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Home My Public Portal AboutPlanterBoxBrochure2015Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Web Site: www.stlmsd.com 24-Hour Hotline 314.768.6260 Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Get to Know Some of the Weeds that Should be Removed Maintenance & Inspection Tips for Planter Box Ow ners Get to Kn ow Some Common Weeds that Should be Removed Performance: To ensure proper perform ance, visually inspect that stormwater is infiltrating properly into the planter box soil and that there is discharge from the underdrain during large wet weather events. W ater ponding in a planter box for more than 24 hours m ay indicate a problem . Native plantings: Because the y are m ore tolerant of the local clim ate, soil and water conditions, na- tive plants are recomm ended for rain gardens. Na- tive plants are preferable to ease m aintenance of the planter box. Ponding Water: Following a rain event, it is norm al to see shallow puddles in the planter for a day or two. Resist the urge to fill in these shallow areas. If water is still present after three da ys, it m ay be necessar y to rak e or poke shallow holes in the soil. If water still rem ains, corrective m easures m ay include inspection for soil com paction and underdrain clogging, replacem ent of the top la yer of soil and m ulch, backflusing of the underdrain or replacem ent of the underdrain and soil. Weeding: W hen the plants in your planter box are establishing them selves, weed growth is comm on. W eeding, either by pulling or spot use of herbicides, helps to elim inate weed growth and preserve your plantings. Blanket use of herbicide is NOT recommended. Diligent weeding during the first years typically results in plantings that, by year three, are m ature enough to crowd out most weeds. Watering: Mature plants, especiall y if native plants used, should not require additional watering, ex- cept during periods of drought. W atering is m ore im portant during the earl y stages when plants are still establishing them selves. Trimming & Pruning: Beginning in late winter or early spring, trim plants near the surface with a string trimmer or pruner, and rem ove dead veg- etation to encourage new growth. Shrubs m ay be pruned to give them the shape you prefer. Fertilizing: You m ay wish to fertilize your planter box during the first year to help establish health y plants. Beyond the first yea r, fertilizing is unneces- sar y because it stim ulates weed growth and m ay reduce water qualit y benefits. Mulching: A la yer of two to three inches of m ulch should be installed on the surface of your planter box. Replacing old m ulch each spring im proves its appearance and drainage. Mulch should be free of soil, weed seeds and herbicide. Pine bark and “chipped” mulch are not recommended for use dur- ing m aintenance. Trash: Leaves, lawn clippings and other trash should be removed as needed. Leaves or grass clippings should NOT be spread in a planter box. CASTOR-BEAN COMMON RAGWEED CURLY DOCK YELLOW NUT SEDGE POKEWEED WINT ER CREEPER EUONYM US Resources Show M e Rain Gardens www.showmeraingardens.org Missouri Botanical Garden www.mobot.org MSD BM P Toolbox www.stlmsd.com/engineering/planreview/bmptoolbox Metropolitan St. Louis Sew er District Division of Environmental Compliance 10 East Grand Avenue St. Louis, MO 63147-2913 Phone: 314.768.6260 Your MSD www.stlmsd.com @Your MSD Planter Boxes Post-Construction Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) Ow nership and Maintenance Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Web Site: www.stlmsd.com 24-Hour Hotline 314.768.6260 Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District PRAIRIE What is a Planter Box? Every time it rains, stormwater that flows down roofs contributes to higher runoff volume and may transport pollutants to streams and lakes. A planter box is a planted area where rainwater collects. Think of a planter box as a sponge -- an