Fort Myers Beach • Lee County
Rock & Weed Barrier in Fort Myers Beach, FL
Rock beds make sense on a barrier island where the wind keeps lifting light mulch and sand off the ground, but they still need preparation. Blowing sand settles between the stones, and seeds dropped by birds sprout in it, so a pinned weed barrier under at least a couple of inches of rock matters more here than inland. Brazilian pepper is one of those bird-spread seedlings, and the Town's invasive plant guide, put together with UF/IFAS Master Gardener volunteers, shows how to tell it from look-alikes. Rock also works around the open ground floors of homes rebuilt after Ian, where little grows in the shade and foot traffic is heavy. Keep it well back from the dune: native dune plants are protected, and the Town's dune plan sets the plantings allowed there. Rock does not soak up water the way soil does, so Hodges grades the bed toward a place where rain can drain instead of toward the slab.
or call (239) 301-9455
Where it comes up in Fort Myers Beach
Bay Beach
Fairview Isles
Laguna Shores
Matanzas Pass Preserve area
Plants and materials that suit it in Fort Myers Beach
- Coontie
- Muhly grass
- Saw palmetto
- Florida thatch palm
- River rock
- Pinned landscape fabric
Questions
Why do weeds keep coming up through my rock?
On the beach, wind drops fine sand between the stones and birds drop seeds into it. Over time that sand becomes a thin layer of soil on top of the fabric. Rinsing or blowing out the sand now and then and pulling seedlings while small, especially Brazilian pepper, keeps the bed clean.
Is rock a good idea under my raised house?
It often is, because shaded ground under a rebuilt home rarely supports plants and rock stays put when the area floods. The whole Town sits in a FEMA special flood hazard area, so if the ground-floor area is part of permitted construction, check with the Town before changing grades or adding material there.
Can I put decorative rock on the beach side of my lot?
Not on the dune. Dune vegetation seaward of the coastal construction control line is protected by state rules, and work there generally needs approval. Rock is best used near the house, along walkways and around pools, with native dune plants left to hold the sand.