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G84-698 Selecting A Ground Cover (Revised July 1999), Anne Streich, Don Steinegger

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes how to evaluate a site for ground cover and the characteristics of the most common ground cover species grown in Nebraska.

Ground covers are low-growing plants used in landscaping for mulching or covering the soil. They are typically low growing but may range in height from just inches to over 4 feet tall. Ground covers differ in color, texture and form and can be herbaceous, woody, succulent or grassy. Some have attractive flowers, while others are grown only for their foliage.

Selecting the best species for a site is important to its success as a ground cover. …

G84-688 Brown Patch Disease Of Turfgrass (Revised June 1999), John E. Watkins, Robert C. Shearman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes the symptoms and disease cycle of brown patch and gives recommendations for its prevention and control through management, including use of fungicides.

Brown patch of turfgrass is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani Kuehn. All commonly cultivated turfgrasses in Nebraska are affected by this disease, but differences in susceptibility exist within cultivars of the various turfgrass species. Primary hosts are bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and annual bluegrass. Certain species of Rhizoctonia are capable of attacking turfgrass plants from seedling stage to mature plants and are pathogenic over a wide range of environmental conditions. In some literature, …

G84-697 Ground Covers: Their Establishment And Maintenance (Revised June 1992), Don Steinegger, Luann Finke

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes how to plant and maintain ground covers to take advantage of their low-maintenance features.

Ground covers are low-growing plants, usually less than 12 inches tall, that spread to form dense mats which bind and hold the soil in place. Many also have a season of effective bloom. Turfgrass is the most common ground cover. However, sites that are less suitable for turfgrass, such as slopes, steep banks, and shaded areas, can often grow other ground covers successfully.

A well-established ground cover generally requires less maintenance than the typical turfgrass lawn. Ground covers are not totally maintenance-free, nor …