The Easy Steps to Planting Groundcovers

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Laura Coit

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Groundcovers are helpful garden beauties: They cool the soil, conserve moisture, reduce erosion, discourage weeds and serve as a living mulch beneath trees and shrubs. What’s more, they’re available in a range of textures, colors and sizes. To plant your groundcovers, first determine the correct spacing for your plants. Measure the total area to be covered and divide that by the how far apart the plants should be spaced to give you the number of plants you’ll need. To plant groundcovers from nursery containers, follow the steps shown in the pictures and described in their captions.

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Step 1: Prepare the planting area. Rake and level the soil, adding compost in a layer 1-2 inches deep and working it in. Remove any rocks and debris from the bed.

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Step 2: Mark each planting point based on your garden plan and the spacing requirements as indicated on the plant tag. Dig holes as deep as the growing container and slightly wider.

Tips

Resist the temptation to plant too closely. Groundcovers quickly spread and fill the gaps in a planting. You’ll save money if you plant properly and have the patience to let your plants grow out in a season or two.

Faqs

Q: What are some good groundcovers to consider for my natural garden?
A: Some groundcovers to consider include bugleweed, creeping lilyturf, mint, dwarf plumbago, rosemary, stonecrop, thrift (sea pink), thyme and sweet woodruff. Visit the Learn2Grow Plant Database for more information on these – and other – plants.

Come to The Garden Party and share your groundcover plantings with the rest of the Learn2Grow community! Post some pictures of your perennial beauties, create a blog, or ask our experts or other home gardeners for more great ideas on how to use groundcovers in the landscape.

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