Jupiter Farms, Florida · 33478
Acreage Landscaping in Jupiter Farms
Rural lots on private wells and septic, horses next door, and canals that feed the Loxahatchee. Care here starts with what sits below the lawn.
Request a Property AssessmentJupiter Farms sits in the northernmost part of unincorporated Palm Beach County, west of Florida's Turnpike and south of the Martin County line. Its lanes and canals trace back to a drainage district formed in 1923, now the South Indian River Water Control District, which still handles drainage and roads. The county's neighborhood plan for the area describes a community committed to keeping its rural character, with room for horses, other animals and backyard crops. A landscape program here is planned around paddocks, fence lines and canal banks rather than clipped foundation beds.
Most households draw water from the surficial aquifer and treat wastewater in septic tanks, a point the county plan makes directly. That changes the order of decisions. Partner crews working in Jupiter Farms locate the drainfield and the wellhead before they price a single tree, and they check the irrigation water before choosing drip or spray. The area's canals and the C-14 form headwaters of the Northwest Fork of the Loxahatchee River, so fertilizer placement and grass-clipping handling matter more here than on a typical suburban lot.
The properties
The county's Jupiter Farms Neighborhood Plan recorded most lots at roughly an acre and a quarter, with 485 lots between 2.5 and 5 acres, 44 between 5 and 10, and 18 above 10. The area carries a Rural Residential 10 land use designation, so newly created lots must be at least 10 acres, while lots divided earlier are exempt. In practice that means long, narrow parcels with a house near the road, a pasture or open turf behind it, and a canal or swale at one edge. Maintenance is measured in acres and fence runs, and zoning lines between lawn, paddock and native cover need to be drawn deliberately.
On the ground
What landscapes in Jupiter Farms contend with
Planting around the septic drainfield
UF/IFAS advises only shallow-rooted plants on or near a drainfield, because deep or woody roots can enter the pipes and cause backups. Turfgrass is the usual cover, and it should not be fertilized over the field. Tilling, added soil, mulch, landscape fabric and digging deeper than six inches are all on the avoid list. A sound program starts with a survey showing the drainfield, then keeps trees well back, using the guidance that roots can spread two to three times the canopy width.
Iron in well water
UF/IFAS notes that most Florida well water is high in iron, which leaves rust-colored streaks on walls, fences and even plants when used for irrigation, and can block drip lines. A program on a private well tests the water first, then sets spray heads to keep water off the house and hardscape. Where staining is already established, treatment options named by UF/IFAS include water softeners, oxidizing filters and combined chlorination and filtration systems, selected after the test result.
Creeping indigo along paddocks and paths
Creeping indigo is a low, prostrate weed that UF/IFAS identifies as toxic to horses, with neurologic damage that is largely irreversible. It is most common in high-traffic ground: turf, roadsides, grass parking and overgrazed pasture. Crews mowing lanes, arenas and paddock edges in horse country learn to recognize its pink to salmon flowers and needlelike seed pods. UF/IFAS recommends keeping bahiagrass vigorous through soil testing and proper fertility, avoiding overgrazing, and removing plants physically or with a labeled herbicide.
Bahiagrass and mole crickets
Many larger lots here run bahiagrass, which UF/IFAS credits with better drought tolerance than other Florida lawngrasses and lower nutrient needs, at the cost of tall seedheads and uneven cover. Its most serious insect threat is the mole cricket. A program confirms the pest by comparing damage and identifying specimens before treating, and accepts that bahiagrass mowed on a longer interval reads more like a field than a lawn, which suits this setting.
Local rules
What Jupiter Farms requires
Summaries for planning. The linked source is the authority; rules change.
Palm Beach County fertilizer ordinance
The county's Florida Friendly Fertilizer Use Ordinance, adopted in October 2012, sets a prohibited application period whenever any part of the county is under a National Weather Service flood, tropical storm or hurricane watch or warning, or when two inches of rain or more is expected in a day. Fertilizer may not go within 10 feet of a water body, or 3 feet with a deflector shield. Commercial applicators must hold the state's Limited Certification for Urban Landscape Commercial Fertilizer.
SourceSFWMD year-round irrigation rule applies to wells
The South Florida Water Management District's Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation Measures Rule (Chapter 40E-24, F.A.C.) applies when irrigation water comes from groundwater, as well as from utilities, lakes, ponds and canals. Watering is limited to set days by address, with no watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Micro-irrigation and hand-watering with a shut-off nozzle are excluded. A private well does not exempt a property from the schedule.
SourceHazardous trees on residential property
Under section 163.045, Florida Statutes, a local government may not require a notice, application, permit, fee or mitigation to prune, trim or remove a tree on residential property when the owner holds documentation from an ISA-certified arborist or a Florida licensed landscape architect that the tree poses an unacceptable risk to persons or property. Getting that documentation in writing before storm season is the practical step.
