Ground cover

Question: Can you please suggest best ground cover for vast back and front yard in wooded/ shady area
Currently bare ground
Have lots of trees with leaves falling

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied March 17, 2023, 10:10 AM EDT
response: Fallen tree leaves are the best and easiest mulch to use, and they will not smother any perennials or shrubs that you may want to add over time. Otherwise, since it looks like the leaves have already been removed for now, you can use arborist wood chips as a mulch that's cheaper in volume than bark mulch, and you can push mulch aside in spots you are ready to plant. Either type of mulch (leaves or chips/bark) will improve soil health by adding organic matter as it breaks down, and will reduce the risk of erosion while suppressing weeds.  When it comes to planting any of these areas, we recommend using a mix of species instead of only one or two species in large swaths, because mixtures will be much more resilient to future challenges of a pest or disease outbreak or source of environmental stress (excess rain, drought, cold snaps, etc.). This is because they won't all share the same vulnerabilities, so if one plant type is struggling for a time, the rest can be growing well. Diverse landscapes are also better for wildlife, especially if they make use of native plants.  There are too many options among groundcovers and plants that prefer woodland conditions to list them all here, but you can find several lists of candidates to consider online and can peruse publications like the Fish & Wildlife Service's booklet Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping. It might be simplest to install some of the plants as plugs, which are plants that are older than seedlings but younger than the pot sizes typically sold in garden centers. Plugs are not only easier to install and cheaper per plant, but helpful when installing multiple individuals of the same species because that's how plugs are sold -- as trays of dozens of plugs of a single type of plant. (Not many growers will allow customers to split trays into multiple species. If you wind-up with more than you need, you could always see if local gardeners want to take the rest, either at cost or for free.)  Below are some ideas to get you started. Fast-growing species may be welcome at first to cover ground more efficiently, but be aware that this trait may also make them harder to manage where you want to restrict their spread later. If deer enter this area and browse plants, you'll either need to protect them with a barrier like fencing/netting or a repellent spray, or just restrict the planting to plant species they typically leave alone. (Nothing is deer-proof, though.) The plant list below assumes that soil drainage isn't an issue, but if any areas skew wet, then only certain species would be tolerant of those conditions.  Native groundcovers:any of the species included under "groundcovers and ferns" on our Recommended Native Plants page with the exception of Moss Phlox (because it needs full sun), though there are Phlox species adapted to woodlands (listed below)a variety of Sedges (botanical name Carex), many of which are native (and a few of which are not)Eastern Hayscented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)White Wood Aster (Aster divaricatus / Eurybia divaricata) and Blue Wood Aster (Aster cordifolius / Symphyotrichum cordifolium)Creeping Phlox (Phlox stolonifera) and Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata)Woodland Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum)Lyreleaf Sage (Salvia lyrata)a variety of Violets (Viola), such as Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)Alleghany Pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens)Crested Iris (Iris cristata) We do not recommend using the groundcovers below as they are widely over-used and they can often be invasive:Japanese Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis)English Ivy (Hedera helix)Periwinkle (Vinca minor, Vinca major)Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)Bishop's-weed (Aegopodium podagraria)Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)Yellow Archangel (Lamium galeobdolon)Creeping Liriope (Liriope spicata) Non-native groundcover options that are not invasive:Barrenwort / Bishop's-hat (Epimedium)Himalayan Sweetbox (Sarcococca hookeriana humilis)Siberian Carpet (Microbiota decussata)Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon)Solomon's-Seal (Polygonatum odorata)Wood Spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides robbiae)  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied March 18, 2023, 8:08 AM EDT
response: Hi Miri  I really appreciate all the great information you have sent.   We do have about 1.5 acres of land other than the house   I was thinking about using arborist chips as you suggested in some of the space , and maybe the sedges in the rest   I was not able to take pictures of the whole area as I did want to confuse you.  My main concern is the fenced in back yard ( uneven , sloping towards the north) - we have a dog and she brings in a lot of dirt Would you suggest arborist chips there?   Do you have any consultants who actually come to the home?   If you do know, please let me know where I could get the chips   Again, wanted to thank you for your prompt and detailed email !!             Mary

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied March 20, 2023, 11:24 AM EDT
response: Hello Mary,  If a more urgent reduction in erosion and/or exposed soil is needed, such as to minimize what the dog tracks in, then yes, wood chips are probably the simplest and most cost-effective solution. We don't have veterinary training, though, so check with a vet about the relative risks or safety of using wood chips as mulch if the dog is prone to eating any. (In that case, definitely avoid coco shell mulch, which are the husks of chocolate pods and unsafe for dogs. This is likely to be too cost-prohibitive to be a mulch type candidate, though.) There are biodegradable landscape fabrics (more like paper, really) that could be used instead, or underneath a mulch, which will degrade by the time you're ready to plant (and you can just cut holes into it to plant through in the meantime). "Regular" synthetic landscape fabric and weed barrier materials won't biodegrade and can be a real  hassle to remove later after plantings have been established, so while useful for the short-term, might not be as handy to try in this situation unless you move it from area to area as it's mulched or planted.  We don't keep track of all possible sources, but have heard about Chip Drop as one potential way to request wood chip deliveries. There maybe other apps or websites too. You can inquire with fellow gardeners on social media (if you use it) about their experiences with this or other services, and may also be able to share a load with someone nearby if it's more convenient. As we understand it, costs for the chips are either free or limited to just a delivery fee, and the tree company bringing the chip load will almost certainly dump the entire truckload at one address, so there needs to be space to accommodate that.  We don't perform on-site consultations, unfortunately, but you might look into hiring a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional if you wish to work with a landscaper or designer with training in sustainable landscaping practices. (Use the "find a pro" link on their page if you want to search for credentialed persons.)  Miri