Author Topic: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?  (Read 6011 times)

Kada

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Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« on: January 14, 2018, 11:51:03 PM »
What is people's opinions on relatively short, under a foot or so, ground covers to grow in place of rampant weeds?

I've been combating weeds for years and sweet potato does ok but tends not to handle trampling on it well. Tropics weeds are bad as we all know.  I use plastic mulch in rows, but because here uses flood irrigation via trenches there is no plastic in the trenches, so weeds grow a solid meter a month.  I don't spray, need to stay organic.  So looking for something stronger than even sprawling morning glories like sweet potato and water spinach.  You guys have any good ones?  I'm not against hand weeding while the new cover gets established.

Cheers for any thoughts.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2018, 05:55:48 AM by Kada »

pineislander

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2018, 08:28:49 AM »
For consideration:
Perennial Peanut
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep135

Sunshine mimosa
http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/Mimosa.pdf

Singapore Daisy, this one is so controversially rampant it is considered 'invasive'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphagneticola_trilobata

All of these will probably establish better and weeding reduced if mulched during establishment.

roblack

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2018, 01:23:20 PM »
Have heard pigeon pea is good. Soil corrector too.

Mixing mints, lemon balm, basils, and other herbs underneath some of my trees. Encouraging them to spread and grow on their own. My hope is that some plants are annoying to certain pests, and will outcompete weeds.

Zafra

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2018, 07:26:04 PM »
Pigeon pea is a great companion plant but not a ground cover. We use perennial peanut and it's terrific - low-growing, relatively well-behaved, does well in sun and shade, prevents erosion (strong roots) and fixes its own nitrogen (oh and if you have chickens, they eat the flowers like crack). Only downside is it doesn't like drought conditions, so supplemental irrigation is necessary in the dry season. Sounds like you're irrigating, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Mint is also very nice and it's wonderful when you walk on it and the air fills with its scent! But it doesn't carpet the ground quite as well as perennial peanut.

Finca La Isla

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2018, 08:43:43 PM »
Those are some good ideas.  We also use hemigraphis which is tough and tolerates both shade and sun. 
For dealing with difficult grass where the fruit trees are already well developed you might consider macuna.  Macuna will dominate anything but can get deep.
Peter

pineislander

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2018, 09:42:30 PM »
Those are some good ideas.  We also use hemigraphis which is tough and tolerates both shade and sun. 
For dealing with difficult grass where the fruit trees are already well developed you might consider macuna.  Macuna will dominate anything but can get deep.
Peter

Ah, FLI how drought tolerant is the hemigraphis?
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/OF-7.pdf

This discusses the Mucuna, a non-itchy variety does exist. I sourced some seed which came from South Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucuna_pruriens

One other I am trialing for shade is 'Wild Thai Pepper'  (Piper sarmentosum) it is also edible, leaves used in Thailand for a snack-wrap called Miang kam.
Trails and roots easily, it seems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_sarmentosum

Finca La Isla

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2018, 10:18:31 AM »
How drought tolerant is hemigraphis?  I’m not sure, depends on the drought.  Where I work we don’t get very dry weather.  It tolerates very well what we have.  Here we have two short dry seasons that can last a couple of months with some small amounts of rain.  The soil can develop cracks during this period and I’ve never seen hemigraphis fail in that situation. 
Peter

Kada

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2018, 10:19:57 AM »
never grown hemigraphis, looks interesting!  i have used mucuna and various piper species but i dont find them good.  mucuna is great as a green mulch you intend to cover a field, but even medium sized trees it will totally cover pretty easily.  i think vines should be ruled out for said reason.  also, although orchards may be different, in vegetable production with plastic mulch, piper style vines, like the sweet potato, will go all under the weed fabric and take up a lot of the fertilizer.  i would use it in  a tree closed canopy setting maybe, but not for row field culture, its not awesome in the sun either but will grow.

I think as a basic rule for ground covers to be used while intentional crops are in production, vines and things that send runners/rhizomes outward cannot be used. the extra amount of fertilizer used is cost prohibitive in many cases in my opinion.

the peanut seems interesting too, want to try that one out!

johnb51

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2018, 02:56:19 PM »
 Thanks for fixing the title.
« Last Edit: January 23, 2018, 08:50:29 AM by johnb51 »
John

SoCalDan

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #9 on: January 22, 2018, 02:20:14 PM »
I have used perennial peanut with much success.  Strong roots, fast grower.  I understand some varieties are nitrogen fixers. 

Cookie Monster

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #10 on: January 22, 2018, 09:38:50 PM »
Perennial peanut is nice. If you want to add organic matter, you can mulch over the top of perennial peanut, and it will eventually come back.

Just out of curiosity -- what does the title of this thread mean?
Jeff  :-)

stuartdaly88

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2018, 01:12:09 AM »
Centella asiatica mats and spreads nice and tight and is also attractive with its fleshy rounded bright green leaves.
Also it is hardly a staple but it is edible with great tonic benifits.

