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Product

Dry Shade & Under-Tree Carpet Kit

Dry Shade & Under-Tree Carpet Kit

Regular price $189.95 USD
Sale price $189.95 USD Regular price $224.95 USD
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SKU: BNDL-DRYSHD-116

Sub total:

$189.95
🌱 When should I plant this in my area?
Description

Transform barren, root-choked dirt under mature shade trees into a lush, zero-mow evergreen carpet.

The Dry Shade & Under-Tree Carpet Kit is an engineered, root-compatible living mulch system designed specifically for the difficult zones beneath large maples, oaks, and pines where lawn grass withers and dies. Instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on turf seed and heavy topsoil that suffocates your tree, this pre-measured collection provides complete, weed-smothering shade coverage for approximately 150 to 200 sq. ft. (a typical 12' to 16' under-canopy ring).

  • Zero Spacing Math: Pre-measured for 150–200 sq. ft. of dense, weed-choking coverage between surface tree roots.
  • Tree-Safe Non-Climbing Groundcovers: Naturally stays strictly on the forest floor—never climbs trunks or damages mature tree bark.
  • Drought & Canopy Resistant: Thrives in rain shadows and dense overhead shade where traditional flowers fail.

Quick Under-Tree Planting Guide:

  1. Never Till Over Tree Roots: Never rototill or add thick layers of dirt over exposed tree roots (this can kill mature trees). Simply dig small, individual pockets in natural soil gaps between existing roots.
  2. Border Your Ring with Accent Ajuga: Plant your 16 established pint pots of Ajuga in a continuous, spaced outer circle at the edge of the canopy area to create a vibrant, natural boundary.
  3. Checkerboard Your Bare-Root Runners: Stagger bare-root Pachysandra and Vinca Minor in an alternating grid across the root zone to create an interlocking living web.
  4. Light Mulch & Settle: Top open soil between plants with only 1–2 inches of shredded leaf mulch or finely ground bark (keep mulch pulled 12 inches back from the main tree trunk) and soak thoroughly.

The 3-Layer Under-Tree Living Carpet: Combines tough, drought-hardy evergreen Pachysandra to seal out bare dirt, creeping Vinca Minor to knit around aggressive tree roots, and early-blooming potted accents to deliver continuous color and living mulch.

What’s in the Box (116 Plants Total):

  • 50 × Dense Evergreen Carpet Runners: (Two 25-Plant Bare Root Bundles: Pachysandra Terminalis) The backbone of your shade carpet; thick evergreen rosettes that thrive in dense shade, block sunlight from bare soil, and smother weed seeds.
  • 50 × Deep-Shade Creeping Anchors: (One 50-Plant Bare Root Bundle: Vinca Minor / Periwinkle) Ultra-tough, shallow-rooting groundcover that weaves tightly over hard-packed soil without climbing, providing periwinkle spring blooms.
  • 16 × Potted Infill Color Accents: (Established Pint Containers: Ajuga) Vigorous, high-contrast focal points featuring rich, dark foliage and delicate blue/purple spring blooms to frame the planting bed. Ideal for planting in a continuous outer ring.

🌱 Nursery Grower's Note & Availability: Varieties in this kit are selected specifically for exceptional drought tolerance in dense shade and compatibility with aggressive hardwood roots. Depending on seasonal harvest, inventory cycles, and planting season, varieties of equal or greater value and identical deep-shade performance (such as Pachysandra Terminalis, Vinca Minor, or Burgundy Glow Ajuga) may be substituted to ensure vigorous, healthy stock arrives ready to plant.

Key Advantages:

  • No Tree Root Competition: Specially chosen shallow-feeders coexist harmoniously with mature oak, maple, and pine roots without robbing critical trunk moisture.
  • Permanent Zero-Mow Groundcover: Eliminates the scalp, dust, and exposed roots of failed turf grass forever.
  • Evergreen Winter Interest: Leaves stay glossy and green all winter long, preventing mud and soil erosion during heavy winter rains.

📐 150–200 Sq. Ft. Under-Tree Layout Guide & Diagram

To build complete coverage without damaging tree roots, work with your tree's natural structure. Frame the boundary with your potted Ajuga accents (F) in a continuous outer circle, weave your evergreen runners (P) through the middle zone, and tuck trailing Vinca (V) into the inner root ring closest to the trunk.

