If you are looking for a low maintenance grass substitute. Blue star creeper ground cover is the best option. It grows better than grass and the blue flowers make the lawn happy and beautiful. The short height of the blue star creeper makes it a dense ground cover.
The best part is, Blue creeper requires less water than the normal lawn grass. You also don’t need to use a lawn mower again. Because it only grows a maximum of 3 inches long.
The best part is, like grass, it also tolerates frequent lawn traffic.
It is a fast-growing plant and can spread to all parts of the garden. If you only want it to stay in a specific boundary then you have to make a thick boundary of mulch around it.
In this post, you’ll learn how to grow and care the blue star creeper ground cover.
Quick care guide
| Common Names | Blue Star Creeper, Swamp Isotome |
| Botanical Name | Laurentia fluviatilis or Isotoma fluviatilis |
| Hardiness Zones | 6 to 9 |
| Bloom Time | Spring, Summer |
| Flower color | Deep Green |
| Height | 3 inches height and 15 inches spread |
| Light | Full sun |
| Growth Rate | Medium |
Growing blue star creeper ground cover
Blue star creeper is native to Australia but you can easily grow it in the USA. Once it gets established then it needs less maintenance and care. In highly fertile soil the plant grows quickly and becomes invasive in some conditions.
Australis, Borealis, and Fluviatilis are the most common blue star creeper ground cover varieties. It does not matter which you choose to grow. The growing method is the same for all.
Below are the best practices to grow blue star creeper
Light
We all know ground covers are best to grow in the lawn. Yes, you can grow it as an indoor plant. But it cannot do well in the indoor growing environment. The reason is a low bright light.
Because blue star creepers need full sun. They absorb the direct sunlight and make food from it. Never grow it in shady places. Even on hot summer days, it needs full bright light.
We grow Ground covers to replace normal grass. They need the same amount of light daily as the grass.
Some leaves can turn into yellow color when the hot intense sun rays hit in the summer season. They turn green leaves to light yellow color.
Soil
The soil pH has to be in the range of 6.1 to 7.0 pH. In most parts of the USA, we have good quality soil for the blue creeper ground cover. For best possible results and for tones of flowers. You have to sow the seeds in the highly fertile soil.
The soil should be well-draining soil. If you have tightly packed soil in your garden then you need to amend it with perlite or sand. You cannot grow blue star creeper in clay soil.
Tightly packed soil does not allow the roots to easily absorb the nutrients and water. Another problem with such soil is aeration. Plants need well-aerated soil. Only loosely packed well-draining soil can be well-aerated soil.
Fertilizers
Blue star plants are not heavy feeders. But you have to fertilize them for the best possible flowers and growth. Fertilize it just once before the growing season and it will thrive like crazy. Any regular ground cover fertilizer will do best.
Do not use liquid fertilizer, it is an expensive idea. Granular fertilizers are a perfect and cheap option. Do not over-fertilize it because blue star plants are fast growers. They will grow beyond the garden boundary.
This over growth can be a problem. Therefore, use fertilizers in limited quantity.
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Water
In the first year of plating, you have to give it adequate water. Once the plants get established in the soil they become drought tolerant. Then blue star can tolerate the dryness. In fact, it does not like to sit in water. Therefore, you need to grow a blue star creeper on a plan surface.
Do not grow it in lowers parts because the excess water can cause root rot and later death of plants.
Temperature & Humidity
The best part of blue star ground covers is they can easily tolerate the -20 degrees C temperature. The temperature and humidity in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9 are perfect for blue star ground cover. You have to give it water in the evening to keep the soil hydrated. This increases the humidity.
And your plants live longer and healthy.
Propagation
You have 2 propagation methods one is the root division method and the second is propagating from seeds. Seeds will take 7 to 15 days to germinate. Once they develop roots you can transfer them outside.
But the root division propagation technique is easy and simple.
Blue star creeper has modified stems below or above the ground. Separate them carefully from the root ball and plant them in different pots. Your new blue star plants will grow in few days.
Pruning
Pruning is necessary to keep the lawn in good shape. The normal size of the plant is 3 inches tall and 10 inches spread. But if you grow it in highly fertile soil then the plant can grow up to 5 inches tall and spread more than 16 inches.
So, you have to prune the blue star creeper for good looks on your lawn.
Pruning also includes removing dry, yellow, and dead parts of the plants.
Pests & diseases
If you have normal soil in your yard and you give excess water to this plant. Then it will grow crazy and occupy all other spots that you decide for other plants.
Overwatering in clay-type soil triggers root rot. It is a root fungus disease that kills plants within a month.
Normally the ground cover does not get affected by any disease or pests. But Just in case you see some of the pests in your lawn use insecticidal spray and get rid of them.
If you have a small lawn then you can use a neem oil spray to prevent all the problems. For large lawns, the professional insecticidal spray is the best option.
