The Effect of Ornamental Groundcover Habit and Irrigation Delivery on Dynamic Soil Conditions

Sustainable landscapes provide environmental, social, and financial benefits, with interest and adoption increasing due to environmental awareness. Ornamental ground-cover systems have garnered interest in the landscape due to the reduced need for water, fertilizers, pesticides, and maintenance compared to typical landscapes; however, limited research on groundcover ability to modulate soil conditions or suppress weeds exists. This study explored how ornamental groundcover systems impact the sustainability of landscapes. The effects of ground-cover growth habit (matting; bunching) and irrigation delivery method (micro spray; overhead) on soil temperature, volumetric water content (VWC), and electric conductivity (EC), along with impacts on weed growth, soil microbial communities, and plant coverage, were measured. Soil temperatures were generally lower under groundcover species with a matting growth habit, and to a lesser extent, bunching growth habits, in comparison to the warmer fallow systems. Groundcovers with a matting form led to lower VWC values compared to taxa with other growth habits, particularly when micro-irrigated. Plant form did not significantly influence EC values; however, micro spray irrigated plots had significantly higher EC values, likely attributed to irrigation spray patterns. Micro spray irrigation in tandem with matting growth habit taxa decreased weed density more effectively than taxa with bunching growth habits or groundcovers maintained under overhead irrigation. Selection of groundcover species with greater foliar coverage along with implementing more efficient irrigation practices can decrease soil temperatures, soil moisture, and weed density. Incorporating groundcovers in the landscape can decrease maintenance requirements and water/chemical use, thus increasing sustainability and decreasing environmental consequences.