If you have areas in your garden where there is a lot of shade, it can be difficult to find plant life that will thrive there.
In these cases, you will need to look for a ground cover plant that can stand up to more challenging conditions.
Pachysandra is a great choice as it doesn’t mind being in the shade and it will do well in soil that is slightly more acidic. But you need to know how much to use.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to place around three or four plants for every square foot so they can be quite well packed together.
The closer you are able to plant the pachysandra, the quicker it will cover the gaps which is what you want when growing these plants.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at how much pachysandra to use and how to take good care of it.
What Is Pachysandra?
While it might not look like it, pachysandra comes from the same family as your boxwood hedge. They are short plants that are most commonly used for ground coverage.
In particular, people use them in shaded areas or places where the soil quality is not quite as favorable.
What’s more, pachysandra is incredibly tolerant of tough conditions and won’t give up easily when exposed to drought. When they thrive, pachysandra can get quite big with each plant growing as wide as two feet and as tall as 12 inches.
You can easily tell these plants apart from others thanks to their dark green leaves and little white flowers that appear during spring.
How Much Pachysandra Do I Need?
When planting pachysandra, you will need to make sure that you get good, even coverage. This means planting the plants close together. You can put as many as four plants for every square foot of ground.
Many people use this plant to cover a large area and by using an organized method, you may be able to plant hundreds of plants in a small amount of time.
However, this largely depends on how many weeds are present as these can slow you down.
Caring For Pachysandra
Knowing how much pachysandra to plant in any one location is just one part of caring for these plants. You’ll need to know when and how to plant them and what care they need.
What’s The Best Time Of Year To Plant Pachysandra?
You have two choices when it comes to planting pachysandra; early spring or just at the beginning of fall. You can try planting it anywhere but you’ll find that it does best in zones three to nine.
Since pachysandra is a plant that doesn’t like full sun, it’s a good idea to wait until you get a cloudy day to plant it. The cuttings should be planted about four inches into the soil and be well watered.
Where To Plant Pachysandra?
Pachysandra does not like to be in full sun. While it can tolerate a little direct light, it will do best in full shade. You’ll notice that the color of the leaves really comes through when it’s planted in the right location.
Moreover, if it is in the way of full sun, this can burn the leaves so make sure that it has shady cover for most of the day.
You will also need to think about the soil where you’ll be planting your pachysandra. The good news is that these plants can tolerate harsher conditions and will do well in acidic soil.
You should check the pH level which should be between 5.5 and 6.5, ideally. That said, provided the soil is well drained, it’ll do well in almost any condition.
Water And Feeding
Just like any other type of plant, you’ll need to make sure that your pachysandra is well watered and fertilized.
Watering should be done regularly after planting as this will help the roots to better establish in the soil. However, be careful not to go over the top as this can lead to rot root and will ultimately kill your plant.
One of the great things about pachysandra is that it’s relatively low maintenance, especially where feeding is concerned. You’ll only need to fertilize it once a year using an organic fertilizer.
Pruning Your Pachysandra
Pachysandra can be quite an invasive plant, especially the Japanese species so you’ll need to make sure you keep it in check. Fortunately, pruning is simple and can be done using a pair of shears at the start of the growing season.
Over the course of the year, it is also possible to clip the tips of the leaves if you want to encourage new growth.
Diseases And Pests
Pachysandra is quite a resilient plant so it isn’t usually affected by too many pests or diseases. However, you may have problems with leaf blight but this can be easily dealt with by using a fungicide treatment.
Why Do People Use Pachysandra?
Pachysandra is one of the most commonly used plants to deter pests and unwanted visitors to an area, particularly deer. But many people also use it as a decorative plant where ground cover is needed and other plants won’t thrive.
It’s great as a border plant and since they are wide spreading, they will form strong root systems under the ground. This is beneficial for the soil and can help to prevent erosion.
Conclusion
Pachysandra is a common plant that’s often used for ground cover. It’s easy to keep and will tolerate conditions that other plants would shrivel up at.
When planting, you’ll want good coverage so you can add up to four plants for every square foot.