How to Choose and Plant Ground Cover

In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares tips for selecting, planting and growing low-maintenance ground cover.

How to Choose Ground Cover

1. Use a spade fork to loosen and turn over the soil in the garden bed.
2. Spread 2 inches of compost over the bed, and then turn it into the soil with a spade fork.
3. Sprinkle starter fertilizer over the bed and lightly rake it into the soil.
4. Use a garden trowel to dig a hole for a ground-cover plant no deeper than the root ball.
5. Remove the plant from its pot and loosen the compacted roots by hand.
6. Set the plant into the hole, backfill around it with soil.
7. Continue planting ground cover, spacing the plants about 12 inches apart.
8. Use a watering can to thoroughly water all plants. Water frequently for the first few weeks.
9. Spread about 2 inches of bark mulch around each plant, but don’t pile it up too tightly to the base of the plants.

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