Ground cover for unused area

Subcooled

I have an area we don't use yet that's about 11,000 sq ft and at some point was scraped or turned over and the natural vegetation is gone. All that grows are weeds.

I'm looking for an inexpensive fast growing low maintenance ground cover that requires minimal water until I develop this area.

I'm in zone 6. High desert elevation around 5000'. Cold winters and hot summers. Soil is sandy with lot's of river rock just below the surface.

Shane1

I would say Myoporum might do the trick. This website says its hardiness is 20*F http://amwua.org/photo_detail.html?recordid=456
I would aslo suggest using a pre-emergent product to keep the weed seeds from germinating. Pre-emergents works wonders in my situation it eliminates about 80% of my weeds.

Leah Frances

You know what fits perfectly? your weeds. They are inexpensive (free). Low maintenance (self seeding and disease resistant). And are designed, by nature, to require minimal water.

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

Subcooled

Good idea for the pre emergent, thanks.
It was -2F this am will need something hardy.

Nice link as I can apply some info from that site to my area.

hortman

Hello, Subcooled. Ken here with The Home Depot in the Chicago area.
I have a list of plants for you that need little to moderate water and can
handle Nevada winters. The perennials would benefit from some topsoil
added to the sand and rock. The low growing shrub prefers sandy, rocky
soil. Here they are:

Perennials
Achillea tomentosa – wooly yarrow
Artemesia stellerana – one of the dusty millers
Oenothera caespitosa – white evening primrose
Oenothera fruticosa – sundrops
Oenothera macrocarpa – Ozark sundrops
Shrub
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi - kinnikinnik

Remember that they will do much better if you give them some water
in the beginning to help get them established. Good luck and take care.

Subcooled

Thanks Ken!