For any plantings done by the homeowner or SCRIVNER'S, Below is a basic guideline on cares and upkeep on new installations.

Landscaping is an investment that can add value to your home. It will provide many years of personal satisfaction and pleasure. It makes a statement of pride. the following is a guide for maintenance program. Every situation is different and may require adjustments. Scrivner's Landscaping checks all the items below and makes adjustments to give the best condition possible for a beautiful and long lasting landscape. Our guarantee is your satisfaction and nothing else will be accepted. You must maintain your landscaping for it to continue to grow and stay beautiful.

A good understanding of the following is a good beginning.

In order to maintain your landscaping (turf grass, landscape plants, trees) you must first understand what they need and when they need it.
Three important factors must be considered when planning your landscape and kept in mind when you are maintaining your landscaping SOIL, WATER & FERTILIZER .

1. Soil: Unfortunately, most soils in Southwest Florida are of poor quality and have very few nutrients.

2. pH: Depending upon the area, the pH normally ranges from (7.0 to 9.0) this range of pH causes problems growing healthy plants, trees, shrubs and grass. Ninety five percent of our plants, trees, shrubs and grasses like a slightly acid soil. A soil with a pH range of (6.0 to 7.0) satisfies most requirements.

3. Checking pH: You can have the pH checked free at scrivner's Garden Center.

4. We recommend the following products to help maintain a good pH:
• Hi-Yield Ionate
• Hi-Yield Soil sulfur
• Premium pellets for your lawn grasses
• Earth food for planting and mulching
• Grow-Plex G the best all around product you can buy.

5. Water: Watering your new grass, plants, trees, and shrubs is very important. The object of Watering is to maintain the area around the root ball as evenly moist as possible. How much and how long to water is difficult to state in specific terms because of the different kinds of soil we have in Southwest Florida.

6. Guidelines: for watering new landscaping:
• Water slowly with the hose turned on 1/4 strength.
• Time how long it takes to fill a one gallon container and use that time as a guide.
• Shrubs up to 3 feet: two gallons of water per shrub every other day for 15 days and two gallons every third day for 15 days.
• Trees up to seven feet: four gallons of water every other day for 15 days and four gallons every third day for 15 days.
• Trees from eight feet to twelve feet: six gallons of water every other day for 15 days and six gallons twice a week for 30 days.
• Trees from twelve to twenty four feet – twelve gallons of water every third day for 30 days and twelve gallons of water twice a week for 60 days.

7. Water slowly: Take care, water slowly and let the water penetrate the soil.

8. Water in the cool of the day.

9. Rainfall and Temperature: Take in account rainfall and temperature.

10. Too much water: Too much water is just as bad as not enough water.

WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU HAVE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM PRIOR TO LANDSCAPING.

• An irrigation system should be installed with shrub heads for your shrubs, tree emitters for your trees and rotary or mist heads for your grass. The irrigation system should have an automatic timer with times set up to give the proper amount of water for each segment of your landscaping.
• It is very important that you specify to your irrigation contractor all the coverage that you want and expect.
• Do not assume you are getting the proper amount of coverage.
•Check the system once a week.

11. Fertilizer: Most of the soil in SW Florida is lacking in nutrients required to grow healthy grass, trees, and shrubs. For this reason, it is important that we fertilize according to their needs.

12. New plantings: New plantings should not be fertilized for 30 days after installation.

13. Fertilize four times per year: All landscape plants, trees, shrubs, grass need to be fertilized four times per year

14. Certain Plants: Certain plants such as roses need to be fertilized more often.

15. Fertilize Sheets:We have special care sheets for roses, Lawn grasses, citrus, palms and acid loving plants. You can pick up those sheets at Scrivner’s Garden Center or send us a self-stamped envelope to Scrivner’s Garden Center at 1211 Seaboard St. Ft Myers Florida, 33916 and we will send you the care sheets you ask for.

Maintenance is not hard, but does require you to follow a maintenance program. Your eyes are the most important part of a good maintenance program. If something in your landscaping does not look good to you, there is a good chance that something is wrong. If you do not recognize the problem, give us a call or come in with a sample of what you think is wrong. Early detection of a problem is the key to a quick cure and a healthy landscape.

This material is basic guide for your landscape maintenance. It is impossible to cover all aspects of a good maintenance program in one care sheet Keeping a healthy landscape is not luck. A good
Maintenance program is the key.