Source
Services in Jupiter Farms
- Estate Landscape MaintenanceMaintenance for Jupiter Farms properties
- Landscape Design & InstallationDesign for Jupiter Farms properties
- IrrigationIrrigation for Jupiter Farms properties
- Tree & Palm CareTrees & Palms for Jupiter Farms properties
- Outdoor LightingLighting for Jupiter Farms properties
- Sod, Hedges & Privacy ScreeningSod & Hedges for Jupiter Farms properties
- Seasonal ColorSeasonal Color for Jupiter Farms properties
- HOA & Property ManagementHOA for Jupiter Farms properties
Landscaping in Jupiter Farms: questions
Can trees be planted near our septic system?
Keep them back. UF/IFAS guidance is that only shallow-rooted plants belong on or near a drainfield, and that tree roots can spread two to three times the canopy width, so a tree with a 30-foot canopy should sit at least 20 feet from the field. Partner crews ask for a survey or as-built showing the drainfield before planning any planting on the property.
Which fertilizer rules apply in Jupiter Farms?
Jupiter Farms is unincorporated, so Palm Beach County's ordinance applies rather than a municipal one. It prohibits application during flood, tropical storm and hurricane watches or warnings, or when two inches of rain or more is forecast in a day, and keeps fertilizer 10 feet from water bodies. Commercial applicators need the state fertilizer certification. Canal-front lots warrant the most care.
Who maintains the canals and swales along our property?
The county's neighborhood plan identifies the South Indian River Water Control District as the body that provides drainage and roads in Jupiter Farms. Landscape crews should not regrade or plant into district canals or easements. Questions about water levels, culverts or work near a canal bank go to the district first, and the landscape plan is drawn around its answer.
How does the network choose a partner for an acreage property?
You describe the property, including acreage, animals, well and septic, and the work you have in mind. The request goes to independent partner companies that have been vetted for licensing and insurance before they receive requests. A partner then schedules a property assessment and proposes a program. You contract with the partner directly.
Nearby estate towns
Sources for this page
- Jupiter Farms location, boundaries, unincorporated status, SIRWCD history from 1923, drainage and roads by SIRWCD: discover.pbc.gov
- Lot size distribution (most ~1.25 acres; 485 lots 2.5-5 ac; 44 lots 5-10 ac; 18 lots 10+ ac) and RR10 designation with 10-acre minimum for new lots: discover.pbc.gov
- Residents draw water from the surficial aquifer and use septic tanks: discover.pbc.gov
- Jupiter Farms canals and C-14 form headwaters of the North(west) Fork of the Loxahatchee, a federally designated Wild and Scenic River; C-18 Canal: discover.pbc.gov
- Jupiter Farms Community Park and Indiantown Road: discover.pbc.gov
- Riverbend Park, 9060 Indiantown Road, Jupiter 33478; equestrian trails; Loxahatchee National Wild and Scenic River: discover.pbc.gov
- Septic drainfield planting guidance (shallow roots, no fertilizer over field, avoid tilling/mulch/fabric/digging >6 in, roots 2-3x canopy, 30-ft canopy tree 20 ft from field, survey first): edis.ifas.ufl.edu
- Florida well water often high in iron; staining; drip clogging; treatment options: ffl.ifas.ufl.edu
- Creeping indigo toxic to horses; habitat; identification; management: edis.ifas.ufl.edu
- Bahiagrass drought tolerance, low nutrient needs, seedheads; mole cricket is most serious insect threat: gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu
- Palm Beach County fertilizer ordinance (Oct 30, 2012): weather-triggered prohibited period, 10 ft / 3 ft setback, commercial applicator certification: web.archive.org
- SFWMD Year-Round Landscape Irrigation rule, Ch. 40E-24 F.A.C., applies to groundwater; no watering 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; low-volume exclusions: www.sfwmd.gov
- F.S. 163.045 residential hazardous tree removal with arborist/landscape architect documentation: www.flsenate.gov
- Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30: www.nhc.noaa.gov
- South Florida dry season runs November through May; wet season roughly late May to mid-October: sfwmd.gov
- ZIP 33478 (Jupiter Farms area addresses, e.g. Riverbend Park): discover.pbc.gov
Property assessment
Request an assessment in Jupiter Farms
- 01Tell us about the propertyTown, property type and what you'd like looked after. Two minutes.
- 02A partner walks the groundsTurf, beds, palms, irrigation and drainage, with you, your manager or staff.
- 03You receive a written programScope, visit schedule and price in writing, before any work begins.
Prefer to talk it through? (561) 319-1104