For tough groundcovers, you really only need to clear the ground and plant wherever you can find space between roots. The groundcover plants will fill in the gaps in a few years. This also holds true for plants that are native to your area. They are used to competing with the trees that grow in your area and will work things out. Of course, it doesn't hurt to add a bit of nice compost to your planting holes to give your plants a little boost as they get settled in. Even if you don't plan on providing supplemental water over the long term, you will need to keep your new plants moist until they get established. Figure on watering regularly during their first season. And, figure on devoting some time to weeding, too. Even if you mulch between your plants (highly recommended), you will find weeds sprouting or coming up from bits of root left in the soil. Pull them as soon as you spy them; you will rue the day you let them get a nice foothold before you tackle them.
Next week, I'll tell you what I do when I want a mixed planting that includes plants who are either more delicate or more picky about where they live and we'll start to talk about some plants. See ya' later.
More Information
- Follow Proper Pruning Techniques is an excellent article on pruning with illustrations of pruning tools, pruning cuts and proper pruning of trees, shrubs and vines.
- HAND SHEARS FOR SMALL PRUNING JOBS is an in depth look at hand shears by Linda Naeve, Extension Horticulturist, Iowa State University Extension that will help you select what's just right for you and the job you've got to do. she also provides names and addresses of sources.
- For information on a full range of pruning tools, read http://www.intermind.net/mgarden/links/1196links/pruntools.htm" >Choose The Right Tools For Landscape Pruning Jobs by Linn Mills, Extension Horticulturist University Of Nevada Cooperative Extension
- Types Of Leaves in Temperate Deciduous Forests provides illustrations and definitions of terms describing the various characteristics of tree leaves.
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