environmentally friendly sponge -- that is designed to soak up much of this Planter Box Routine Maintenance Schedule T he following schedule outlines typical routine m aintenance activities and item s to look for when inspecting your planter box: Native Plants Recommended For Planter Boxes runoff before it can do damage. Planter boxes are elevated structures containing plants, shrubs, or trees that are used when roof downspouts can be disconnected from the sewer system and re-directed. Planter boxes offer “green space” that provides a soil/plant mixture suitable for stormwater capture and treatment. Rainfall is retained and stored in the soil within the planter boxes and the vegetation intercepts rainfall. Pollutants are reduced as the stormwater ponds and infiltrates through the planter box soil. Pollutants are then absorbed by the soil particles. Benefits Of A Planter Box Improves w ater quality. The plantings, soil and gravel in the planter box helps to filter contaminants from stormwater run-off, improving the quality of the water that recharges local groundwater and waterways. Planter boxes are often used in urban environments as stormwater best manage - ment practices in order to improve water quality. Low ers the volume of water entering public sewer s ystems. By diverting this water, planter boxes decrease the flow to our wastewater treatment plants during storms, when flow typically peaks. Reduces sewer overflows and flooding. Planter boxes FEBRUARY AND MARCH Remove trash and debris. Prune bushes and trim other plants n e a r t o the surface. Rem ove old, com pacted m ulch and replace with new m ulch. APRIL AN D MAY Replace or rem ove diseased, undesirable, or dead plants. Separate or m ove plants, if desired. Pull weeds. JUNE THROUGH AUGU ST Water plants during extremely dry periods. SEPTEMBER AND OCTOB ER Remove trash and debris. ARROWHEAD SAGIREAR IA GRAMINEA 1-2’ JUNE-SEPTE MBER BUTONBUSH CEPHAFANRHUS OCCIDENAFIS 3-6’ JULY-AUGUST CARDINAL FLOWER LOBELIA CORDINALIS 2-4’ JUNE-SEPTE MBER RIVER OATS CHASMANTHIUM LORIFOLIUM 2-3’ FALL COLOR SNEEZEWEED HELENIUM AUTUMNALE GREAT BLUELOBELIA LOBELIA SIPHILIT ICA 2-4’ AUGUST-SEPTEMBER MOUNTAIN MINT PYCNANTHEMIM VIRGINIANUM 2-4’ JULY-SEPTE MBER NEW ENGLAND ASTER ASTER NOVAE-ANGLIAE 1-5’ AUGUST-OCTOBER help reduce runoff, which in turn helps to minimize com- bined sewer overflows, localized flooding and erosion. Maintenance Costs Replace or rem ove any diseased, undesirable, or dead plants. Pull weeds, but leave gras ses and flowers in place over the winter. CULVER’S ROOT VERONICASTRUM 2-6’ AUGUST-OCTOBER PALM SEDGE MUSKINGUMENSIS Planter boxes can be constructed of various materials including, stone, concrete, brick, synthetic lumber or wood. Planter boxes come in all shapes and sizes. Pollutants that The cost for maintaining a planter box is similar to the cost for maintaining a rain garden, which is approximately $4 to $8 per square yd. Additional maintenance costs may be associated with the structural maintenance of the physical planter box. A general rule of thumb to estimate annual maintenance costs is to use 3-6% of the construction costs of the post construction stormwater BMP. Ensuring routine preventa- Check for adequate m ulch cover. Repair an y eroded areas within the planter box. ANYTIME Check for standing water that rem ains after three days. While not routine, replacement of soil and underdrain VIRGINICUM 3-5’ JUNE-AUGUST GIANT BUR-REED STIFF GOLDENROD SOLIDAGO RIGIDA 2-4’ JULY-OCTOBER 1-3’ AUGUST-OCTOBER BLAZING STAR are absorbed and degraded through the plants and soil in the planter box include bacteria, nitrogen, phosphorus, oil, grease and other pollutants. tive maintenance is completed on a routine basis will help deter higher costs associated with non-routine restorative maintenance. may be required during the lifetime of the pl anter box. Ensure downspout and overflow clear of debris SPARGANIUM EURYCARPUM 1-3’ MAY-JUNE LIATRIS PYCNOSTACHYA 2-4’ JULY-SEPTEMBER