Spacing Your Groundcovers: Before setting your groundcover plants out in the planting area, you may want to first spread mulch. Trying to spread wood mulch or pinestraw can be difficult to do around groundcovers, such as Ivy, that have long runners. Space all plants out in the area to be planted before starting to plant. Begin by setting out a row of plants along one of the edges of the perimeter, making sure to space them at a distance far enough from the edge to allow for future spreading. For example, plants that should be spaced 24" apart should be spaced at a distance of 12" from the edge of the bed or surfaced area. After setting out the first row, stagger the plants on the second row as shown in the diagram below. For steep slopes, where plants will not stay put, it may be necessary to use spray paint to mark dots or an "X" on the ground where plants will be planted.- Planting: After all of the plants have been set in place, or marked, you may begin planting. If you mulched first, rake back a small area in order to dig planting hole. To plant, dig a hole 2 times as wide, or more, than the container the plant came in. Mix in an organic soil ammendment such as mushroom compost at a 50/50 ratio with the soil removed from the planting hole. Remove the plant from the container and scratch root ball to loosen feeder roots. Place plant in hole making sure that the top edge of the root ball is level or slightly above the level of the ground. Backfill around the rootball with soil mixture tamping lightly as you go to remove air pockets.
Meet The Author
Brent Wilson - Brent Wilson is one of the co-founders of Gardenality. He is a fanatic gardener with a special interest in perennials and native plants.
Gardenality Administrator · More Articles By Brent »
