Whereas if we left the ground-cover to become very thick and dense then we would want to catch the clippings, which would be better to recycle into compost on in garden beds. Trim below a leaf node for a more manicured look or simply grab a bunch and trim to the desired length. Dichonrda repens is one of the most attractive ground covers that I have seen. Mow over it when mowing the other lawn areas. Dichondra Silver Falls. How to grow dichondra repens in a garden Choose a place in the garden that gets part shade to filtered sun and is protected from the afternoon sun. The plant often occurs in forest, woodland, and grassland habitat types. When you water the dichondra, provide at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. This plant is a perennial in warm climates and will thrive as a ground cover or turf alternative in USDA hardiness zones 10-11. This usually only occurs on properties where optimum growing conditions exist for the plant, as well as the plant not being desired by the property owner. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Establishment and coverage times can be slow to begin, but as this plant is a self seeding perennial it will continue to self propagate and continue to spread and thicken quite rapidly once it has taken a good foothold. That is: we would want to mulch mow when the amount of leaf material to be removed is minimal. It’s the type of plant that will create a soft feel, they also complement bold and colourful plants. When you buy soil, make sure it’s labeled as potting mix and is not intended for use in a lawn. Originally a weed, it is now used in many ground cover situations where normal grasses may not do as well. This will catch the excess water. Dichondra Repens is extremely versatile, and its flowering blooms can add a wonderful splash of color across the entire area where it’s grown. It bears 3/4 to 1-inch long and wide velvety-soft, silver coin-like leaves that are on stems that look like on white thread. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Once the seed or punnets / sprigs are planted, the area should be watered enough to be kept moist until establishment is completed. Follow the directions on your fertilizer to ensure you use the right amount. Don’t let the fertilizer rest on top of the leaves, as it could burn them. If you live in the United States or Canada, you can find your last frost date by inputting your location into the Almanac's date calculator: You could also start your seeds in a seed starter potting mix, which you can find at most gardening stores. Dichondra repens – Kidney Weed A creeping plant that spreads widely from underground stolons, making it a good ground cover. You can plant more seedlings in larger pots, though the plants may not grow to be as large. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. 2.7 out of 5 stars 42 ratings. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7c\/Grow-Dichondra-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Grow-Dichondra-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7c\/Grow-Dichondra-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid4992106-v4-728px-Grow-Dichondra-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"