Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
At Grow Rite Landscape, we believe in quality and durability. Paving stones are more durable than concrete, withstanding harsh Midwestern freeze-thaw cycles and heavy loads such as the weight of your vehicle. Paver repairs are more straightforward and less expensive. They require the removal and replacement of a small portion of your hardscape versus removing and replacing the entire area of concrete.
We are an Authorized Unilock Contractor, and we generally use Unilock products. Unilock products go through a manufacturing process that results in their strength being up to 4 times stronger than poured concrete. Some of the pavers available at your local store are lower quality. They are made by simply pouring traditional concrete into a mold.
Many times, we can drop off samples for you to view for a few days. You may also visit Unilock to view the pavers laid out. We also have an extensive photo gallery of projects we have completed to get a feel of how everything will look when it all comes together.
Customer demand has dictated a wide selection. Like anything, it is good to have a variety of choices. You can base your selection on price, preferred color, design, or a bit of each.
Grow Rite Landscape Management LLC provides a five-year guarantee on the workmanship and materials of all hardscape installation services and a one-year guaranty on the settling of polymeric sand. If your project uses Unilock pavers, you are eligible for the Unilock Transferable Lifetime Guarantee.
We have a one time, one-year replacement for our plant materials. We do not guaranty any plants you have purchased on your own or anything you have asked us to transplant.
You can plant at any time of the year. Planting in the Spring, early summer, and fall gives the roots time to acclimate. Planting during the peak of summer is still fine; plants need to then be watered more often so they do not suffer from heat stress. We can install pavers until the ground freezes and then again when the ground thaws in the early Spring.
It is not necessary to prune shrubs and perennials in the first year of being planted. The following year in the Spring, you can remove any dead foliage from the winter on perennials leaving about 3″ to the ground. For shrubs, you can prune 1/4 – 1/3 of the top to shape. Do not prune more than 1/2 the size of the shrub. After the blooming of any perennial or shrub, you can lightly prune where the flower stem meets the foliage (about 4-6″ from the top). Most perennials need to be cut down in the fall. It is best to get on our maintenance program, so the pruning is done correctly.
Plants are somewhat like people; not all shrubs will be the same in height and width. It would be upon shaping and pruning the shrubs to create more of a uniform look. Most shrubs and perennials take at least 2-3 years to get fuller in size with more blooms.
Plants require nutrients to have healthy foliage and encourage more blooms. You can find products such as Miracle-Grow at may local retailers that work well.
The process would depend on the type of hydrangea you have installed. Not all hydrangeas can have their color changed by adjusting the PH in the soil. Choose a Macrophylla Hydrangea variety like Endless Summer or Twist n Shout if you want a true blue color. Organic Espoma brand makes a garden lime for pink hydrangeas and a soil acidifier to turn hydrangeas blue. Also, adding coffee grounds to the soil will help keep hydrangeas blue. Blue flowers need a PH of 5.5 or lower, pinks are 6.5 or Higher.
Test the soil by placing your fingers 2-3 inches deep into the soil in the areas around the roots to test for moisture content. Apply water when the soil is dry. If it is wet, hold off watering and check again later.
Watering in the earlier morning hours are best. Watering in the evening encourages more insects and fungus. Watering in the heat of the day causes rapid evaporation and can burn the leaves of some plants. However, if you must water in the afternoon – that is clearly better than not watering at all.
Please take a picture of the plants and email it to us. We will do a walk-thru for our guaranty replacements at the end of May or early June when we can see the foliage. March and April is too early to determine if a plant is alive or dead.
Many projects can be completed in phases. You can work with your designer to decide what will be in your best interest to do now and what can be delayed. Your designer can also look into different types of plants or materials to better align with your budget.
Choosing stone over much, planting perennials instead of annuals, and choosing evergreen vs. deciduous shrubs can minimize the amount of time it takes to keep your property looking great.
We can select plant varieties that will generally mature near your desired heights. Keep in mind as long as the plant is alive, it will continue to grow. Some plants grow faster than others.
You are the one who will be viewing and using your outdoor space. We look for your thoughts and suggestions to tailor your landscape project around your family’s wants and needs and we want this space to be something you will enjoy for years to come. Our office may send a questionnaire out before you meet with a designer. All decision-makers of the household should complete the questionnaire together so we are confident we are creating the best design for your family.
Grow Rite will provide you a plan and an itemized proposal. It is not possible to give you an accurate cost without going through the design and proposal process.
YES! You can request any type of plant you would like for your project.
All plants have some toxicity to them. In most cases, it is impossible to consume enough of the plant to cause a health concern. Dogs will get sick when they digest too much grass, even if it has never had fertilizer or pesticides applied. Many perennials are used for medicinal purposes.
Our profit margins are not as high as you may think. The administrative costs exceed the profits of smaller jobs. Our minimums are $4,500 for new construction projects and $2,500 for maintenance programs.
We order plants from various nurseries as each job is contracted and only purchase what we need. There are not extra plants on hand to view.
We do not have a guaranty from the nurseries. Each plant is paid for when we need to replace the plant on top of the price of the original plant.
We schedule the jobs in the order we receive your accepted proposal and the required down payment.
Each job is unique. We can give you a timeline once we have created your plans.
Yes! We have many happy customers that are excited to share their experience with you. We also have an extensive gallery of completed jobs on our website.
Cash, checks, debit cards, and credit cards are accepted. We have a minimum of $8,000 per project that can be applied to a project using a credit or debit card. After that, there is a 3% fee.
We account for that, and an item will be in the proposal for the repair.
When your design plans are completed, we will provide you with a free proposal and the opportunity to review your project’s design plans. There is no charge for the initial plan and proposal, and we will do two additional revisions (a total of three plans) at no charge. However, if there are more than two revisions are requested, we ask for a non-refundable commitment deposit of $500.00. When you approve your design plans and proposal, this deposit will be applied to your project. Respectfully, our designers spend a lot of time & planning to create your custom landscape design. Therefore, our design plans are protected and cannot be duplicated by another company.
Respectfully, our designers spend a lot of time & planning to create your custom landscape design. Therefore, our design plans are protected and cannot be duplicated by another company.
Our designers create plans for our crews to install. They can not be purchased if we do not also do the installation.
The project is reviewed with the Production Staff, and the plans are comprehensive. Typically, the designer does not need to visit the site during the construction process unless a design issue has developed. In most cases, any problems that may arise will be resolved on-site.
The crew will ask the client to contact the office. A designer will then review the request and create a change order.
A final walk around is done at the end of the project to ensure your satisfaction. Any issues can be addressed at that time. Payment for your completed project is also collected on this visit.
We appreciate the referral, as they do account for the majority of our new business. To keep costs fair, we do not participate in any referral programs. If you want your friends and family to love their project, you will want to do them a favor and refer Grow Rite to them. They will appreciate it, and you will be their hero!
Yes, as long as you have the plants available when your project is being completed. We will add the cost of labor to the job for planting your plants. We will not guaranty any of the plants you supply yourself if they should die. If you wish to re-purchase those plants we can plant them for you for an additional charge.
Planting annuals is something we typically leave up to the homeowner. We can prepare annual beds as part of your construction project if you would like to include those. Just let your designer know.
Grow Rite is a very competitive company. Various websites can be utilized to see how Grow Rite has been reviewed and rated. You can also view our photo gallery of completed projects to see how our quality of work compares to other companies in the area.