How-to Guides
Pre-installation
Getting ready for your Kurapia order
Before you order Kurapia, it’s a good idea to prepare your site: While Kurapia is very easy to plant and adapts to almost any situation easily, here’s a few tips we recommend before ordering and installing. Remember: a more detailed guide is here
Look at your space: Is it going to get sunlight? We suggest your area get at least 4-6 for best results.
Weed Control: First, be sure to note that once Kurapia is established, it’s very hard for weeds to compete with it. However, once you purchase our plugs, they need a little help to get established, and eliminating weeds will help them get their foothold.
Water the weed seeds! If your area hasn’t been exposed to water for a little while, or if it’s been recently rototilled (only recommended for compacted soil), there are more than likely both annual and perennial weed seeds waiting for a chance to grow. The best way to get rid of these weeds is to water the area, let the seeds germinate, then remove with a weeder (either a spray or using a hula hoe)
Remove any perennials grasses (Bermuda, Kikuya, etc.) with strong weed killers made for grasses. While you can control grasses after Kurapia is installed with selective herbicides, it’s always best to give the Kurapia plenty of space to grow and fill out.)
Installing
Planting day!
Kurapia plugs are very easy to install. You can use a trowel, a shovel, spade, or a 2” auger (it’s like a drill for the soil) to give a nice two-inch wide opening to fit the plugs into. After installed, give a good deep watering to give the plugs a good
Soil amending
If you have loose, friable soil, you are ready to plant! If you have compacted soil, you’ll need to rototill or hand till the soil the give the kurapia space to spread out and fill the space. If you have heavy, water logged soil adding sand will help to not only give the kurapia more space to grow, but also improve drainage to prevent disease.
Installation
Kurapia plugs are easy to install! The special “ellepot” design makes inserting into the soil easy and fun. Using a 2” bulb auger (a wide drillbut made for making holes in soil) is the fastest way, but you can also use a trowel, a digging spade, or a digging stick (tamper head is great). As soon it is installed be sure to water each plug thoroughly.
Fertilizer
When the Kurapia arrives at your home, you’ll find the plants green and lush, ready to be planted. However, freshly planted plugs from the trays are going to need a little time to adapt to your soil and get their roots growing. So, don’t use liquid fertilizers on your plants except for ones made specifically for transplanting (such as B-1 fertilizers), but it’s not necessary. After the kurapia is fully established (plugs are 3x the size), you can start using regular fertilizer. One word of warning.. the strong the fertilizer, the more water you’ll need to add in exchange for growth. For more information about fertilizing, go to our support guide.
Watering
Once the plugs are installed, you only need to keep the first 3” of soil water, so you don’t need to water too long. Let your soil tell you how often to water, which depends on weather, soil type, and slope. A good easy test is don’t water again until poking your finger in the soil feels like it’s starting to get dry. Once Kurapia is established, watering becomes deeper and more infrequent. Kurapia roots grow over 6’ long, so the goal is deeper and more infrequent as the plant grows. Once established, watering can be as little as once a week, but this depends on your soil, slope, irrigation style, etc. Be sure to look at our support guide for more info.
Post-installation
Watch it grow
It takes a little time to develop the deep trademark roots for Kurapia. Watering deeper and more infrequent as it fills is how to get the best results. Be sure to look at our support guide for more steps.