Ajuga Plant Care

Plants & Flowers
Ajuga Plant Care

If you wish to grow Ajuga plants as groundcover in your garden, you need to follow some basic care tips. The good news is that it is easy to grow Ajugas since they don't require much dedicated care.

Growing Conditions

Here are the basic growing conditions for Ajuga plants:

  • Soil. Ajuga plants can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions so you should not have any problems there. However, make sure that the soil is well-drained. Ideally, the soil should be acidic, with a pH values between 3.7 and 6.5. These plants prefer moist soil but can also tolerate some drought.
  • Light. Ajugas can tolerate almost any type of lighting conditions. They can grow in full sun, partial shade or even full shade. There is an advantage and disadvantage to both sun and shade. The full sun produces smaller leaves but it also grows more flower spikes.
  • Watering. Ajuga plants do not have to be watered, unless there is a long and pronounced drought. They can usually sustain themselves with rainfall.

How to Plant Ajugas

You should plant Ajugas in early spring. You may plant them directly in the garden or transplant the young plants to your garden. When planting, make sure to space them 12 to 15 inches apart.

It is also important not to plant them too deeply. It is important to make sure that the crowns are never covered with soil. If the crowns are covered the plant will rot and die.

How to Propagate Ajuga Plants

It is very easy to propagate your Ajugas. They can be propagated simply by digging out the established clumps in the fall and dividing them. Alternatively, you may do this early in the spring.

It is best to do this by simply removing the runners from the mother plant. This is easily done when they are young so you should not have much trouble with them. It becomes more difficult as they age because they will become entangled in the main plant.

Keep in mind that it is recommended to remove runners periodically even if you don't want to divide your plant. Removing runners will prevent your Ajuga plants from spreading too much. This will help you keeping your Ajugas contained in the area where you want them to grow.

How to Prune Your Ajugas

Pruning your Ajugas is easy. You can do it by simply mowing or cutting the foliage back to the ground. It is also recommended to thin out the larger, crowded groupings every two to three years. This will reduce the risk of the crown rot.

In case you notice non-variegated foliage on variegated forms of Ajuga plants, make sure to remove it. It will prevent the plant from going back to its original green form and it will help keeping its colors.

Photo credit: Indiana Ivy Nature Photographer

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