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how do you care for a creeping jenny plant

by Owen Kautzer Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Creeping Jenny Care

  • Light. Creeping Jenny will thrive best in full sun to partial shade. ...
  • Soil. Creeping Jenny prefers moist, well-draining soils and can even be found along riverbanks where the soil is very wet.
  • Water. Since moist, damp soil is what your creeping Jenny needs to thrive, water regularly and don't let the soil dry out.
  • Temperature and Humidity. ...
  • Fertilizer. ...

How to Care For Creeping Jenny
  1. Plant it somewhere with full sun or partial shade. Creeping Jenny can survive in a variety of light conditions, though it does best in full sun or partial shade. ...
  2. Keep the soil moist. ...
  3. Prune it regularly. ...
  4. Overwinter them. ...
  5. Keep an eye out for fungal disease.
Feb 24, 2022

Full Answer

Can I grow a creeping jenny in the House?

Plant creeping Jenny in containers filled with a soilless potting mix, such as a peat-based houseplant medium. Do not use topsoil, as it contains pathogens, microorganisms and various critters such as ants and worms. Moreover, topsoil compacts and hardens after a couple of cycles of watering and drying.

Can You trim creeping jenny?

Creeping Jenny (Convolvulus arvensis ... The roots extend to depths of 20 feet or more, so the best you can do is to cut off the seedlings at ground level. If you are persistent in hoeing the ...

What is eating my creeping jenny?

What is eating my Lysimachia? Grass sawfly larvae are feeding on various species of Lysimachia, sometimes called loosestrife or creeping jenny in northern and central Illinois. Although sawfly larvae look similar to caterpillars, they have more than five pairs of prolegs.

Does creeping Jenny come back after the winter?

Winter Hardiness In USDA zone 9, creeping Jenny keeps its leaves all year and grows during the winter, so it is a favorite subject for hanging baskets. In colder zones, it disappears completely, but if it is being grown in well-drained soil or in a container, it usually comes back when winter is over.

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Does creeping Jenny need to be cut back?

If the golden Creeping Jenny foliage begins to look tired, feel free to cut back. Once established, Creeping Jenny grows and recovers quickly. Some consider this plant to be invasive, so don't leave to its own devices for too long or it will overtake a garden.

How do you keep creeping Jenny alive inside?

When growing creeping Jenny as a houseplant, room temperature works well in spring, summer and early fall, but it's important to move the plant to a cool spot during the winter, so the plant gets its needed rest period. Stop fertilizing and reduce watering slightly, but don't let the soil go completely dry.

Does creeping Jenny plant need full sun?

If you're wondering how to plant creeping jenny, you can give it full sun to part shade. Plants often turn more yellow-gold in full sun, but too much sun in very hot weather can bleach the leaves. Creeping jenny needs well-draining sand, loam or clay, and these vigorous plants are not picky about soil pH.

How long does creeping Jenny last?

Creeping Jenny Weeds It can take three years or more to kill the roots with the use of landscape fabric and three to five years when using mulch. Herbicides suppress creeping Jenny, but herbicides alone won't eradicate the weed. This herbicide is only available to homeowners in combination with other herbicides.

Can creeping Jenny be a houseplant?

You can also take the container indoors, as creeping Jenny grows well as a houseplant. Just be sure to give it a cooler spot in the winter.

What kills creeping Jenny?

Use an herbicide containing 2, 4-D to treat creeping Jenny in lawns. This herbicide is only available to homeowners in combination with other herbicides. Read the label carefully to make sure the product you choose is safe to use on lawns. In ornamental gardens, use herbicides containing glyphosate or trifluralin.

Does creeping Jenny do well in pots?

Creeping Jenny is great in container gardens; its tendrils hang so gracefully off the edge of the pots! It's best to plant it with other, taller plants so there's a contrast between the two.

How often do I water my creeping Jenny?

Too much water at once can also cause the plant to uproot itself, as soil washes away easier when the plant doesn't have a solid root structure in place. Plan on watering your creeping jennys seedlings every few days, or even daily.

Why is my creeping Jenny wilting?

