- 1). Cultivate the planting area with a shovel and spade, turning the earth and breaking up clods and clumps. Remove all weeds, grasses and stones as you go. The goal is a bed of fine, loose soil, about five inches deep.
- 2). Amend New Jersey clay soils with equal parts peat and potting soil to provide good nutrients and drainage for plantings. The value of doing this cannot be overestimated--it is the foundation for luxuriant, rapid coverage.
- 3). Water the area thoroughly the night before planting. New ground cover will need plenty of moisture to establish roots, runners, stolons and rhizomes.
- 4). Plant ground cover in staggered rows, paying careful attention to spacing and depth requirements. For example, myrtle should be planted in clumps of three to four plants, 12 inches apart, three inches deep. Overcrowding can lead to fungus and insect problems.
- 5). If you want spring, summer and fall blooms, plant vinca, myrtle and creeping phlox for spring, artemesia, coreopsis and dianthus for summer, and sedum and yarrow for fall. Keep in mind that summer ground covers usually require full sun.
- 6). Water planted ground cover every day or two for three weeks after planting to help roots and runners establish, especially during dry spells. Fertilize with water-soluble fertilizer every six weeks during the peak growing months--in New Jersey, that's usually June to late August.
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