nasturtiums and daffodils. Acidic soil loving plants also include trees such as evergreens, mountain ash, dogwood, magnolias beech and oak. Fruits such as blueberries, raspberries and cranberries also prefer acidic soil.

Soils within a neutral or alkaline range are typically what people strive for in their planting environment. Soil can become acidic from many causes, the most common of which are rainwater and human-based activities. Rain can leach minerals from the soil and environments that receive a significant amount of rain are more likely to have acidic soil.

Carbon dioxide is produced by decaying organic matter. It reacts with water in the soil to form carbonic acid – the same acid that’s present in acid rain. Fertilizers also contribute to creating acid soils and the more fertilizer that’s used, the more acidic the soil will become.

Nutrients

There are a number of nutrients that are more soluble in acidic soils and contribute to the growth of trees. Those grown in acidic soils can more readily absorb iron, aluminum and manganese. Acidic soils have a higher concentration of hydrogen and nutrients such as iron, copper, boron and zinc.

Microbes

Some types of microbes and bacteria reproduce and thrive in acidic soils, which also play a role in a plant’s ability to use nutrients in the soil. However, acidic soil also limits the amount of decomposition that takes place of organic matter.

Solutions

People with acidic soil have a couple of solutions available to them, depending on how much money they want to invest and the type of plants they want to grow. Individuals can spend thousands of dollars to sweeten the soil through the application of lime. The other solution is to grow plants that prefer acidic soils.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

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Swimming pools present specific challenges for nearby plantings. They should provide a level of shade, but not too much. They shouldn’t overhang the pool or drop leaves and blossoms in the water. They must be low maintenance and care, while being able to withstand occasionally being splashed by pool water, and have root systems that aren’t detrimental to the pool.

Areca Palm

A palm with a clumping growth habit, it adds interest to the poolscape with golden yellow trunks and feathery fronds. It typically grows about 20 ft. tall and the canopy will be about 10 ft. wide. They need well-drained soil and grow in full sun to partial shade. It’s a relatively slow grower.

Bamboo Palm

Flowing, feathery fronds provide a truly tropical feel around any pool environment. The drawback to bamboo is that it can be invasive, making this a perfect pool plant for growing in containers. It grows from 4 to 12 ft. tall, depending on the size of the container, and about 3 ft. across. It prefers partial shade and makes a good privacy screen.

Bird of Paradise

Nothing says a tropical environment like bird of paradise. Choose the orange variety with blue and orange blossoms or the white variety that sports blue and white blooms. The white variety is best planted in larger yards as it can grow 30 ft. tall, 10 ft. wide, and have leaves up to 18 in. long. The orange variety grows 3 to 5 ft. tall and can be planted in a container if desired. They need full sun to partial shade.

Croton

The croton brings striking foliage to the pool environment with a mix of red, green, yellow, orange and burgundy. They also sport a variety of leaf shapes, depending on the variety. They grow 3 to 8 ft. tall and have a similar spread. A fairly slow grower, they prefer full sun and the amount of light received will dictate the vibrancy of the colors.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760