A. Horticulture

GROUND COVERS RAISED FROM SEEDS

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CRS 523 STUDENT NOTES hedges and ground covers-1
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GROUND COVERS RAISED FROM SEEDS

GROUND COVERS RAISED FROM CUTTINGS

B. HOW ARE GROUND COVERS ESTABLISHED?

Kill weeds covering the planting area with a sheer of black plastic. Leave the plastic in place of three months. Otherwise, remove seed heads from the weeds, and then apply a commercial herbicide strictly according to label recommendations.
Spade or till the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
Improve soil quality and drainage by digging in 4 inches of organic material such as manure or compost.
Sprinkle a general-purpose granular fertilizer over the top of the planting area. Use a fertilizer with an NPK ration such as 5-1-5, applied at a rate of about 2 pounds for every 100 square feet of planting area. Rake the fertilizer into the top of the soil.
Allow the area to sit undisturbed for two to three weeks, and then dig or pull weeds that appear.
Plant the ground cover in the prepared area. Dig a hole for each plant, making the hold two or three times the width of the plant’s root system. Place the plant in the hole with the surface of the root system level with the surface of the soil; planting too deep may cause the plant to rot. Space the plants according to the suggestion on the nursery tag. Some plants require as little as 6 inches of space around them, while others may need 18 inches. Plant in a diamond pattern for the best fill in. most ground covers are established in on or two seasons.