When we think of ground covers , we often think of things like madwort , Gunter Wilhelm Grass , sedum , and other tight - fan out , low - growing plants that cover or creep along the solid ground .
Essentially , they run as live on mulches to trim down weeds and retain wet by blocking sunlight . They ’re usually grown in garden track or along borders , and think of as decorative plantings to embellish and unite a landscape painting .
But ground covers can also be grown in a vegetable garden — flop inside the beds themselves — to assist the same function as anorganic mulch like arborist Natalie Wood chips , chopped leaves , or strawwould .
In an comestible garden , where I ’m trying to maximise production of my land in a way that ’s beneficial to the ecosystem as well , I sometimes feel like a layer of non - edible mulch is a wasted opportunity to do more .
That ’s where living mulches make out in — specifically , edibleliving mulches and ground covers , which are one of my favoritelazy gardening strategiesfor a low - effort , high-pitched - restitution veggie garden .
What are the benefits of living mulches?
There ’s no denying the grandness of mulch . In addition to smothering weeds and maintain water , it reduces soil erosion and facilitate subdue the gap of disease in a garden ( by preventing soil from splash back up onto the leafage ) .
It also keep the garden neat and sizable , and most constituent mulches ( includingcover crops like fava beansorAustrian winter peasthat you cut down and leave in place ) finally break down and add nutrients back into the soil .
experience mulches ( also known as light-green mulches ) are the idealistic answer for low - maintenance landscape and lazy gardeners .
You might be wondering how this is possible when it requiresmoreplanting and more harvesting ?
It ’s dewy-eyed : last mulches work in synergy with the plants around them . They grow and interact with their environment in a mode that reflects how plants spring up in nature .
hold up mulches are not for those who desire absolutely manicure gardens where no plants are come to and everything is spaced just so , leaving destiny of stark soil overt to sun and weed seeds .
interpret more : Learnhow to establish intensively in a raised bedto maximise your harvests
Living mulch offer a more natural artistic that permit plant be planted more intensively for mutual welfare .
One industrial plant shields the soil while another acts as a trap craw . brave , low-pitched - growing herbs repel pests while grandiloquent vegetables offer shade in mid - summertime .
All the unlike tallness and structures of the industrial plant — from small-scale leaves to big leaf , soft clumps to tall chaff — provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species that pollinate flowers , break down organic matter , and increase biodiversity in your yard to where you ’re in reality building an ecosystem , not just grow a garden .
This , in turn , mitigates the need for unvarying mulching , uses natural systems for pest control , and fill again the soil without over - watering or over - fertilizing .
Living mulches and fleeceable mulch are by far the best solution for boosting richness and increasing yield while requiringlesswork in the retentive ladder .
It ’s ok to be lazy
Grow more food—with less work.
I ’ll instruct you how to be the most rich , lazy nurseryman ever , the same way I ’ve been doing it for twelvemonth . While everyone else is struggling with soil and battling pests , you ’ll be harvesting armloads of nutritious - rich food from your own 1000 , all season long .
But is there a better way to mulch in a vegetable garden so you’re able to to the full apply every substantial column inch of growing blank for solid food ?
Yes ! Try edible primer coat covers .
Intercropping with edible ground covers
imbed comestible dry land top in the empty rows and patches between your vegetables is a case of intercropping ( also known as interplanting ) .
Intercropping is the practice of growing multiple crops within the same space for attain a greater yield from land that otherwise would be left unused by a unmarried harvest .
Usually , vegetable gardener will insert quick - uprise crop likelettucesandradishesunder taller and slower - growing crop liketomatoesandpeppers .
Related : Running out of fourth dimension before the first frost ? These are thebest fast - growing vegetablesyou can reap in 40 days ( or less )
While these ahead of time - ripen varieties make expert understory plant , they require to be reseeded often so you ’re not continually left with bare soil after every harvest home .
A proficient option in a vegetable garden is to grow tenacious - time of year annual or non - fast-growing perennials that appease low to the ground , do n’t compete for nutrients , and have other benefits like draw pollinators or repelling pests . You plant them once in the beginning of the time of year , and reap the welfare from first sprout through last harvest home .
Here are my six preferred ground binding for vegetable gardens that are not only ornamental , but edible as well .
The best edible ground covers for vegetable gardens
1. Nasturtiums
Most masses remember of nasturtiums(Tropaeolum majus)as flowers , but they ’re also vegetables in their own right . ( See my recipes fornasturtium pestoandpoor man ’s capers . )
These self - seed annual grow quickly on long , tenuous vines that drape over garden beds beautifully .
Their lucullan dark-green leave arereminiscent of lily pads , and when they bloom , the blossom attract pollinators all day long , making them a ripe option as a ground screen for berries , cucumbers , and other craw that call for more than just wind for pollination .
Nasturtiums are also highly attractive to aphid , which may vocalise like a pain in the neck to some , but this is what cause them such a capital trap crop — that is , a harvest that ’s sacrificed in order tokeep aphid off your more worthful crops .
imbed them around susceptible crops and as soon as you see an plague on your nasturtiums , pull and scrap the dissemble plants so the aphid do n’t jump to your other crops .
2. Oregano
herbaceous plant like oregano ( and its Mediterranean cousin , thyme and Origanum vulgare ) are ideal for in - ground garden bed that see some base dealings . This case ofground cover can endure a little tramplingand still be effective as an cosmetic and comestible plant . In mild climate , it can be grown as anevergreen ground cover(especially the creeping varieties ) to protect the grunge year - orotund .
As a incentive : Stepping on oregano releases its fragrance into the air , and it ’s these same redolent oil colour that facilitate revolt insect like flea .
