Ground cover in sandy soil.
We live in an area with hot/dry summers and moderate winters. Our property is near a river and we have a lot of sandy soil. We'd like to cover a lot of our property with some sort of ground cover. Any suggestions?
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- Greener Thumb
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Not many ground covers come to mind for me. I'm from Florida, most of the time if folks wanted a groundcover they got rocks and scattered some kind of grass in it for contrast - from mondo grass to the varigated colors with Aztec grass. Here are some groundcovers I can think of:
Common Wintercreeper (also comes in purple).
https://classygroundcovers.com/cat--EUONYMUS-fortunei-Wintercreeper--EUONYMUS-fortunei
Dichondra: https://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/diore.htm
Oh and speaking of purple: Setcreasea purpurea: these little buggers, once going, take very little water considering how moist they feel. They have a slower spreading habit though, it takes a long time for them to fill up any considerable amount of area.
https://www.photorae.it/gallerianatura/pages/Setcreasea%20Purpurea.htm
If you go the grasses route, thera are many. Liriope and mondo grass combined with the light green color of a lawn creates a pleasing color contrast.
Common Wintercreeper (also comes in purple).
https://classygroundcovers.com/cat--EUONYMUS-fortunei-Wintercreeper--EUONYMUS-fortunei
Dichondra: https://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/diore.htm
Oh and speaking of purple: Setcreasea purpurea: these little buggers, once going, take very little water considering how moist they feel. They have a slower spreading habit though, it takes a long time for them to fill up any considerable amount of area.
https://www.photorae.it/gallerianatura/pages/Setcreasea%20Purpurea.htm
If you go the grasses route, thera are many. Liriope and mondo grass combined with the light green color of a lawn creates a pleasing color contrast.
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- Super Green Thumb
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Clover likes sandy soil. It is also a legume so it will add nitrogen (actually assist in the addition of nitrogen to the soil) as the roots slough off. Red or crimson clover is really quite pretty.
Clover is also very durable if you property is a high traffic area.
And when you are through with wanting a ground cover you can mow it (again) and just turn the clover into the soil.
Be sure to leave the clippings on the ground such that they will add nitrogen and carbon to your soil. Over time, it will improve the fertillity of your soil.
Clover is also very durable if you property is a high traffic area.
And when you are through with wanting a ground cover you can mow it (again) and just turn the clover into the soil.
Be sure to leave the clippings on the ground such that they will add nitrogen and carbon to your soil. Over time, it will improve the fertillity of your soil.
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How about Ceaothus thyrsiflorus Repens and Californian Lilac.
There are a great variety of ceanothus, some tall and bushy and others like 'Blue Mound' are prostrate forms and ground hugging but will spread to 2m or more x 1/2m tall. The ground cover is dense and will prevent most weeds gowing through. Would provide some nice contrast in an open area and the bees and butterflies just adore those honey scented flowers.
There are a great variety of ceanothus, some tall and bushy and others like 'Blue Mound' are prostrate forms and ground hugging but will spread to 2m or more x 1/2m tall. The ground cover is dense and will prevent most weeds gowing through. Would provide some nice contrast in an open area and the bees and butterflies just adore those honey scented flowers.
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- Super Green Thumb
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If you plan on planting something and then just leaving the area and having a low maintenance garden to look after; kannickinick is supposed to be a low maintenance ground covering shrub that you just run over with the weed eater to cut down the weeds with.
The reason why I say "supposed to be" is because I used to spend hours hand pulling the weeds until I learned what the theory behind having the plant was.
Kanickinick also sprouts little red berries that birds love.
The reason why I say "supposed to be" is because I used to spend hours hand pulling the weeds until I learned what the theory behind having the plant was.
Kanickinick also sprouts little red berries that birds love.
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- Super Green Thumb
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You know, four years ago when I was in Churchill, Manitoba (located in Hudsons Bay) I saw Kannikinick (I hate trying to spell that word) growing wild all over the tundra. I was amazed to see it up there.
I don't know if it was introduced or if it is native up there.
(I do know that it doesn't detur a hungry polar bear
Just kidding, the polar bears were down on the beach and I was sitting on a rock watching the Northern lights)
I don't know if it was introduced or if it is native up there.
(I do know that it doesn't detur a hungry polar bear

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