Delicious Edible Ground Covers You Can Grow for Food
About This Resource
The article discusses the benefits of using edible ground covers in vegetable gardens and edible landscapes, highlighting their role as living mulches that suppress weeds while providing additional harvests. It emphasizes the importance of selecting suitable edible ground covers that are low-growing, low-maintenance, and non-invasive. The author provides examples of edible ground covers such as alyssum, violets, Roman chamomile, and nasturtiums, detailing their characteristics, benefits, and culinary uses. These plants not only enhance the garden's aesthetics but also attract pollinators and can serve as trap crops for pests. The practical takeaway for readers is the potential to maximize garden space and productivity by incorporating edible ground covers into their gardening practices.
Key takeaways
What to know before you act on this, from the SteadScape editors.
- Select edible ground covers that thrive in your hardiness zone; for example, violets are hardy in zones 3 to 9.
- Plant alyssum, nasturtiums, or Roman chamomile in early spring after the last frost for optimal growth and harvest.
- Allocate 1 to 2 square feet of space per ground cover plant to ensure they can spread and suppress weeds effectively.
- Avoid invasive varieties by choosing non-aggressive perennials or annuals that stay under 12 inches tall to maintain garden balance.
- Consider a budget of $10 to $30 for seeds or starter plants to establish a diverse edible ground cover in your garden.
- Best for
- Beginner gardeners looking to maximize space; plan planting in early spring after last frost.
- Pairs with
- Garden Planner for your zone and frost dates.
Source Information
Summary and key takeaways written by SteadScape. How we choose resources
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