Help Keep Your Yard Weed-Free With A Must-Plant Ground Cover

Weeds are pesky, and dealing with them in your yard can seem like a fruitless endeavor. You can fight some weeds by making sure there are no bare patches in your lawn, but in areas where grass struggles to grow, and around landscaped areas of your yard, weeds can easily begin to take over. For those spots, we suggest planting some blue wood sedge (Carex flaccosperma) as a ground cover. Blue wood sedge is perfect in those shadier areas where other plants and grasses may have difficulty growing.

Blue wood sedge is a native grass that grows in clumps that can spread up to a foot, which is something to keep in mind when planting. This ground cover offers short-lived blooms that are greenish and quickly go to seed. While it does seed quickly, not many seeds are formed, so you don't have to worry about it taking over your yard. Blue wood sedge can be grown well in zones five to eight — always be sure you're picking the best ground cover for your climate conditions. Aside from those basics, there are some other things you'll want to know before you plant blue wood sedge in your yard, like where to grow it, how to care for it, and exactly how it's going to kick those pesky weeds out. Let's take a closer look.

Blue wood sedge gets part of its name from the color of its leaves. It does great in moist, woody areas and prefers shade. If you want to plant it in a sunnier location, ensure the soil stays moist and is rich in nutrients, otherwise it won't look as fresh and spiky. Aside from that, this sedge doesn't mind clay soil either because that type of soil tends to stay wetter. Once your plants are established, they will be able to withstand drought seasons. Another great thing that most property owners will love is that blue wood sedge isn't something deer and other animals like to eat, and it is pest-resistant. Blue wood sedge spreads through rhizomes, which allows it to choke out weeds. Additionally, its poofy batches block the sun that the weeds need to take hold.

Where should you plant your blue wood sedge? You can group it around pond areas and other waterways, if you have those features in your outdoor space. It also does well in shady gardens as edging. Use it as ground cover in bare spots that are in shady areas of your lawn. It also flourishes in rock gardens, and ground cover plants are helpful in flower beds. Wherever you plant blue wood sedge, it will assist with controlling erosion. As one of the great low-maintenance ground covers to choose from, it doesn't need a lot of care either — cut it back in late winter to help with new growth in the early spring.