~Rusty Warner, Landscape and Soils Professional
Spring 2019 Newsletter

“Groundover” refers to a living mulch, usually a type of vine, which are vigorous plants that spread out quickly to cover bare soil. Groundcovers are valuable in the landscape because they bring regenerative “life” to the soil. Groundcovers provide protection for the soil and shallow-rooted plants from weather-related erosion, and their vigorous root development helps hold soil together in fragile topsoil, providing protection beneath trees.

Through photosynthesis, groundcovers provide sugars (carbohydrates) to the soil supporting the health and proliferation of billions of beneficial organisms found in the soil. These organisms then process various soil components through metabolic cycles and predator-prey interactions. The resulting metabolites and nutrients are essential for plant growth. Plants draw carbon from the atmosphere supporting the soil microbial population, in turn, supporting plants by supplying the nutrients released from the soil. Living groundcovers moderate soil temperature and moisture fluctuations, keeping soil cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The moderate soil environment fosters the health of soil microbial populations and, over time, builds a rich humus with healthy soil structure creating a well-aerated, water-retentive soil, and overall health in the root zone. Plants become braided together with roots that sponsor “fungal pipelines” which deliver nutrients to all the interconnected plants and soil organisms present in the system. Consequently, the soil becomes more productive, contributing to fertility within the beds and borders where groundcovers are growing.

Groundcovers may be used to cover the drip-ring of large specimen trees. The drip-ring is often seen at the outer edge of the root zone under the widest of the tree’s branches. The dripping of water off the branches causes soil compaction and an area where plants do not thrive. Growing groundcovers over the root zone of trees fosters sequestering of carbon in the soil, building climate change resiliency into your landscape. Groundcovers provide an insurance policy to protect your investment in your beautiful out-door landscape.

Because of the many values of groundcovers, we encourage you to plant them in areas where other plants may not do well, especially under trees or on steep, hard-to-access banks, or to replenish areas where lawn grasses do not thrive. In time, the soil will work in harmony with your plants to create a healthier and long-lasting landscape which requires less fertilization and irrigation.