Dry Shade & Under-Tree Carpet 150-200 sq ft planting map and layout guide
  1. Unpack & Hydrate: Immediately untie bare-root bundles and submerge roots in a bucket of cool water for 1 to 2 hours prior to planting. Keep your 16 pint pots watered and in shaded conditions until planting.

  2. Locate Natural Pockets: Use a hand trowel or narrow transplanter rather than a large shovel to locate natural openings between major woody roots. Never cut roots larger than 1.5 inches in diameter.

  3. Outer Edge Ring (F): Plant the 16 pint pots of Ajuga in a continuous, spaced outer circle at the canopy's edge to establish a vibrant, well-defined border.

  4. Evergreen Carpet Grid (P): Plant the 50 bare-root Pachysandra (two 25-packs) on 12–18" staggered centers across the middle "general under-tree" zone.

  5. Inner Canopy Weavers (V): Plant the 50 bare-root Vinca Minor (one 50-pack) on 10–12" centers in the inner ring closer to the main trunk, leaving a 12-inch clear zone around the base of the tree.

  6. Mulch & Soak: Apply 1–2 inches of shredded leaf or bark mulch over open ground, taking care not to mound mulch against the trunk flare, and soak thoroughly 2–3 times per week during initial rooting.

Planting Instructions

How Your Plants Are Shipped & Care Instructions

To ensure a seamless transition to your garden, please follow the specific steps below based on the type of plant you ordered:

📦 1. Container-Grown Plants

Our container-grown plants are shipped with fully established root systems nestled in premium potting media.

  • Unpack & Water Instantly: Carefully remove the protective packaging and check the soil moisture. Give the pot a thorough watering until moisture runs out the bottom drainage holes.
  • Acclimation Period: Place your container plant in a sheltered, partially shaded location for 2 to 3 days to help it recover from transit before moving it to full sun.
  • Planting Depth: Plant at the exact same depth it was sitting in its shipping container, gently loosening the outer roots if they are encircling the root ball.
  • Moisture Control: Keep the soil consistently damp but never soggy for the first few weeks as the roots expand.

🌱 2. Seedling & Liner Bare-Root Plants

Seedlings and liners are young, vibrant plants shipped without pots to make transit highly efficient.

  • Immediate Attention: Unpack immediately upon arrival. If you cannot plant them right away, keep the roots moist and store them in a cool, shaded location out of the wind.
  • Hydration First: Soak the roots in a bucket of water for 1 to 2 hours right before planting to wake them up.
  • Planting: Spread the roots out naturally in the planting hole. Ensure the crown (where the roots meet the stem) sits right at the soil level. Water thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots.

🌾 3. Groundcover Bare-Root Plants

Groundcover bare-root bundles (like Vinca minor or Sedum) are shipped dormant or semi-dormant, ready to take off once in the ground.

  • Check Moisture: Open the bundle immediately. The packing material around the roots should be damp. If planting is delayed a day or two, lightly mist the roots to keep them from drying out.
  • Soak Before Planting: Soak the root systems in water for about an hour before putting them in the ground.
  • Spacing & Depth: Plant them at the same depth they were growing previously, firming the soil gently over the roots to eliminate any air pockets. Water heavily right after planting and keep the area consistently moist until established.
Shipping Information

Orders containing only hard goods generally ship right away
as the inventory allows. Those items ship year-round and generally within one
week. 

When ordering plants during fall or spring shipping, we will
set your order for the next available shipping week appropriate for your
location. April and May are our busiest months, and sometimes shipping delays
happen. Plants may be processed later than scheduled or the shipping department may get behind. This is not the norm, but it does sometimes happen. Please bear with us if this happens. 

Our bare-root (field-grown) trees and shrubs typically arrive at the facility for shipping in November, December, and January (for fall shipping) and in February, March, April, and May (for spring shipping).

An example of month-by-month shipping would be as follows, as plants are available:

January - zones 9 - 10 

February - zones 8 - 10 

March - zones 7 - 10

April - zones 6 - 10

May - zones 5 - 9

June - zones 3 - 8

July - zones 3 - 7

August - zones 4 - 7

September - zones 5 - 8

October - zones 5 (some areas) - 9

November - zones 6 (some areas) - 10 

December - zones 8 - 10

 

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