Bonsai ground cover

Hi All,

So i recently purchased my first Bonsai, a Black Monkey Thorn 5 year old. Looks awesome.

Just wondering if you guys know what i can use as ground cover.

K

 

Hello,

Sagina subulata is a common garden, lawn weed. It looks like this:



Properly trimmed it forms a dense grass like ground cover. You don't want it to flower, then it gets leggy. Keep trimming the flowers and it will spread out and get thick like in the lower image.

 

But does it not need a lot of water?

 

No Luis, this stuff isn't a water hog. If you look closely you will see it growing amongst the grass on your lawn. It seems to like well draining soil.

It has a shallow root system and doesn't compete very much with the bonsai for water. Other ground covers form extensive root systems and compete with the bonsai for water and become pests.

Eventually, moss should cover the surface of the soil around the bonsai and then the grass isn't needed.

 

thanks @tyronegenade , much appreciated

 

Hahaha, I was thinking Luis is starting his bonsai in a tank at first and was gonna ask "where'd I get flowering grass like that to put in my tank?!"
Tyrone- that Sagina subulata looks realll pretty. I want something similar as grass in my tank!

 

Think the closest you'll get to that is ug.

 

Try find some terrestrial moss, can be found around houses at the shady / dampish areas. Very good as ground cover.

 

Thx @Chongkie, will have a look

 

I bought some, and it actually died of thirst.. just dried up, so that was why I asked if needs water..

 

'In hot or humid summer regions this sometimes melts out and becomes unattractive in mid summer''

Scotch moss is available at most nurseries, usually sold in punnets of six..