Ground covers are a great thing for gardeners: they promote good soil quality, are easy to care for and are often a simple, unobtrusive ornament. Below you will find out which species are suitable for which purposes and when they should be planted.
When and how should you plant ground cover?
Ground cover plants are best planted in late summer, as most weeds are less vigorous at this time. Before planting, remove all weeds and plant debris and add mature compost to the soil. Place bark mulch between plants to prevent weed growth.
Ground cover – the advantages
Ground cover plants have - hence their name - the typical property of covering the ground generously. They cover larger areas of earth with their leaves, branches and roots - and thus have some positive effects. On the one hand, they loosen the soil, keep it moist and ensure humus-rich and revitalized soil. On the other hand, they, especially the evergreen species, protect the ground from weed overgrowth, from strong temperature fluctuations and from intense sunlight.
The ground cover services at a glance:
- loosen the soil
- keep it moist
- provide humus-rich and living soil
- shadow the ground
- keep weeds at bay
So why plant ground cover?
Basically, planting ground cover plants is ideal wherever there should be no tall, visible vegetation, but otherwise bare areas would arise. They can also strengthen the soil in these places and protect it from strong weather influences and soil erosion.
Ground cover plants are also a practical solution where you don't want to constantly pull weeds, such as in the front garden or when planting graves.
Ground cover can also be suitable as a filler in flower beds. Small, flat cushions between tall perennials can have a varied and relaxing effect.
Ground cover plants can also serve as underplanting for certain trees or shrubs that have sensitive roots and do not like rough, manual tillage. A ground cover can gently keep weeds away, ensure growth-promoting soil life and often create a nice visual contrast to flowering trunks.
Possible planting grounds for ground cover:
- as surface filler in areas that should remain hidden from view
- as a floor fastener
- as a convenient, natural weeder in the front garden
- as a gap filler in flower beds
- as root-friendly, weed-repellent and invigorating underplanting for trunk trees
The best ground cover species for special planting areas
For keeping weeds away
Evergreen ground cover plants are particularly suitable for keeping open areas in the front garden or on graves permanently free of annoying weeds. Only they form a closed carpet of plants in winter and prevent weeds from sprouting early in the year. Good weed inhibitors and their benefits are:
- Evergreen – dense carpet of plants
- Ysander – attractive leaf structure and frost hardy
- Ivy – simple and hardy
- Creeping spindle – thrives in sun and shade
- Yellow elf flower – very tough roots, no chance for weeds
For decorative purposes
If ground cover plants offer an attractive spectacle in addition to their practical purpose, two birds are killed with one stone. Decorative species and their visual properties are:
- Creeping spindle – with subtle, pink color accents in the foliage
- Balkan Cranesbill – delicate, tall flowers
- Carpet goldberry – full, shapely leaves, yolk-yellow flowers
As underplanting
Ground cover plants with loose roots are particularly suitable for planting under shrubs or tree trunks, which protect the ground beneath the tall plant but do not disturb its roots. Suitable varieties for this are:
- Foam blossom - dense, broad layer of leaves, but permeable root system - leaves e.g. rhododendrons enough space for roots to develop
- Spotted lungwort – light roots, covering the entire area, pretty contrasting decoration with spotted leaves
As bed filling
Dense, robust ground covers that form cushions are particularly suitable as gap fillers in beds. It is best to always plant them at the front of the bed so that they are not hidden by tall perennials. Also pay attention to a suitable structural change in the overall appearance of the bed. Good ground cover varieties for beds are:
- Feather pads – can definitely amount to
- Cushion thyme – also relatively hardy, scented in predominantly odorless perennial beds
Planting ground cover plants – how and when
If you want to fill an area with a ground cover, how and when depends on the location and what you intend to do with it.
If you just want to fill an otherwise bare area, you can buy easy-care varieties by the meter from specialist retailers. Depending on the growth rate of the variety, you need between 12 and 24 plants per square meter. If you want the plant cover to close quickly, it is better to calculate a little more than too little.
The point in time
Ground cover plants are best planted in late summer. Because at this point most of the weeds have exhausted themselves and are no longer as vigorous. This makes it easier for you to establish the ground cover. At the same time, the ground cover still has enough time to establish itself in the ground before winter comes. Before planting, you should still thoroughly remove all weeds and other plant residues. To make it easier for the ground cover to grow and thrive, you can add some mature compost to the substrate.
Growing aids
While the ground cover is growing, it obviously doesn't have much to counteract emerging weeds. However, hoeing in ground cover areas is generally taboo - it damages the densely branched root system, which is of course particularly sensitive in the young plant phase. A good solution to this problem is to cover the spaces between the plants with bark mulch (€13.00 on Amazon). It keeps weeds away in a natural way and does not disturb the growth of the ground cover.
