Hi, I have a shady area in my backyard that I would like to cover with groundcover. The area is just dirt right now. I have only bought a few plants and hope that it will spread out over time. We are using peat mulch on the flower beds in the front yard, should I mulch the are where I hope to plant the groundcover as well, or will that prevent it from spreading? We plan on planting pachysandra, lamium and myrtle. Thank you! Leah
Peat mulch is probably a waste of time and money in both places, but another kind of organic mulch in the back might help to keep weeds down until the ground covers spread. You might want to bring in some new topsoil if the soil isn't good, but on the other hand, those particular plants should spread with no problem at all in almost any soil. I don't know myrtle, but you can count on the other two to cover the ground! I would just plan to stay on top of the weeds until they spread.
Lamium really spreads well. I have never grown Pachysandra but it does need humus-rich soil [not packed dry soil] I have read. Myrtle -- not sure of. I am experimenting with groundcover and with slower-growing ones you do have weed control issues. Just pulling the weeds and planting the groundcover closely helps. Mulching with peat might be ok, although it might absorb available moisture and deprive the groundcover of this; also prepared leaf mulch would be good [some garden centers keep it, usually in bulk]. Bark mulch would inhibit spread unless its very fine and not spread heavily, I think. I am just using bagged humus-rich soil mixed with some fine bark mulch and a little fertilizer, not too thick. Let us know how it goes.