Several factors determine both the number of plants needed for effective coverage and the budget required.
- Faster growing plants can be spaced further apart than slower ones
- Thicker plantings require more money for more plants and the labor to plant them
- Thinner plantings require more maintenance down the road until coverage is achieved
- Knowing the square footage to be planted means you don’t buy more or less plants than you need
Spacing Calculator
| Space Between Plants | Plants Per Square Foot | Plants Per 1000 Square Feet |
| 4 inches | 9 | 9000 |
| 6 inches | 4 | 4000 |
| 8 inches | 2.25 | 2250 |
| 1 foot | 1 | 1000 |
| 1.5 feet | N/A | 444 |
Culture Notes (There are exceptions so these guides are general)
- Bed preparation includes addition of organic matter and adjusting pH between 6 and 7
- Fertilize at planting 2 lbs of Nitrogen per 1000 square feet worked into soil
- Fertilize established beds 2 lbs of Nitrogen annually divided into a couple of applications, slow release fertilizers can also be used instead
- Plant in a diamond or triangular pattern, not a square, more pleasing to the eye
- Watering is critical, especially the first year or two, especially in the heat and drought of summer
- Weeds are best just pulled until plants are established
- There are herbicides available for grasses growing in groundcover beds. Be careful around lawns
- There are pre-emergent herbicides available to control many grass and broadleaf weeds in ground cover beds (read the label). These products have to be applied several times a year to maintain effectiveness
