Naturescaping™
Welcome To
An Orchid Isle Landscaping Sustainable Maintenance Process
Naturescaping is an upgrade to our current high level of landscape maintenance. A Naturescaping plan is a proactive approach of careful, analytical observations designed to integrate the entire landscape. With a heightened awareness and our experience, we identify imbalances keeping in mind that our actions at each property not only have an impact on the health of that site but the community and the surrounding environments. The team at Orchid Isle Landscaping includes experts in horticulture, turf grass, and irrigation. With this experience, we can conduct a comprehensive site analysis of each area and recommend solutions. Through the Naturescaping process, by making changes in soil, light, water, and sometimes plantings we can bring your landscape back into harmony and balance.
Harmony
We are drawn to the forest or the jungle for its beauty, harmony and balance. In the ideal natural environment, all the individual components function in an interconnected web that radiates health, beauty and growth. Each plant is in the ideal place, receiving nutrients, light and the right amount of water. In bringing nature closer to us in our landscape, the natural balance can be disrupted. The landscape can be artificially maintained with massive doses of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and water. The question is: How do I best re-create nature in my landscape, in a sustainable way that protects our fragile island and surrounding ocean? The team at Orchid Isle Landscaping have developed an ecofriendly, sustainable plan to nurture your landscape, maximizing beauty and minimizing plant and environmental stress.
Balance
A thorough report on each area of your landscape will be generated. The purpose of this report is to make informative recommendations to restore your landscape’s balance.
The Landscape Report consists of:
General Site Analysis
Our staff Horticulturist and Botanist can identify stressed plants and diagnose the cause of that stress. Although many variables exist in the landscape, most plant stress is due to an imbalance of light, wind, salt, pH, moisture/drainage, nutrition, and general soil composition.
Soil Analysis
Much of the coastal area soil is high in salinity due to salt intrusion from irrigation water, ground water salts, and wind. Improper use of expensive chemical fertilizers can exacerbate the salinity problems. Our soil rebuilding program works long term to create a healthy foundation for optimum plant growth. With the total program the salt concentrations are reduced in the root zones. Some plants need more acidic soil amendments to flourish. We use special soil amendments to tailor to the plant's requirements. Drainage of the plant root zone has also been an area of our focus. The soil configuration needs to be modified to match the planting areas optimal moisture content.
Irrigation Analysis
Water conservation is a key component to a responsible and sustainable landscape. Over watering plants can be as stressful as not enough water. Plants experiencing water stress are more susceptible to disease and insect attack. Plants require a balanced irrigation program eliminating excess water. Our experts will customize the irrigation for optimal plant health and efficient water use.
Entomological Analysis
A survey will be taken of the current insect populations, both pest insects on the current vegetation and beneficial insects that help control them. A list of existing insects along with photographs will be documented. In keeping with our company philosophy, we do not use broad spectrum pesticides to combat insect infestations. The misuse of these harmful chemicals is a leading cause of imbalance in a landscape system and a financially and environmentally expensive source of waste.
Responsibility
Once we have taken the time to make our observations, and analyzed the information, it is our responsibility to take action to bring the entire landscape system back into harmony and balance. Our entire staff works as a cohesive group, focusing on the correct priorities and action plans to bring about positive change as quickly as possible. The property will be monitored weekly by our Horticulturist and trained crew and monthly by additional staff specialists.
The Naturescaping Plan includes the following services:
General Site Assessment
Our team of experts will walk the property to create a list of immediate concerns. From that list we can generate solutions and implement an action plan.
Soil Testing
This soil analysis will determine how to manage the salts, fertilizers, compost and pH to provide an optimum growth medium for all plants.
Chemical Reduction Plan
No broad-spectrum pesticide use.
Beneficial Insect Inoculation
We have a healthy and thriving population of beneficial insects at the Joe Roderick Hawaiian Landscapes Nursery. Some of these insects include lady bugs, mealy bug destroyers and lacewings. These are the “Good Guys” in the landscape, and they remain nearly invisible living on the undersides of leaves preying on the pest insects. We will introduce these beneficial insects into your landscape to control whitefly, scale and aphids naturally. Quarterly assessments of the beneficial insect population will be made, and reintroductions will continue until a stable population is established.
Monitoring Plan
This program, by definition, requires consistent observation, weekly and monthly monitoring. The Naturescaping process uses nature itself as the classroom, tuning into the site-specific needs, we will improve and add to the tools needed within your specific landscape.
Irrigation Monitoring
Consistent testing, adjusting, checking for leaks, swampy areas, and seasonal modifications are required to reduce water waste. By running the system and making adjustments to use the correct nozzles, precise angles and run times we customize each water zone to the optimal efficiency.
Additional Recommended Services
Gyp/Com Program
This program provides the key components to increasing the organic materials that plants need for overall health. It also lowers the salt concentrations in the root zones. This program includes the supply and application of gypsum and compost with natural fertilizers to shrubs, ground covers, trees, palms and lawns as needed.
Foliar Feeding Plants
Compost tea is a natural liquid fertilizer made from local materials and inoculated with indigenous microorganisms (IMOs). This compost tea is a natural version of a popular commercial liquid fertilizer. It contains everything present in the natural environment with no chemicals or off island inputs.
Plumeria Care
These focal points of the landscape deserve special time and attention. With the applications of natural fertilizers, compost tea, and high-pressure water jetting we have a proven plan to get them to thrive.
Plant Placement Recommendations
Sometimes landscape issues can be solved by moving plants to different areas. Lower water requirement plants may suffer in the same area with lush tropicals with high water requirements. We will spot these areas and make recommendations for improvement.