Ground covers are any woody or herbaceous perennial plant that spreads to cover an area. They are usually low maintenance. Secondarily, they may provide seasonal interest from flowers, fruit, and interesting textures. Often they are used to stabilize slopes, thereby controlling erosion to areas with poor growing conditions. Most ground covers are low growing, while a few are not low growing to the ground.
Considerations
• Best planting time is in the spring, allowing plants to have a long growing season.
• Arrange new plants in staggered rows.
• Mulch new plants to control weed growth and to retain soil moisture.
• Water regularly when first planted using a slow drip irrigation. This is especially beneficial where slopes are involved as water tends to run off when applied at high rates. Once established, water it in times of drought.
• Fertilize lightly after first year with an appropriate fertilizer.
Ground Cover Spacing and How to Figure the Number of Plants You Will Need
Select the required spacing of the ground cover plants in the left column. Divide the number of square feet in your planting area by the corresponding number in the right column. The resulting figure is the number of plants required to cover the area.
Space Denominator
4” ...................................................... 0.11
5” ...................................................... 0.25
8” ...................................................... 0.44
10” .................................................... 0.70
12” .................................................... 1.00
15” .................................................... 1.56
18” .................................................... 2.25
24” .................................................... 4.00
36” .................................................... 9.00
48” .................................................. 16.00
Example: To cover a 10’ x 10’ planting bed with plants spaced at 15”, determine the square footage (10’ x 10’ = 100 sq. feet). Then divide by 1.56 (from chart). The answer is 64.10, or 64 plants.
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