Spring is a prime time for creating some of the most fabulous art there is—living plant appeal. All you need to know about pachysandra? All you need to know about pachysandra shrubbery is that the coverage is great.
This plant can make even the worst gardener look like a Guru. Why use pachysandra as a ground cover? The evergreen sub-shrubs or herbs of the boxwood family called pachysandra—particularly Japanese spurge and Allegheny pachysandra—are popular choices for landscaping and gardening around the United States. How to buy the best pachysandra plants? Pachysandra plants are beautiful green plants that make excellent groundcover. The best way to buy pachysandra plants is not in flats, because it's hard to separate them from the flat when it's time to plant the Pachysandra.
JW Pachysandra sells them as two year stock with decent roots. All about Pachysandra plants? Gardeners desiring a ground cover that is not only beautiful, but also grows well in those tricky shady areas will love Pachysandra plants. How My Pachysandra Is Shipped. Pachysandra is shipped in bundles of 50 in moist peat moss and wax paper, and can stay that way for a good 10 days. Pachysandra as a natural habitat? All the different varieties of pachysandra are earth-friendly landscape choices.
They cover the ground, helping to retain moisture in the garden - so you'll need to water less. And more plants mean more oxygen production, another environmental plus. Save time and work? Ground covers like pachysandra are effective ways to keep weeds out of your garden. When these ground-hugging plants spread out, there's less space for weeds to gain a root hold. Using pachysandra also means you don't have to mulch as much because ground covers, form their own "green" mulch.
Using evergreen ground cover plants in your landscaping design? When you plant a perennial ground cover, such as pachysandra, you do it once then reap the benefits for years. If you have a huge area to cover, selecting a fast-growing ground cover like pachysandra will fill in the blanks quickly. Add texture? Use flowering perennial ground covers to add a little something extra to your space.
Pachysandra is particularly appropriate to plant when you are looking to add texture to your yard. Solve soil erosion problems? If you have a sloped yard, you also may have an erosion problem. Exposed soil is unstable, and a hard rain can quickly create ruts that carry off precious topsoil.
Planting earth-grabbing groundcovers, like pachysandra, holds soil in place, even on an incline. If it is ignored, it will climb over nearby plants and can kill them. The speed at which it can grow out of control helps give it its reputation as an invasive plant.
Should you cut back pachysandra? Pachysandra does not require however benefits from an annual pruning in early spring. Small beds of Pachysandra can be pruned by using bypass hand pruners to cut plants back by half their height in early spring. Large beds of Pachysandra can be mowed to a height of 4 inches in early spring, when plants are dry. Does pachysandra die in the winter?
If your plants' leaves have dry, tan margins or dry, brown patches in late winter or early spring, the plants are probably suffering from scorch, which is caused by low temperatures or drying winds in winter, or wide fluctuations in temperature.
How do you encourage pachysandra to spread? The plant actually spreads by underground runners, and it is true that a light shearing or pinching in early spring can encourage the plants to send up more runners and thus thicken the planting faster. This can be done by hand or in some cases with a lawn mower. How much pachysandra do I need? Does pachysandra stay green all year?
I'm not talking about pachysandra and myrtle, though these two common groundcovers do stay green throughout the winter. This fully evergreen groundcover is very hardy and comes in a broad range of foliage colors and textures. Can you mow pachysandra? Mow pachysandra beds in early spring after the last predicted frost for your area and before new growth emerges. But Pachysandra cannot take the trampling of feet or a hard raking, so don't plant it in an area you'll need to walk through.
Remove any leaves using a very light touch with a rake. I can't bring myself to recommend a leaf blower, because I loathe blowers with the power of a thousand suns, but I have heard it recommended by others.
Pachysandra is a wonderful foundation planting, as you can plant it right up next to the house, yet it won't block access to the house like shrubs and trees do.
Planting notes. Soil should be moist and well drained; Pachysandra prefers acidic soils but can tolerate neutral and slightly alkaline soils.
Edge the boundaries of the area where you are planting to prevent spreading. Place the plants about 8 inches apart. If you are anxious to get complete coverage right away, you may plant them closer together, but patience that is, waiting a few years for them to get established can save you a lot of money.