Creeping jenny leaves wilt mainly due to sun stress. Try to keep the plant in shade in the afternoon hours when the climate is hot. You may also grow this creeper in partial shade year-round. Cover the plant with a shade net or something similar to avoid wilting.

Can I keep creeping Jenny over winter?

Overwinter them. While creeping Jenny is an herbaceous perennial even in areas with hard winters (it can survive year-round in USDA Hardiness Zones 4–9), its foliage will usually die back in the winter, leaving just its roots and rhizomes beneath the surface to sprout new growth in early spring.

Can you walk on creeping Jenny?

Its coinlike golden leaves are why it's commonly called moneywort. Creeping Jenny works well growing between stepping stones, where it will tolerate some foot traffic.

Can you take cuttings from creeping Jenny?

Creeping Jenny Plant Propagation The creeping jenny is a plant that produces seeds that can be used for its propagation. It is also a creeper that develops roots from the leaf nodes when they come into contact with the soil. Even stem cuttings can be used for propagating this plant.

How to plant creeping Jenny indoors?

For an indoor creeping jenny, leave the pot by your sunniest window so it gets enough sunlight. If you’re plating multiple creeping jennys, try a few different spots to make a blend of colors in your garden.

How to keep creeping Jenny healthy?

2. Add organic mulch or compost around the plant base in dry climates . Creeping jenny can tolerate dry climates, but it’s not ideal. If you live in a dry area, pack some organic mulch or compost around the base of the plant to lock in moisture and keep the plant healthy.

What is a creeping Jenny?

Creeping jenny, also called moneywort, is a perennial plant that’s popular for potting, gardens, and ground cover.

Can creeping Jenny grow in shade?

Creeping jenny can also grow in all kinds of locations, but prefers partial shade or sunny spots. The main difference is the color. In shadier spots, the leaves will stay green, and in sunny spots they’ll turn gold or yellow. Choose a spot based on the color you’re going for.

Can you use creeping Jenny for ground cover?

If you’re using the creeping jenny for ground cover, then you don’t have to prune too carefully. Simply run your lawnmower along the plant edge to cut away any parts of the plant that are overgrowing the border. Don’t worry about damaging the plant with your lawnmower. It’s tough and will be fine.

Propagation

Creeping Jenny spreads incredibly quickly and won’t really need propagating if you’re looking to keep the plant in the same place. It should grow to fill empty beds in no time.

Planting

It is best to plant moneywort in a container or in an area where it won’t overtake other plants.

How to Grow

If you are looking to grow Creeping Jenny, there are several factors you’ll have to get just right in order to grow these beautiful plants effectively. You’ll need the right amount of light, water, as well as the right type of soil. Climate and temperature also matter, and you’ll want to have a proper plant fertilizer.

Pests and Diseases

Snails can become a problem, but there are ways to get rid of them fairly easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks to its natural wetland habitats, creeping jenny grows well in shallow water. It can also grow completely submerged and is a popular plant for fish tanks. This plant absorbs excess nitrates and phosphates in the water and helps stabilize the pH, all important factors to consider when keeping aquatic animals.

Final Thoughts

If you’re happy to keep this plant controlled, it is an ideal groundcover for almost any garden. It grows fantastically in a wide range of conditions, spreading vigorously to cover beds in masses of green foliage.

How tall does creeping Jenny grow?

Each creeping Jenny plant will grow like a mat, only rising to 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) in height. Creeping Jenny in a bed looks great as a groundcover for this reason, but in a container, it can look a little flat. Combine it in a pot with taller-growing plants for contrast.

Is Lysimachia nummularia creeping or creeping?

This is a trailing, or creeping, herbaceous perennial that produces waxy, small round leaves on thin stems. It is hardy in zones 3 through 9 and includes several cultivars of Lysimachia nummularia. Native to Europe, some of the varieties are more aggressive than others and can be considered invasive.

Can creeping Jenny be cut back?

Any basic potting soil is adequate. With its vigorous growth and spreading, don’t be afraid to trim creeping Jenny back as needed. Be sure to take care when cleaning out pots at the end of the season as dumping this plant in the yard or in a bed can lead to invasive growth next year.

