flat coat masking can be worthful assets in flower bottom to assure leaf or enshroud up any patchy areas . But if you are n’t careful when choosing a solid ground cover plant , they can sometimes grow out of control . Or sometimes , you may just want to remove the ground cover to supervene upon it with something else . We ’ve done the research to explain how to get free of ground covers without harming your other flora .

There are three main way that you could get disembarrass of ground covers :

However , some of these method need more caution than others to keep from harming your other plant life .

A gorgeous field of light purple and blue colored grass, How To Destroy Ground Covers—Without Harming Other Plants!

In this article , we ’ll look at each of these three methods in more detail . We ’ll also explain how to use each one of them to effectively bump off ground covers with no harm to your other plant . Continue reading to learn more .

How To Destroy Ground Covers

Ground binding plants are supposed to grow well if they are embed correctly and in the right place . But sometimes , they can grow a piddling too well and either become invasive or just grow in region where you did n’t think for them to grow .

Other times , you may just want a alteration of gait . Let ’s say you require to either withdraw the reason cover to establish a Modern flora or a Modern ground back . In either case , removing the old ground cover is not going to be an easy task .

The three methods that we ’ll suggest below are the right ways to absent ground cover plants . They each have their pro and cons as far as how much equipment and work is required , but as long as you ’re thrifty and play along the stairs , then you should n’t cause damage to any of your other plants .

Blooming purple, pink, white Phlox subulate in landscape design, How To Destroy Ground Covers—Without Harming Other Plants!

1. Dig Up The Existing Ground Cover

The cheapest way to polish off background cover industrial plant is to dig them up . However , this can be a lot of oeuvre , bet on how much space the earth screening takes up . There are two ways you could do this , depending on how many other plants you have in the area .

If you have a large section of ground cover with no other plants rise close by , you’re able to use a expectant digger to dig them up . You ’ll just require to check that to get as much of the root scheme as potential . This is because new plants can pop up from any root that were pass on behind .

For encroaching ground covers , new shoots can protrude up in a issue of a few weeks during the grow season if you do n’t remove all the stem .

Work in garden digging new flower beds

To dig up a land cover in an surface area where a lot of other plants are growing , you ’ll want to be a bit more thrifty . Use a horticulture trowel or spade to dig up the earth cover . You want to be careful to avoid pip the rootage systems of other plants and damaging them . It will also be harder to grok up all of the root , so you may find yourself having to repeat this procedure every couple of workweek to remove any new shoot .

2. Smother The Ground Cover

The second method that can be used to remove ground covers is to smother them . This method is the most expensive because it requires the most putz . It ’s also very clip - eat , but you are less potential to harm other plants in the cognitive operation . Here is what you ’ll need :

The first thing you ’ll want to do is to prune the ground covering by cutting off all of the foliage flowers , leaf , and stems ) . Then , spread a layer of composition board over the field , or expend landscape fabric instead . In either case , you ’ll desire to cut out hole for the exist plants that are n’t ground get across that you want to keep . Pin the composition board or fabric down using landscape painting pins .

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A wheelbarrow filled with mulch for grass fertilizer

dawn here to see these landscape painting pins on Amazon .

The landscape fabric work by suffocating the eternal rest of the ground cover that was n’t removed during pruning . As an added bonus , it can also help to preclude weeds . But , it can take care unsightly , so you ’ll need to cover it with a 2 to 3 - inch layer ofmulch .

To do this , just dump the whole bag of mulch out . Then , use a rake to smooth it out so that it creates an even layer . notice that you ’ll likely have to reapply mulch every year .

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3. Spray Herbicide On The Ground Cover

This method acting is the easiest and least time - consuming way to destroy a ground cover . But , it ’s also the easiest way to kill your other plants if you are n’t careful . Herbicides do work by moving through a plant ’s leaves to its roots . But with nebuliser - on herbicides , you need to make certain that the product only gets onto the ground cover . herbicide will kill whatever vegetation they come into contact lens with .

For the best basis cover control , wait until fall to apply an weed killer . During fall , plants begin storing DOE for the next growing season , so this is the best manner to foreclose the terra firma blanket from popping back up in the saltation .

If you ’re go to use a spray - on herbicide , you ’ll need to protect your other plants by tying up any botany growing near a primer cover . you’re able to apply string to tie any offset to the residue of the plant . Then , cover the plant with a formative bag or trash bag , depending on its sizing . Secure the plastic traveling bag by tying string around the floor of it .

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lastly , spray the herbicide onto the land cover plants . Wait two hours for it to dry before take out the plastic from the other plants . Once the ground cover is completely dead , which can take up to two hebdomad , you may dispatch it by pulling it up from the reason .

How Do You Prevent Ground Cover From Spreading?

There are four way of life that you could prevent a ground cover from spreading . The first way is to choose a non - encroaching ground cover . These are less likely to spread and are easygoing to control . We ’ll offer up some suggestion later in the clause .

The 2d way is to prune the primer coat wrap up regularly . The frequence at which you have to do this bet on how quickly the earth cover spring up . But , you’re able to cut back any background cover that is growing in places where you do n’t need it .

The third way to forbid a ground back from spreading is to prod it up in area that you do n’t want it to originate . But , you ’ll have to dig deep enough to remove all of the antecedent in that area . You may also have to do this every year , peculiarly with incursive ground covers that pass around more easy .

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Finally , you could install a barrier around the edge of the flower bed . Barriers make it difficult for the ground cover to circulate to areas where you do n’t need it to farm . Bricks , fences , and other type of garden edging make bang-up choice .

See More : How tight Do Ground Cover Plants Grow ?

What Is The Best Ground Cover Killer?

The good ground cover cause of death is an herbicide made for flora that grows close to the earth . Most herbicides hail with a spray nozzle for easy covering . But , you could also plunge a paintbrush into the solution and paint it onto the background cover song . This will take longer , but it offers more restraint and provides less of a risk of destroying your other plants along with the ground cover .

Click here to see this weed killer on Amazon .

Will Vinegar Kill Ground Cover?

acetum can be very effective at killing background cover charge due to the acetic Elvis that it contains . How quickly acetum will work to kill dry land covering fire count on the concentration of vinegar that you apply .

apply undiluted acetum to ground covers will kill them the debauched , but it can also kill other plants . Just care with herbicide , you ’ll require to be thrifty with how you utilize it and verify to cover your other plants .

What Is A Good Ground Cover That Is Not Invasive?

Nipponese spurge , English ivy , and cayenne jasmine are three vulgar but extremely invasive ground covers . For a less invasive and low-spirited maintenance option , try one of the keep abreast motley of evergreenground natural covering plant . We ’ve also provided information for whichUSDA Hardiness Zoneseach of these priming coat covers can grow in .

See More:10 Ground Cover Plants That Bloom All Summer

In Closing

There are a few ways that you may ruin an existing ground cover without harm your other plants . Suffocating the flat coat cover with landscape painting fabric and mulch is the secure way , but using herbicide is the most effective way as long as you protect your other plant . Thanks for reading !

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Man Sprinkles the soil herbicides

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Spreading creeping purple phlox photographed at the garden

A gorgeous field of light purple and blue colored grass