Low growing, non invasive, non vining ground cover
merryheart
16 years ago
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Comments (12)
OklaMoni
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agomulberryknob
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Newbie: non-poisonious flowering vine to cover cement block wall
Comments (12)The best solution is Boston Ivy. Yes it is deciduous for a couple of months, no, it doesn't have showy flowers, but the leaves turn brilliant red in the fall even in Orange County, and the leafless vines decorated with clusters of purple berries (which the birds love) make a beautiful pattern on the walls in the winter. You could easily do a 200 ft wall with 10 plants. You end up with a wall that looks like a lush green hedge. Every 3 years or so I pull everything off the wall (it comes off easily) and cut the plants down to the ground to rejuvenate it. It all grows back quickly. Plant flowering plants in front of the wall. Much easier to maintain. Trumpet vine gets very very heavy and fishing line is not going to hold it up. The other drawback is it is a fine place for rats to nest. My neighbor has a wall covered with trumpet vine (there is a short wrought iron fence on top of the wall for the vines to grow up and hold on to) and it is full of rats every year. Here is my ivy-covered wall:...See MoreLooking for non-invasive, non-vining annual full sun ground cover
Comments (5)If you're doing a cover crop then part of the sequence is to actually cut the crop before it comes to flower so you get plenty of juicy material that rots down quickly - and has enough fibre to not make a felted mess (like you see with heaps of grass clippings.) The roots stay in the soil and, as they rot down, add even more humus to the soil. It is really important to not bury the cover crop deeply, It can combine with clay to make a bit of a toxic brew for a while. If you live in a rural area observe how the farmers disc in the crop residue (hoping that they don't burn off.) You might also notice that some farmers turn stock onto the crop residue to clean up and add manure before they disc. You'll need to have an acceptable process to add extra nitrogen to the soil as the cover crop rots down. Something slow acting, such as blood and bone could be useful, although it can attract animals. Perhaps dried animal manure would be an alternative. Your biggest hassle would come if you have a perennial weed (like dandelions, dock, twitch grass, or whatever your local nightmare/s happen to be) growing in your cover crop. The darned things LOVE being disced. It spreads little bits of root everywhere - and, being weeds, they usually all grow. A cover crop can be highly useful in a poor soil - and to give protection if wind or heavy rain moves soil in your area. You might also want to consider growing a cleaning crop such as potatoes, or rows of peas that need regular weed control and/or hilling up. If you were to lay down a mulch between the rows, along the lines that lindac has suggested, then you could have 'the best of both worlds'. If you do decide on doing the cover crop - and leaving it over winter (a ryegrass, mustard, lupin, barley, clover, vetch crop would probably all be suitable) remember to leave enough time between the cutting back, digging in - and your planned planting date - for the material to rot down, or plant crops that will tolerate quantities of partially rotted material in the soil. Also think about any fertiliser/liming that needs to be done, too. Those additions need time to become effective in the soil for following crops - and some crops don't like them too fresh....See MoreNon-invasive evergreen vine recommendation for covering fence
Comments (3)I'm assuming you are a warm zone since you are considering the potato vine. How about Carolina Jessamine and/or American Wisteria....See MoreNon-Invasive Morning Glory?
Comments (17)Trumpet vine is manageable you just have to trim twice a year..and I work all over LA with over 100 projects a year and there is always that residence each year that put in clematis and because of that one night of frost in the entire year and it will take the clematis down to the roots and they ask me why it died..hmm. Often it resprouts but on a 65' wall......See MoreOkiedawn OK Zone 7
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agomerryheart
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agomerryheart
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agomerryheart
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoOkiedawn OK Zone 7
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoandimaxx
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agojtsoukalas
5 years ago
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