Is creeping Jenny invasive?

Creeping Jenny is a versatile ornamental plant that provides pretty foliage that “creeps” along and spreads to fill in spaces. It can be aggressive and invasive, though, so growing creeping Jenny in a pot is a great way to enjoy this perennial without letting it take over the whole garden or flower bed.

How to keep creeping Jenny from spreading?

Creeping jenny requires regular water and does well with a little organic fertilizer when first planted. Apply mulch or organic compost around plants to help with moisture retention.

What zone is creeping Jenny?

For those looking for information on how to grow creeping jenny, this low-growing plant thrives in USDA zones 2 to 10. Creeping jenny is a ground cover that works well in rock gardens, between stepping stones, around ponds, in container plantings or for covering hard to grow areas in the landscape.

How big does creeping Charlie grow?

Creeping charlie has four-sided stems that grow up to 30 inches (76.2 cm.). The roots of this invasive weed form nodes where the leaves join the stem. Creeping charlie also produces lavender flowers on 2-inch (5 cm.) spikes.

Is creeping Jenny hardy?

Before planting creeping jenny, check with your local extension office to be sure that it is not restricted in your area due to its invasive nature. Creeping jenny is a hardy plant that will thri ve in full sun or shade.

Is creeping Charlie a weed?

Although they are similar in many ways, creeping charlie is a low-growing weed that often invades lawns and gardens, while creeping jenny is a ground cover plant that is, more often than not, a welcome addition to the garden or landscape. Creeping charlie has four-sided stems that grow up to 30 inches (76.2 cm.).

How long does it take for creeping Jenny to grow?

It should take from one to three months for Creeping Jenny to germinate.

How tall do creeping Jenny and Loosestrife grow?

Members of the Lysimachia genus are usually upright hardy perennials that reach from 30 to 90 cm in height; however some are low growing and reach only 7 cm in height. They have lance or rounded shaped leaves and flower in the summer.

When should I cut back my lysimachia?

In the autumn Lysimachia species should be cut back to ground level. If you do require to propagate more plants then they should be divided in the spring in cold areas or in the summer in warmer areas. I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Lysimachia plants.

Where to grow creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny needs to be grown in fertile soil that stays evenly moist, in full sun or partial shade, though avoid planting in hot, sun-baked sites where the foliage is liable to scorch.

How to plant creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny is hardy, suitable for planting at any time of year when soil conditions are suitable. In the ground, space plants 30-45cm apart. Plant closer together in containers, spacing several plants around the edges at equal distances, ideally interspersed with other, contrasting plants for variety.

How to care for creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny is easy to grow and requires little care once established. Trim back anytime during the growing season if stems become long and straggly, or if leaves are looking tatty, to keep plants looking tidy with plenty of fresh, brightly coloured young growth.

How to propagate creeping Jenny

The spreading stems of creeping Jenny root where they touch the soil, so gently lifting new growth from the outside in will reveal rooted stems. Simply detach these from the parent plant and either pot them up to grow on or transplant them directly to their new site. Or divide larger, established clumps, in autumn or spring.

Growing creeping Jenny: problem solving

Creeping Jenny is not subject to any pests or diseases. If allowed to dry out, leaves may become brown and scorched-looking. Trim back affected growth and water well.

How to propagate creeping Jenny?

The best way to propagate creeping Jenny is to press the long stems onto moist soil and allow it to root. You can also divide the rootball when repotting to reduce the size of the plant and produce new plants. Keep the soil moist and well-watered.

What zone is creeping Jenny?

Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), or moneywort, is a blooming ground cover that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9 , depending on the species and cultivar.

Can creeping Jenny grow in water?

Soggy, wet soil can promote fungal problems. While the plant can grow as a submerged aquatic plant, it needs to adapt to those conditions. When grown outdoors as a perennial, creeping Jenny can be invasive, with stems rooting where they touch soil.

Can creeping Jenny be planted in a pot?

Creeping Jenny in pots also do well in a standing pot kept on a shelf or other support, where its greenery can cascade down ...

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