Hi, I live in Niagara and want to plant creeping thyme in the vineyard at the base of the vines. 1. to provide a bee friendly environment and 2. to prevent tall weeds around the vine. It would need to be a low dense growing plant that is drought tolerant and will come back year after year. 3. to eliminate the use of round up. Is this a possibility and do you recommend any other perennials for variety? many thanks. Eva
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
When planting in a vineyard anything you plant will be competing with the vines for water and nutrients available in the soil. What you choose to plant can have a huge effect on your crop yield. This is why weeds are not allowed to grow but the same would be true of any perennials you plant.
What you choose to put as ground cover will depend on the soil you have, drainage, zone, light levels and what type of vines you have. Your best bet for planning your ground coverage is to contact OMAFRA for guidelines on Vineyards and how to manage them. They have many articles and guides that are specific to Ontario and the various growing areas we have here in the province.I have included their link below. If you search through their site you will find many articles that will begin pointing you in the right direction.