Looking for a garden solution that saves you time and feeds you? An edible ground cover is a low-maintenance garden solution that can solve multiple problems at once. Instead of bare soil or grass, you can grow useful, tasty plants. They suppress weeds, prevent erosion, and add beauty to your landscape. Best of all, they provide a harvest with very little work from you.
Edible Ground Cover – Low-Maintenance Garden Solution
This approach is about working smarter, not harder. By choosing the right plants, you create a living mulch. This layer protects your soil and adds biodiversity to your yard. You get fresh herbs, greens, and even fruits, all while cutting down on weeding and watering. It’s a practical choice for any gardener wanting to make the most of their space.
Why Choose Edible Ground Covers?
Traditional lawns and empty beds demand constant attention. Edible ground covers offer a different path. Here’s what they bring to your garden:
- Weed Suppression: A dense mat of plants blocks sunlight, stopping weed seeds from sprouting.
- Soil Health: Their roots hold soil in place, preventing erosion. As leaves decompose, they add organic matter.
- Water Conservation: The canopy reduces evaporation, meaning you need to water less often.
- Habitat for Beneficials: Flowers attract pollinators, and the cover provides shelter for helpful insects.
- Free Food: You get a convenient, fresh harvest right from your landscape.
Top Picks for Your Garden
Not every edible plant works as a ground cover. You need plants that spread readily, are tough, and are low-growing. Here are some of the best options, categorized by your garden’s conditions.
For Sunny Spots
These plants thrive with six or more hours of direct sun.
- Creeping Thyme: Forms a fragrant, walkable carpet with tiny pink or purple flowers. Perfect between stepping stones. Use the leaves for cooking.
- Alpine Strawberry: A compact, non-runner strawberry that produces small, sweet fruit all season. It forms neat clumps that slowly expand.
- Nasturtium: Fast-growing with bright flowers. Both leaves and flowers are edible, with a peppery flavor. They can sprawl several feet.
- Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens): A native evergreen with red berries that have a sharp, minty taste. It prefers acidic soil.
For Shady Areas
Don’t let shade stop you. These plants do well with limited sunlight.
- Sweet Woodruff: Loves deep shade. It has delicate white flowers and leaves that smell like hay when dried. Traditionally used in drinks.
- Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense): Its heart-shaped leaves form a dense cover. The root has a ginger-like aroma, but it’s used sparingly as a flavoring.
- Creeping Raspberry: Offers beautiful foliage and small, tasty raspberry-like fruit. It’s surprisingly shade-tolerant and has excellent fall color.
- Mint (in containers): Warning: Mint is invasive! Always plant it in a pot sunk into the ground. Its spreading habit makes it a perfect, controllable ground cover for shade.
For Quick Coverage & Greens
If you want fast results and lots of salad ingredients, consider these.
- Perennial Arugula (Sylvetta): Less bolt-prone than annual arugula. It forms a bushy clump of spicy, pungent leaves you can harvest continuously.
- New Zealand Spinach: Heat-tolerant and spreads vigorously. It’s not a true spinach but cooks up just like it, providing greens in the heat of summer.
- Greek Oregano: The low-growing, spreading variety forms a mat. You can harvest oregano for cooking all season long, and it’s very drought-resistant.
How to Plant Your Edible Ground Cover
Getting started is straightforward. Follow these steps for the best results.
- Prepare the Area: Remove all existing weeds and grass. This is the most critical step—if you skip it, weeds will compete with your new plants. Loosen the soil and mix in some compost.
- Choose Your Layout: Decide if you want a single plant type or a mix. For a natural look, combine two or three compatible plants, like thyme and alpine strawberries.
- Plant Correctly: Check the spacing requirements for your chosen plant. For quick coverage, space them a bit closer than the tag suggests. Water them in thoroughly after planting.
- Mulch & Water: Add a thin layer of mulch (like straw or shredded leaves) between plants to retain moisture while they establish. Water regularly for the first season.
- Manage the Spread: Once established, some plants may grow to vigorously. Simply trim the edges with garden shears or a spade to keep them in their bounds.
Maintaining Your Living Carpet
The maintenance is refreshingly simple. After establishment, your main tasks are harvesting and occasional tidying up.
- Watering: Most edible ground covers are drought-tolerant. Water only during extended dry periods once they have mature root systems.
- Fertilizing: A top-dressing of compost in the spring is usually sufficient. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which can encourage to much leafy growth at the expense of flavor.
- Harvesting: Frequent picking encourages new growth. For herbs like thyme, shear it back by a third to promote fresh, tender leaves.
- Dividing: Every few years, plants like oregano may become thin in the center. In early spring, dig up the plant, divide it, and replant the healthy outer pieces.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with easy plants, a few missteps can cause problems. Here’s what to watch out for.
- Poor Weed Prep: Not clearing weeds thoroughly at the start leads to an ongoing battle. Take the time to do it right.
- Wrong Plant, Wrong Place: Putting a sun-loving thyme in deep shade will fail. Always match the plant to your light and soil conditions.
- Overcrowding at Start: While close spacing helps with coverage, plants still need air circulation. Crowding can promote fungal disease.
- Forgetting About Pathways: Plan for access. Use stepping stones through larger areas so you can harvest and tend without compacting the soil or damaging plants.
FAQ: Edible Ground Covers
Q: Are edible ground covers really low maintenance?
A: Yes, especially compared to a lawn or vegetable garden. After the first year of establishment, they primarily need only harvesting and occasional trimming.
Q: Can I walk on them?
A: Some, like creeping thyme and Corsican mint, are tolerant of light foot traffic. Others, like strawberries, are best admired from the edge. It depends on the specific plant.
Q: Will they attract pests?
A: They can, but they also attract beneficial insects that help control pests. Good biodiversity usually creates a healthy balance. Watch for slugs in shady, moist areas.
Q: Can I use these under fruit trees?
A: Absolutely! This is called “orchard flooring.” It reduces competition from grass, improves soil, and gives you an extra yield. Just avoid plants with very deep roots directly near the tree trunk.
Q: How do I start if I’m on a budget?
A> Start small. Choose one fast-spreading plant like nasturtium or mint (in a pot). You can also ask gardening friends for divisions of plants like oregano or thyme, which are easy to split.
Integrating an edible ground cover is a simple shift with profound benefits. You replace a demanding section of your garden with a resilient, productive ecosystem. It saves you time, enriches your soil, and brings fresh flavors to your kitchen. With the right plant choices and a little initial effort, you’ll enjoy the rewards for many seasons to come.