Irish Moss (Saginea Subulata) as groundcover for bulbs?

Has anyone used this in combination with bulbs, and does it cover without choking? This is my first year planting bulbs, so I'm completely clueless. I'd hate to put down a groundcover and then discover that it's preventing my bulbs from coming up.

Also, I've found an eBay seller who's selling the seeds for this at a very reasonable price. Has anyone grown it from seed as opposed to plants?

you shouldn't have to worry about "choking" out bulbs. they have all they need in the bulb to push them up into the sun so they can generate next years food. i'm not familiar with the groundcover you are asking but the plants should be easier than seed.

That's a good thing to know about bulbs. Thanks for the reply!

Sagina subulata makes a nice ground cover - BUT - I can't imagine what happens when you have bulb foliage in the die back stage. I would go with some other kind of loose leaf ground cover - a Lamium or Vinca - something that would allow the vegetative die back to continue unabated and without a trashy appearance. I have had Sagina and would go crazy trying to figure out how to upend an errant dandelion without ruining the moss "turf". JMHO



This message was edited Aug 28, 2007 10:11 AM

Wannadanc, what do you pair your Sagina with? I'm really taken with its mossy appearance. I'm also trying to grow REAL moss, but it's been a challenge in this heat.

Lono - when I did grow Sagina, it was by itself....and I had too large an area covered. THUS - the weeds drove me NUTS. It is lovely - and now I would put it around rocks and such and not do a full mat of moss.

I do live in moss country!!!

From reading this forum. I take it that tulips like a dry summer after they bloom. All the moss I have every grown requires alot of water. Thus, the two might not mix. I quess I'm trying to say, you might think of some other plant to consider with tulips.

I just saw photos of some great tulips planting amid beds of short ornamental grasses. How perfect!!!!!! The greens from the tulips need to be left to die back - the grasses would help hide that.

On the other hand, I have learned that VOLES will follow the moles through the burrows - and whereas moles never eat tulips, voles will devour them. I had a huge planted circle in full bloom all wilt overnight. Investigation revealed the bulbs were gone - eaten by the volves.

It IS a jungle out there, Jane.

I have some Irish moss around my pond and stepping stones and I love it too. We have clumping bamboo and ferns with green cymbidiums and horsetails in pots that we stash in the ferns so you can't see them. We've got daffodils that look cute in spring around the pond. I treat them pretty rough and cut the foliage back pretty early, as I don't mind replacing them if they don't bloom the next year. The moss is pretty tough if it gets enough water it grows back pretty quick after being assaulted by weeding. Lydia