Ajuga Ground Cover

Ajuga reptans, also known as bugleweed or carpetweed make for an excellent choice for garden cover due to their ability to spread and create a foliage. The flowers that bloom on these species of plants are usually dark blue or purple in color and look extremely beautiful as a spread in the space that they occupy. The ground cover is used by gardeners in their gardens to create varied looks that range from an accompaniment to a rock garden, landscaping a huge space, as the base of varied trees and plants or as a lawn by itself. Along with that, there are several colors that this flowering plant has and there are varied ways in which the ajuga ground cover can be thus used. In the article that follows, we will look into this plant in more detail and understand the planting techniques of the same.

Information

Before we get into the details of how to plant this species of small evergreen shrubs, let us try and understand what this plant is all about. The ajuga plant is an evergreen tree that forms a dense mat of flowers. The flowers bloom from the period of spring till summer. The plant is usually found forming a dense mat cover very close to the ground, but when there are flowers, they form a height of 6-8 inches above the ground. The flowers are formed in clusters on a spiked stalk. The unique feature of the ajuga ground cover is that depending on the kind of plant that it is, the color of the leaves changes and thereby gives it a distinct shade. The different types of these plants are categorized as ajuga burgundy glow and ajuga bronze beauty, among others.

How to Grow the Plants

There are certain techniques of growing an ajuga plant. These need to be followed in order for the plants to become healthy and create a great foliage. The following are the same.

Sun and Soil
The ajuga plants are not very difficult to grow and do not require very specialized conditions to thrive in. These plants grow best in a growing zone of 6-8 and do well with partial sun or full shade even. 1-2 hours of light morning sun's rays are ideal for the plant to grow well and create great foliage. The specialty of this plant is that it can thrive in the shade as well and can therefore be grown as a dense mat under any of the larger trees as evergreen shrubs for shade. One of the ideal conditions for the ajuga ground cover is that it does not require a specialized soil kind and generally adapts to any soil type. However, it has to be ascertained that the soil has the capacity for drainage and does not block water in one place or else it creates the danger of rotting roots.

Planting the Ajuga Plant
Look for an area where the morning sun shines through. Clear the area of any weed or other plant growth. Then using a spade, loosen the soil out and mix it with compost, mulch or manure and water lightly. These conditions need to be duly fulfilled before you plant the ajuga garden cover. Dig a hole that is about 3-4 inches deep and place at least a 6-10 inch space between each individual plant. Since these plants are runners, they require space to spread out. If they are planted too close to one another then there are chances that they will get entangled and create a shabby appearance.

Ajuga Plant Care

• Add a fertilizer from time to time so that there is continued nutrition provided.
• It is also important to add mulch so that moisture is retained.
• Make sure that the soil is always moist and do not allow it to dry out at any point of time or the leaves and flowers will shrivel and wilt.
• Water 2-3 times in a day during the summer and reduce the frequency as the temperatures drop.
• Along with that it is extremely important to have a well draining soil so that rotting is prevented.
• Regular trimming and pruning of the plants becomes necessary because they are runners and can therefore spread rather fast and invade other areas of the garden.

Of all the different types of plants, the ajuga ground cover makes for an excellent choice to have in the garden. Not only does it add to the beauty of the landscape but is also easy to care for. Try it and you'll see what I mean.