If you are looking for a beautiful ground cover plant then you should grow Creeping Speedwell. It is a good ground cover plant that grows low and is easy to care for. No special gardening skills are required to grow and maintain the dense growing creeping speedwell or Veronica Filiformis.
With this plant in your garden, you don’t have to worry about the garden looks. Because it is an evergreen plant. It only produces flowers for 4 months (April to July) and looks fabulous in other plants.
Creeping speedwell is naturally found in most parts of East Europe and West Asia. The best part is speedwell easily tolerate light traffic in the garden. It has beautiful leaves with eye-catching flowers.
It increases the beauty of the place where it grows. This is the reason that almost every rock garden has Veronica plants. Growing on borders or to cover the empty ground space.
If you want to grow Speedwell Ground cover to make your garden more beautiful. Then you need to know how to grow it and care for it.
In this post, we have compiled everything that you need to know in order to grow this ground cover perennial.
Quick care guide
| Common Names | Creeping Veronica, Creeping speedwell |
| Flower color | Blue or White |
| Family | Perennial |
| Height | 3 to 10 cm |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Soil | Fertile Soil |
| Light | Partial to full sun |
| Water | 1 inch per week |
| Temperature | -30 to high |
| Blooming Time | In Spring |
Types of Creeping Speedwell for Home Gardens
Low growing plants have many varieties. But today we will only talk about what we have grown in past or growing now.
You can choose any type according to your need or preference. The caring and growing methods of all the Veronica ground cover plants are the same.
Therefore, follow the below-written care guide for growing any type of low growing perennial plants.
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Veronica Repens
If you have a large area to cover then grow Veronica repens. This speedwell variety produces little beautiful white flowers. It starts blooming in the spring and hold bloom till summer. Like other low growing plants, it will not mind full sun and partial sunlight.
Start planting in spring or fall. It grows to a maximum of 2 inches in height and easily covers 20 to 36 inches of the ground.
You can grow this type in all types of normal garden soils. No special humidity or temperature requirements.
Normal daylight is enough for the plants.
Veronica filiformis
This is best to grow in shade and loamy soil. No need to worry about the humidity. Because shady places have higher humidity than sunny locations. It produces blue-violet flowers that look amazing in spring.
The bloom stays only for few months. It is also famous with other names such as Slender speedwell and creeping veronica.
The only problem with this type is its spreading nature. Because you grow it in one part of the garden or lawn. It will cover the entire lawn in few days. This why you need to keep eye on it and trim it when it tries to go out of its area.
How to care Creeping Speedwell?
The good news is it is much easy to grow and care speedwell than other perennials. It does not demand any special fertilizer or anything else. Just give it what every plant needs to grow. It will thrive like crazy.
Proper Sunlight, water, and sometimes a handful of fertilizer is enough to boost its growth and flower production.
Below is the general growing guide of Ground Covers
Light
Light is an important factor that affects all living things on the earth. Sunlight decides the growth and health of a plant. So, you need to carefully choose the plants according to the area you live in. Because in some parts of the country we have sunlight for long hours than in other places.
High intense sunlight can damage the creeping veronica. So if you are living in an area where you have a hot climate. Then you need to grow it in the shade or partial shade.
It can easily grow in full shade but the only problem is it will not produce flowers.
For blooming it needs sun rays to fall on its leaves. But they should be not too hot and sharp. Morning sunlight and evening sunlight is good to encourage heavy bloom.
Too much sunlight cause wilting.
If you are thinking to use it as a grass replacement in your lawn. Then you should have a tree on your lawn. Because it grows best in partially sunny places. Grow it under or near the plants. So that it can get Sunrise light. And the tall plants save it from the hot afternoon sun rays
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Water
In its initial stage speedwell need a good amount of water. You have to water it daily for few days after planting. Then reduce the water and let it grow. Once it grows to its full size then it only needs water when the upper inch of soil gets dry.
On rainy days do not give extra water this will result in fungus diseases. Although it is uncommon in outdoor plants. Because the excess water goes directly down the earth.
To play smart use mulch at the time of plating it. This will reduce the watering needs. Because mulch or compost helps the soil to hold the water for more days than normal.
The best soil for Veronica speedwell
No need to worry about the soil for growing low perennial. They grow without any issues in the sand to normal garden soil.
Moreover, the pH is not important. Your veronica speedwell does not care about the soil pH. It grows fresh and healthy in acidic or alkaline soil.
But still, it is good to have fertile soil in the garden to grow other plants with it. Most of the plants need fertile soil to grow. They also need balanced soil pH and good moisture in the soil.
But for speedwell, any type of soil is best for them.
Fertilizer
I like speedwell growing covers because they do not need fertilizers to grow. They can survive in a completely neglected environment.
Poor nutrition is not a big thing for these beautiful ground covers.
But for the extraordinary bloom, you need to give it a little boost in form of fertilizer. Use 5 – 10 -5 fertilizer because a high dosage of phosphorous encourages flowering. Keep the nitrogen levels low. The time for the fertilizing creeping speedwell is the early days of spring. Only fertilize veronica once a year.
Overfertilization results in rapid growth and it can cover all parts of the lawn and garden. Sometimes it grows out of the boundaries. That will be a big problem for home growers.
Be careful while fertilizing the perennials.
Another important thing is if you already have compost mixed in the garden soil. Then do not use fertilizer. Because the Compost is enough for the ground covers.
Propagation
All veronica types spread automatically with the help of runner roots. These are the roots that they develop on the stems. They look like plant hairs. When these roots touch the ground, they develop into primary roots. And start spreading forward.
You only need few cuttings of stems with runner roots. Plant these cuttings in moist soil. Make sure the runner roots are beneath the soil.
Now they only need indirect or direct sunlight until they start spreading along with water.
When the temperature starts dropping the older plants start dying. Their leaves turn brown and dry. At this time use a garden shovel and remove the dead dry parts and plant the fresh new cuttings.
The cuttings will grow healthy and cover the ground once again.
Growing Problems
The most common problem with this ground cover is its spreading nature. This is the reason it is called weed in many parts of the United States of America. Therefore, regular pruning is a must to keep it within its boundaries. Otherwise, it will spread all over the place.
To protect it from hot sun rays in South California. Use mulching techniques to keep the soil moist. Due to the high temperature on summer days. The water beneath it evaporates quickly and the soil becomes dry.
You have to keep the soil moist for the good growth of Veronica plants. Add mulch to your lawn and save your plants from the hot days.
Also, save your plants from overwatering especially in summer when the plant needs more water.
Pest problems
No serious pests are reported when growing Veronica plants. Few ticks and fleas near the root area are normal. The interesting part is Creeping speedwell is deer and rabbit-resistant. These animals do not like to eat or even enter the garden that has these ground covers.
If you are living in an area where deer are a problem for the home growers. Then grow veronica verities on the border of your garden. This will help you to keep them away from your garden.
