Weeding and hoeing regularly, home remedies or the increasingly unpopular chemical weapon: you don't have many more options for effectively combating annoying weeds. However, there are some ornamental plants that grow so sprawlingly that they can crowd out weeds. You can find out what these are and how to plant them correctly in the following article.
Which plants can naturally suppress weeds?
To effectively combat weeds, you can use sprawling ornamental plants and ground cover such as elfin, ysander, periwinkle, lady's mantle or bergenia. These plants form dense carpets that crowd out weeds by taking up light and space.
Ground cover suppresses weeds
Weeds or moss spread, especially in places where other plants tend to thrive. Attractive ground cover forms dense carpets so that unwanted weeds can no longer spread.
When choosing plants, be sure to pay attention to the location so that the green cover quickly closes due to the strong growth.
What plants are there that crowd out weeds?
There are a variety of ground cover plants that are suitable for this purpose:
Shadow prefers varieties like:
- Elf Flower
- Ysander (fat man)
- Evergreen
- Hazelroot
- Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla)
- Foam Blossom
- Magnificent spar.
The following are suitable for partially shaded to sunny locations:
- Carpet Knotweed
- Stony Seed
- Blue Fescue
- Wollziest
- Purple bells
- Bergenie
- Ground cover roses.
Not all ground cover plants are evergreen. For example, ground-covering roses shed their leaves in autumn. Some species decorate themselves with bright autumn colors and become an eye-catcher when there is otherwise not much going on in the garden.
Why do ground covers suppress weeds?
If you stick to the recommended planting distances, these plants will quickly form dense, green carpets that crowd out weeds. The seeds of the weeds cannot even sprout because almost no light penetrates the ground through the carpet of plants.
How are ground cover plants planted?
If you would like to replant an area with ground cover, you should proceed as follows:
- The best time to plant is early fall. Then the perennials can still form enough roots to survive the winter well and have a certain growth advantage in spring over the weeds that are just germinating.
- Dig up thoroughly and carefully remove all root remains of weeds.
- Cover the bed with about a finger's thickness of ripe compost and work it well into the soil.
- Place plants as close as directed on the plant label.
Tip
Ground covers protect the earth from drying out and erosion. This makes them ideal for embankments and hard-to-reach garden areas where you want to keep the maintenance effort to a minimum.
