Kitchen Garden Forum

What are some (not annual) ground covering plants that stay very low and I can plant under my berry bushes? They have to prevent weeds. Preferably an edible ground cover and not an annual, but any plant will do.

Alpine/woodland strawberries. They are easy to grow from seed and it is not usually that expensive.

Wild violets - the flowers can be used in cooking.

Creeping thymes for the sunny sides.

There are lots of other things but be sure to get the ground as weed free as possible before planting anything.

Regards Sally Wright.

Thanks. I've removed all weeds already and I just happen to have a bunch of alpine strawberries! I'll try those

I was wondering about sowing some rocket. It,s pretty fast growing and if you sow it thickly the weeds will be kept down. .also if you pick leaves regularly yo'llll probably might get several pickings .

Rocket will appreciate the shade from the berries & might not bolt so quickly.The alpine strawberries will come up year after year so probably the best investment!

The onky problem Qi find with alpine strawberries is that they can tend to spread everywhere and any crop from them
is piteously small

100% right there Primrose - piteously small yield indeed, but nice! I had initial spread but down to one pretty big plant that I control - quite brutally with a severe hair cut after taking any wee fruit before the birds do! (Yes I loose every year but get a few)! I don't know why I bother really but they are well more intense in flavour & I've just got the one to control! Wouldn't recommend a lot to Elmigo but mine is about 1' circumference & covers quite a space under the raspberries but it is likely it's last year as bindweed has invaded that bed & some plants have to be sacrificed to clear it!

I agree about alpine strawberries, tiny crops but nice enough. My mother grew them in preference to standards as they were less work (and everyone prefered raspberries).

Alpine strawberries it is!

Arugola is nice but only stays for a few weeks/months. Alpine strawberries come back each year