Groundcovers Tips
Read these 10 Groundcovers Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Lawn tips and hundreds of other topics.
Groundcover Advantages
If you plant a groundcover under trees and shrubs that grow in a lawn it will ensure that string trimmers stay well away from vulnerable bark. They also help define space by providing a transition between the lawn area, trees, shrubs and flowerbeds.
Beneficial Groundcovers
A bonus of groundcovers is that once established, they eliminate work by forming a dense mat of vegetation that suppresses weeds and, unlike grass, they usually don't require much raking or cleanup.
Thirsty Grass!
A typical, suburban 5,000 square-foot lawn transpires about 3,000 gallons of water on a hot summer day. If this water is not supplied by rain, it must be applied by some other means.
See the tip on building your own "poor man's sprinkler system" under Sprinklers.
Watering Groundcovers
Newly planted ground covers require regular watering. Under normal circumstances, 1 inch of water applied every 5 to 7 days is usually enough to establish your new plants. Check the soil in the root zone and if it feels dry, apply enough water so that the soil is moist to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.
Fertilizing Groundcovers
If you leave organic matter like fallen leaves, small twigs and spent flowers on the ground it will make supplemental fertilizing for groundcovers unnecessary. Soil micro-organisms will break the organic matter down into humus, which will feed the groundcover.
Sound Barrier
Turfgrass functions as a noise barrier. Studies at the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratory in Geneva, Illinois, found Kentucky bluegrass turf absorbed more sound than a heavy carpet on a felt pad.
Weeding Groundcovers
You will have to be extra diligent when preparing your area for a groundcover if the site contains perennial weeds such as creeping charlie, thistle or bindweed. They are persistent and difficult to control even in established groundcovers because of regeneration from their root fragments. You may try treating them with a nonselective broadleaf herbicide applied with a brush, cloth or wick applicator, but CARE is advised since these herbicides will kill the ground cover if it is applied to their foliage.
Planting Groundcovers
In colder areas, plant groundcovers in the spring especially for rooted cuttings or bare-root plants. They will have a longer growing season to get established. Early fall is okay but don't wait too late into the season since plants can suffer from frost heaving. In warmer areas, they can be planted almost any time. Be sure they are watered regularly if the rains don't suffice.
Planting In Heavy Shade
Don't bother with grass under a heavy leaf canopy. Plant the space with a shade-tolerant ground cover, such as ivy or periwinkle. Keep climbing specimens clipped back 6 inches from the trunks.
Groundcovers For Slopes
Top an exposed slope with hardy ornamental grasses. Plant a steep slope with a deep-rooted ground cover, such as pachysandra. It prevents soil erosion and will never need mowing.
