Sometimes something is done incorrectly and everyone copies it over and over until it appears to be the correct and true thing to do.
This occurs frequently in landscaping. An example of this would be Crape Murder- pruning back Crape Myrtles to stumps. This practice and name “Crape Murder “ was from a 1997 article in Southern Living magazine. That was 23 years ago and the practice is still being done.
It is important to find reliable sources for information. And that includes landscaping and plant care. The County Extension Service is always a good source of info. The University of Florida has great information on any gardening subject. When you Google any gardening subject add Florida to it and usually a blog will come up from the University of Florida (for example Ferns in Florida). Also a very good source of info is www.south-florida-plant-guide.com
Another one of these mistakes that causes countless problems is improperly spaced plantings and overcrowded plantings. I just drove by 2 very large commercial projects with plants planted so close, they were touching. The only benefit to planting this close is to give the landscaper twice as much profit!
If you buy a plant, you should find out the mature size of that plant by researching online or asking a professional at an independent Nursery or Garden Center
Let’s take a common plant that many people buy and put in their yards, a Hibiscus . A 3 gallon size Hibiscus measures about 2’ tall and 18” wide. HOWEVER, this plant will grow to 10’ tall or more and 6-8’ wide!!
A hibiscus should be planted no closer than 5-6’ from any other plant. However, I see them regularly planted right on top of other plants. Even if you are growing a hedge of hibiscus you should still plant the shrubs no closer than 4’ apart.
Now that I am telling you to space your plants, I will tell you why it is important. Here are some of the ways that proper spacing can be beneficial:
1. You save money- fewer plants
2. The plants have enough room to grow
3. You save on maintenance time because you are not constantly cutting plants back to keep them from overtaking other plants. That can be your own labor or that of a maintenance crew.
4. You cut down on watering because there is less competition for the water. Where three plants are competing for water, now you only have one plant.
5. With enough room, plants are allowed to keep their natural form and it is unnecessary to hack them back into weird shapes.
The rule of thumb is- look at a plant’s mature width (that number is usually in a range such as 3-4’). Plant the plant minimally 3’ from the center of surrounding plants. When you plant your bed, you should have the feeling that it looks a little sparse. Within 6 months you will be happy with the look. Here are some pictures of some properly spaced plantings.