I think it like moist areas but i have seen it very happy in semi moist forested areas and the ones under my tap only do slightly better than those along the skirting of my house
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Kada

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2018, 05:54:24 AM »
oh great, thanks for that suggestion as well.

i think im going to give the peanut a go now as its easier to source here locally, but the others will certainly be trying to get some growing!

cookie monster, sorry just noticed.  i used my cellphone to post this but i have farmers fingers and thus don't type well on phones, so auto spell got me this time.  i meant "smother" :)

pineislander

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2018, 06:29:54 AM »
Centella asiatica mats and spreads nice and tight and is also attractive with its fleshy rounded bright green leaves.
Also it is hardly a staple but it is edible with great tonic benifits.

I think it like moist areas but i have seen it very happy in semi moist forested areas and the ones under my tap only do slightly better than those along the skirting of my house
Thanks!
Here it is in Florida.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xNIPdbU_WM

Cookie Monster

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2018, 10:32:19 AM »
HAHAHA that's what I figured. It was between that and something like "what is a ground cover that to another is considered a weed" (my wife considers perennial peanut to be a weed :-).

oh great, thanks for that suggestion as well.

i think im going to give the peanut a go now as its easier to source here locally, but the others will certainly be trying to get some growing!

cookie monster, sorry just noticed.  i used my cellphone to post this but i have farmers fingers and thus don't type well on phones, so auto spell got me this time.  i meant "smother" :)
Jeff  :-)

Kada

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #15 on: January 23, 2018, 11:13:16 PM »
gotta fight fire with fire when it comes to weeds hehe.  is it truly perennial as in years of growth, or is it good at reseeding itself?

Annonaceae

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #16 on: January 24, 2018, 12:16:30 AM »
Piper sarmentosum........perfect ground cover......completely smothers weeds.....and its leaves are edible.    But watch it as it can take over.

barath

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #17 on: January 24, 2018, 12:31:54 AM »
Has anyone tried using perennial peanut in California as a groundcover?  I'm really curious whether it can survive on irrigation runoff from trees rather than needing direct irrigation on its own.

Zafra

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #18 on: January 24, 2018, 10:02:56 AM »
It's truly perennial and as far as I can tell doesn't seed at all, just extends and extends and extends when it's happy. To get through our dry season, we mulched it with cut dry vetiver grass - it was really unhappy (and ugly) while exposed to the sun and thirsty. With the mulch it still didn't look great but it put on a few leaves and survived, came back like gang-busters with the first drops of rain. If it gets regular water, it's perfect. And Cookie Monster is right you can mulch over it like mad and it comes right up over it again, no problem.

CGameProgrammer

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #19 on: January 24, 2018, 05:58:16 PM »
I tried perennial peanut in San Diego. It's planted in shade beneath some trees,  getting a bit of direct sunlight but not much. I planted it (not from seed but from a nursery) a few years ago. It survives but I often forget it exists because it's very small. I think it might be because of the lack of sunlight. I may try it again elsewhere in a more sunny spot.

Finca La Isla

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #20 on: January 24, 2018, 08:12:06 PM »
We usually plant perennial peanut from cuttings but I have planted it from seed.  The seeds are somehow set deep in the ground, you aren’t likely to see them.  It makes eliminating it complicated.
Peter

pineislander

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #21 on: January 25, 2018, 07:41:57 PM »
Perennial peanut is nice. If you want to add organic matter, you can mulch over the top of perennial peanut, and it will eventually come back.

Just out of curiosity -- what does the title of this thread mean?
Cookie Monster, I'm curious about which form of Perennial Peanut you had success covering with mulch?

I have two varieties, and would like to know which you have had that grows through mulch, and how deep was the mulch?

Type 1- was grown from seed but also can grow from cuttings, has wider green-yellow leaves, it runs along on top of the ground on stolons, and looks like this:



Type 2- doesn't make seed so far as I have found, I grew from cuttings has darker green more narrow leaves and spreads from underground rhizomes, it looks like this:



barath

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #22 on: January 26, 2018, 12:27:29 AM »
Anyone in California try out Singapore Daisy?  It's supposed to be drought tolerant, and I figure it's only invasive in wetter places.

pineislander

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Re: Good ground cover species to smother weeds?
« Reply #23 on: January 26, 2018, 06:12:22 AM »
Not in California, but here in Florida it has a bad habit of spreading wildly. If it finds anything to climb up on like a shrub it gets inside and can climb 6 feet up into the growth. Imagine a bougainvillea or rose bush invaded can be a nightmare. If mowed it gets spread and can find it's way around pretty quickly.

Cookie Monster

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Re: Good ground cover species to another weeds?
« Reply #24 on: January 29, 2018, 06:57:03 PM »
Mine is type 1, with wider leaves. Mulch was 3 or 4 inches thick.

Cookie Monster, I'm curious about which form of Perennial Peanut you had success covering with mulch?

I have two varieties, and would like to know which you have had that grows through mulch, and how deep was the mulch?

Type 1- was grown from seed but also can grow from cuttings, has wider green-yellow leaves, it runs along on top of the ground on stolons, and looks like this:



Type 2- doesn't make seed so far as I have found, I grew from cuttings has darker green more narrow leaves and spreads from underground rhizomes, it looks like this:


Jeff  :-)