Water the area and gently add a layer of mulch. Make sure the soil is moist and well drained. After a few years, you'll have a dense cover. Don't let it get too dense; thin the plants if necessary. Planting don'ts. I asked Chad Nelson, a horticultural expert and assistant professor of landscape design at the University of Delaware, about the ethics of using Pachysandra terminalis.
Nelson also recommends using the native species, Pachysandra procumbens common name: Allegheny spurge. More: Plant these 6 deer-resistant ground covers this fall. See 14 comments. The plantation does not require much time. Planting Pachysandra has become a tradition that the whole family participates in; it can be a lot of fun! Pachysandra is a beautiful ground cover, but it grows very slowly. While trying to encourage it to fill up as quickly as possible, remember that pachysandra prefers moist, rich, and slightly acidic soil pH 5.
Generally, one covering annual with the compound is sufficient to meet your needs, but in the beginning, you may want to complement it with a light application of balanced fertilizer granules in early spring and again in late spring.
A water-soluble fertilizer is also good, but not outdated with the fertilizer. Also remember that as your plantation competes with maples, it may be necessary to water it occasionally during periods of drought, even after it is established. The plant does propagate through underground channels and it is true that a slight nip or nip in early spring can encourage plants to send more channels and thus thicken the planting faster. This can be done manually or, in some cases, with a lawnmower.
You can test it with some plants to see how they respond before committing to the procedure. If you trim them, make sure they are well watered for the next few months as they move towards more aggressive growth. How much sun can Pachysandra Take?
The morning sun is fine, but too much sun will cause the foliage to discolor, especially in winter. Plants that love the shade, such as pachysandra, can generally tolerate a little direct sunlight every day, as long as exposure to the sun is not prolonged. Burnt leaves are the result of too much sun. Affected leaves die before unaffected leaves, but occasional sunburn does not usually kill vigorous plants like pachysandra.
Problems arise when growing conditions change, for example, when a mature tree is cut down, suddenly leaving an area that was previously shaded by a strong sun. In such cases, the constant bombardment of sunlight can kill patches of pachysandra plants.
Does Pachysandra like sun or shade? If planted in the sun or in a poorly drained area, the leaves can become chlorotic or yellow. It is important that the foliage is protected from the sun in both winter and summer, otherwise, it can burn. Pachysandra tolerates a wide variety of soils , from humid to well drain and from clayey to sandy.
Although it prefers an acidic environment, it also grows in neutral to slightly alkaline soils. It can tolerate a little drought, once well established, but improves with more water during periods of drought. How to care for Pachysandra plant?
Yes, you can care for Pachysandra plant in following the below steps:. Pachysandra is the perfect low-maintenance ground cover in shaded areas. And it can grow in most temperature zones. If you are looking for beautiful ground cover plants and want to learn how to grow and care for them, this is the guide for you.
Young Pachysandra plants should be watered regularly until a strong root system develops. When the plant is mature with a good set of strong roots, it will be drought-tolerant and will need much less irrigation. It is a good idea to use a few inches of mulch on top of the soil where Pachysandra was planted, as this will help the soil retain moisture and prevent the plant from drying out.
During the winter, you will not need to water the plant. This plant does best in full shade. It is an ideal plant to use as a ground cover under the shade of large trees where grass and most other plants would not survive, or to create a green blanket under shrubs.
Pachysandra loves full shade and, when these ideal conditions are met, she will grow to 25 centimeters in height. When grown in partial shade and partial sun, you can expect that your plant will not perform as well, with a greater likelihood of growing up to about 6 inches tall. The plant is much more tolerant of the summer sun in the winter sun and may have difficulty dealing with the light of the sun at lower temperatures. If you need to plant your Pachysandra in a location with partial sunlight, make sure it receives morning sun and afternoon shade so that it is protected from the strongest daylight.
You will know that your plant is getting a lot of suns if the leaves start to become discolored, in which case you should consider moving your plant to a more suitable location with more shade.
Pachysandra plants are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. They are not sensitive to frost and are resistant to USDA zones Pachysandra can be propagated with stem or split cuttings.
The split method will produce faster results, but stem cuttings take root easily, so both methods are likely to result in successful propagation.
To propagate from stem cuttings, you will need to select a plant cut that is about ten centimeters long. Choose a stem that is ripe at the base with new leaf growth at the tip and avoid stems with buds or flowers.
Make the cut just below a set of leaves, then remove all leaves from the lower half of the cut stem.
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