How To Plant Ground Cover From Containers

If you are a dedicated gardener, you may decide to grow your ground cover plants in containers before transplanting them outside. When you purchase a semi-established plant from the nursery it is purchased in a container. Therefore, it is important to understand how to plant ground cover from containers directly into your garden. It is a fairly simple process that generally requires knowledge about the specific species you are planting.

Choose the Location for Your Ground Cover

 

Before you remove your plant from its container survey your garden and use a marker to indicate where you wish to plant the ground cover. Bear in mind the species’ sunlight requirements and whether or not it will spread itself around the garden. Once you have selected a proper location for your ground cover, you can begin planting.

Planting the Ground

Start by measuring the depth of your container; this measurement will indicate how deep you should make your hole. You do not have to be precise; however, it is a general rule of a green thumb that a deeper hole is more favorable to one that is too shallow. Once you get your plant out of its container, it is much more of a hassle to dig a deeper hole than it is to fill a too-deep hole with a little dirt.

Remove the earth with your shovel and pile it to the side of your planting site for easy access in the future. After your hole has been excavated, it is time for you to remove your plant from its container and put it into the ground.

Preparing the Plant

Removing a plant from its pot sounds elementary, but it is a task that must be executed with skill and care. If improperly removed, you could damage the plant's root system or completely rip off its foliage. Place your hand at the base of the plant and slowly turn over the container. If the plant does not easily slide out, you may either squeeze the bottom portion of the container with your unoccupied hand or add water to soften the soil.

Once removed, you will see the plant's root system. The roots should be pure white. Discard those that are discolored in any way. Hold your plant over its future home, and gently break apart the root system taking care not to sever the roots. Spreading the roots apart will promote root growth. You will inevitably feel some roots breaking in your hand which is perfectly healthy and sustainable for the plant.

Place the plant into its permanent home and pack the dirt you originally removed from the ground around the remaining space. After this step, you have successfully planted your new ground cover species. However, there is still more you have to do in order to promote root and foliage growth.

Maintaining your Ground Cover

The last step in planting your ground cover is to “water it in” by using approximately two gallons of water mixed with an appropriate proportion of liquid fertilizer. Use this water to generously soak the newly planted ground cover, replacing any compacted soil with fresh soil until it is level with the ground. After watering in the ground cover, you are well on your way to having a beautiful, self-sustaining plant.