Landscaper’s Secret for Keeping Your Florida Cap Rock Clean

Almost no Florida landscape is complete without some type of stonework, and one of ArtisTree’s top favorites is cap rock – a limestone quarried in our own state and used for rock walls, accent pieces, waterfalls and planters.

While cap rock is lovely to look at and has that perfect tropical feel, we still get asked all the time on how to keep it clean. First, a little history. Cap rock serves as a “cap” over layers of sand 10-15 feet in depth. While it has a long, mostly flat look, most pieces (up to six feet in length and sometimes more) come with natural nooks perfect for tropical foliage.

As you might guess, these nooks collect rain water, and after a time may turn various shades of green or even dark gray. How do you keep it clean without scrubbing for hours?

Simple. Purchase a bottle of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner at your local home improvement store. Since cap rock is a pervious material that absorbs moisture, it will soak up your application of Simple Green and return to its original color of creamy beige or gray. Just a few mists on a sunny day followed by a quick rinse an hour or so later should do the trick. Because it’s biodegradable, it won’t hurt your plant material, but it’s always a good idea to rinse any surrounding foliage. Bacteria will break the product down so it won’t persist in the environment.

Now that you don’t have to worry about green residue on your boulders, why not ask a professional designer for ideas on how to incorporate versatile cap rock into your landscape? One good source to get your project rocking is ArtisTree Landscape Maintenance & Design; 941.488.8897. Happy designing!

Category Hardscapes/Outdoor Living, Landscape Design, News, Landscaping Tips, Boulders, Cap Rock