Ground Cover Plants

The low-growing plants that grow and spread quickly to form a dense cover are known as ground cover plants. The ground cover plants are also known as ground covers. The ground covers not only add beauty to the landscape but also prevent soil erosion. Ground cover plants controls the growth of weeds and makes it easy to maintain the garden. A simple example of a ground cover plant is the "grass". There are a wide variety of grasses that can spread quickly and also prevent the growth of weeds. However, there are areas, which are not suited to grow or maintain grasses. In such areas, plants known as ground cover plants could be planted. These plants would not only give finishing touches to any kind of landscaping, but also effectively reduce the maintenance of the garden. There are many landscape designs which include ground cover plants.

Advantages of Ground Cover Plants

There are many advantages of having ground cover plants in your garden. Here are a few of them.

• Ground cover plants help to reduce the germination of weeds, as they cover the entire ground like a carpet. It is easy to maintain the landscape with ground cover plants as they prevent the ingress of the weeds.
• Ground cover plants reduce soil erosion and water loss. These plants are ideal for steep slopes because they conserve soil.
• It is an insulating cover for the soil. Since it keeps the soil cool in the summer and warm during the winter months.
• Ground cover plants help to build the humus level in the soil, by acting as living mulch. A few ground cover plants are a good companion for bulbs (e.g. lily) and other plants. These plants are also habitats for beneficial insects.
• There are many ground cover plants which are herbs and are used as medicines for home remedies. There are also a few "food" ground cover plants, such as spinach.
• Ground cover plants are practical for the areas where growing turf grass is not possible.
• You can plant drought-tolerant ground covers near the sidewalks and steep slopes, where it is not possible to irrigate or water the plants regularly.

Disadvantages of Ground Cover Plants

Here are a few disadvantages of ground cover plants.

• Slugs, snakes, snails and pests, make the ground cover plants, their habitats. For instance, if the area is popular with slugs, it is wise not grow slug-susceptible plants.
• Ground cover plants compete for water and fertilizer with other plants.
• You should choose the ground cover plants carefully for your garden. The reason is, if the ground cover is very vigorous in growth, it can over-run the plants you want to grow.
• It is a fact that ground cover plants are weed suppressors. However, till these plants establish themselves, you have to keep the landscape free from weeds.

To sum up, the right time to plant ground cover plants is spring. The distance to plant the ground cover plants depends on the vigor of growth of the plant. There are ground cover plants that grow in shade of huge trees and these can be planted in the shady areas to give a finishing look to the garden.