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1.
What growing conditions are required for Liriope?
Most
liriopes do well when planted in moderate to full shade.
If a landscape application calls for full sun, be sure to
choose a cultivar that performs well in this exposure. (Click
on the 
on our Inventory Page
for Liriope cultural info.)
Even
though liriope will survive in the poorest of soils and
growing conditions, it will perform best when the soil is
loose, well drained and has a neutral pH. Since the roots
are shallow, tilling the soil to a depth of 8-10 inches
before planting is usually sufficient. Using lime to raise
the pH of an acidic soil is always a good practice. top
of page
2.
Recommended Maintenance for Liriope?
Upon
initial installation, liriope needs a minimum amount of
watering for establishment. If Mother Nature is not cooperating,
it will need a good watering every second or third day through
the first 30-45 days. After taking root, liriope can withstand
severe drought, but a little help from a regular irrigation
program would certainly be beneficial.
Ironically,
because liriope is so incredibly durable, it is often put
in situations where nothing else would survive. It is often
used in parking lots and highway medians where it is exposed
to severe heat, extreme cold, vehicle exhaust, foot traffic
and is isolated from irrigation, fertilization or maintenance
of any sort.
A
healthy practice is to cut back the old foliage once each
year in late winter / early spring (just before new growth
emerges) and to feed with a slow release fertilizer at the
same time to help the plants maintain their vigor and color
throughout the season. This annual trimming can be done
with a weed eater or lawn mower. We further recommend that
you be bold and cut the leaves back to 2-3 inches above
the soil level. top
of page
3.
What about spacing for 4" groundcovers?
Most
groundcovers will produce solid coverage in about one year
when planted on 12" centers. Smaller selections like dwarf
mondo and super dwarf mondo should be planted on 6-8" centers
to achieve the same result. Some of the more aggressive
vines like Euonymus 'Coloratus' and Hedera helix may be
stretched to 15" or more.
This information should be used as a general guideline for
most landscape applications. Your particular situation will
be dictated by your budget, your ultimate goal and your
patience.
Please
refer to our spacing chart to determine the number of plants
that you will need.
|
Centers*
|
Plants/Sq.
Ft.
|
Area
(in Sq. Ft.)
|
Total
Plants Needed
|
|
6"
|
4
|
x |
= |
|
8"
|
2.25
|
x |
= |
|
10"
|
1.44
|
x |
= |
|
12"
|
1
|
x |
= |
|
15"
|
.64
|
x |
= |
|
18"
|
.44
|
x |
= |
|
21"
|
.33
|
x |
= |
|
24"
|
.25
|
x |
= |
*The
term "centers" refers to the amount of space to allow from
the center of one plant to another. top
of page
4.
What groundcovers do you recommend for slopes, erosion control
or covering large areas quickly?
For
the grassy look, nothing works better or faster than Liriope
spicata. It spreads rapidly through underground rhyzomes
creating a vigorous, dense, soil grabbing root system. It
is cold hardy through zone 4 and performs equally well in
full sun to full shade. The fine textured leaves rise to
a height of 15-18 inches and sway gently in the breeze,
creating the additional feature of "movement" in the landscape.
Liriope
spicata is not a staple garden center item because it can
be easily mixed up with other lesser aggressive liriopes
and therefore create problems when installed in the wrong
situation.
Always use Liriope spicata in situations where you desire
rapid, aggressive coverage and where containment is not
a problem. Large slopes or beds controlled with a defined
border such as metal edging, pavement or concrete are ideal.
Never plant Liriope spicata where you need a uniform, controlled
border.
All
the other liriopes and ophiopogons also do well for slopes
and masses, but are not as aggressive as spicata.
If
you prefer the look of vines, you may consider Euonymus
'Coloratus', Hedera helix, Vinca minor or Asian Jasmine.
Your final selection should be determined by hardiness zone,
site exposure and personal preference, in that order. top
of page
5.
How cold hardy are the Ophiopogons (mondos)?
In
general, the mondos are not as cold hardy as the Liriopes.
Although most are rated for zone 6 or 7, we have found that
regular mondo, dwarf mondo, and black mondo will perform
well in zone 5 as long as they are planted in a protected
area.
We
recommend creating a "micro-climate", an enclosed area such
as a courtyard, surrounded by other shrubs and in a shady
to semi-shady setting. Please note that these three are
the only mondos that we recommend using as far north as
zone 5. top
of page
6.
What is the minimum order?
Minimum
is one tray for potted material and 100 plants for bare
root plants.
top
of page
7.
Am I too far away?
No
One is too far away! Our fleet of thousands of trucks
(we own three, FedEx and UPS own the rest) ensures that
any order can be delivered anywhere in the U.S. in 3 days
or less. Please refer to our in-transit map on our shipping
page. top
of page
8.
What if the plants arrive damaged?
Not
to worry: We assume ALL THE RISK! Just notify us and we
will replace your plants and take up any claims with the
carrier. top
of page
9.
What about shipping cost?
We have a flat
delivery fee of only $3.00 per tray for all ground shipments. There are No
boxing and handling charges. On larger orders we can usually pool your shipment
on a common carrier and save you even more! In ANY situation where we can save
you more money by using our truck or a common carrier, we will always do that.
top of page
10.
How large are your plants?
All
of our space saver/4" plants are grown 18 plants per
tray in industry standard sizes of 31/2 - 4". A plant
must be mature, full, and well rooted or it will not be
shipped.
We
have found this size to be the most economical, practical,
and marketable for all segments of our industry. It is an
excellent retail size for garden centers, a perfect installation
size for landscape contractors, and a popular "step
up" size for growers who pot them into gallons.
A
great majority of our perennials are offered in smaller
plug sizes (like 70's, 50's, and 36's) because we have found
that most perennials lend themselves to shipping much more
successfully in smaller sizes. And after all, if we can't
get them in your hands successfully, then we do not have
a sale. top of page
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