Oregano(Origanum vulgare)is a loose , candid plant that can produce up to 2 metrical unit marvelous , but likes being tweet back to maintain a low and shaggy increment wont .
cringe oregano(Origanum vulgare ‘ Humile ’ ) , on the other mitt , quick spreads to form a dumb gym mat under 3 inches marvellous . ( The same is unfeigned for creeping thyme and sneak pot marjoram . )
bee love the clusters of delicate flowersthat bloom in summertime . ( For man , the peak make a fragrant and pretty garnish for soup , salads , and other dishes . )
The herbaceous plant is a cold - stout , drought - tolerant perennial ( often surviving freezing temperature ) and like well - draining soil and full sun ( though it will alsogrow in partial shade ) .
That means it should only be used as a land cover for plant with similar body of water needs , such as chard , okra , andartichokes . It also grows well with deep - root flora that do n’t want to be continually saturated .
memorise more : Knowhow deep your vegetable crop goso you could project your garden accordingly
3. True French sorrel
dead on target French sorrel(Rumex scutatus)is what I sometimes call theuncommonsorrel , in contrast to the common sorrel or garden sorrel(Rumex acetosa)orred - vein sorrel(Rumex sanguineus , also screw as bally dock ) that ’s more pronto available in garden centers .
The plant is a low - rise hardy perennial with distinctive buckler - shaped leaf . A duet of small plants will quickly grow into a patch less than 12 inches tall .
In my own garden , where I planted True French sour grass in a seam that get partial spectre , it stayed under 6 in tall .
I have it off to develop it because it ’s low-spirited - criminal maintenance , not so common , and has a lemony flavour that ’s unlike anything else in my garden .
As a undercoat cover , it stay a brilliant green year - daily round and the clumps can be lifted , divided , and replanted elsewhere when you postulate to fill in some blank space in your garden bed .
4. Wood sorrel
This type of sorrel(Oxalis acetosella)usually show up as a perennial Mary Jane in most the great unwashed ’s gardens , but like many other weeds ( dandelionandmallow , for illustration ) , wood roselle is 100 percent eatable .
The heart - shaped leaves , tiny scandalmongering bloom , and immature dark-green seeded player pods can all be eat up fresh , used as seasonings for salad and sauces , or engross in blistering piss and sweetened with honey to make wood sorrel teatime .
Its name , oxalis , means rancid , and the high oxalic Elvis cognitive content in the leaves give them a fresh , lemony flavor .
People often mistake wood sorrel for shamrock because of its leaflets that close down upwards in the centre . However , true shamrocks ( or Irish shamrocks ) belong to the genusTrifolium , which are clovers . Botanically , there ’s no consensus as to which species ofTrifoliumistheshamrock of Irish fame , but you ca n’t go wrong with any four - leaf clover !
Sir Henry Wood common sorrel likes moist soil with fond shade ( woodsy areas , being honest to its name ) . Its leaves can grow up to 1 inch all-inclusive , and the plant spread via hush-hush runners to take shape a silky green rug 6 to 12 inch tall , on modal .
It ’s not an belligerent plant and can easily be draw when it ’s no longer desired in the garden . ( Fun fact : If you keep chickens , they go dotty for Ellen Price Wood Hibiscus sabdariffa ! )
5. Alpine strawberries
Unlike garden strawberries(Fragaria ananassa ) , most varieties of alpine strawberries(Fragaria vesca)don’t self - propagate via runners , arrive at them a well-disposed option for intercropping .
Further reading : Get self-aggrandizing , juicy berries with myplant spacing guide for strawberry mark
Since alpine strawberries produce tiny ( yet delectably odorous and fragrant ) fruit , many gardeners skip them in favor of large , juicy garden strawberries because they determine the small , close - raving mad cultivar are n’t worth the effort .
It ’s true that you would need several plant to reap a single cup of alpine strawberries . But , I promise that itisworth the crusade once you ’ve tasted them ! ( translate more about theYellow Wonder alpine strawberriesI grew in my garden . )
As an comestible footing cover , however , alpine hemangioma simplex check off all the box : bad yet non - invasive , and able-bodied to tolerate a miscellany of stain condition ( particularly if you forget to water for a inadequate spell ) .
They have a lowly growing habit and incline to confine fruits up high , often above the parting . Alpine strawberries are everbearing , so they ’ll flower and fruit from spring through declivity ( or until the first laborious hoar ) .
Because of its wan colour , the Yellow Wonder cultivar , in particular , does n’t appeal birds the style lustrous red strawberries do , entrust more berries for you !
6. Pumpkins, winter squash, and melons
If you ’ve ever grown aThree Sisters garden , then it should issue forth as no surprisal that pumpkins , winter squash racquets , and melons ( Cucurbitaceaefamily ) make splendid ground cover for big open spaces .
And that ’s the key : They shouldonlybe planted in bombastic overt spaces , otherwise they could make it unmanageable for you to harvest your other crop ( not to note the amount of genuine land they take up ) .
The sprawling vines are thick and prolific ( which is what makes them so effective as a ground book binding ) and have a inclination to climb , so they should be kept aside from structures where their climbing wont is n’t want .
In small spaces , consider planting another cucurbit as an edible ground cover : cucumbers .
Though we commonly think of them as mounter , cucumbers grow perfectly hunky-dory along the flat coat . They still get vigorous vines , but the small leaves and small fruits make them more accomplishable than wintertime squeeze and melons .
Compact variety likeMexican Sour Gherkinsare another beneficial option to try if you need to brood a smaller garden plot .
This post updated from an article that in the first place come out on April 18 , 2018 .
