Id prefer something that will grow fast and spread fast with me just buying seeds and spreading them along my pond banks. The pond banks have just been scraped clean so there is not any grass/ weeds there at all. I do not want to have to mow grass around the pond nor do I want weeds to take over. Low growing perenial ground cover is prefered.
The area gets full sun and I am in zone 7a , USA ....right now it is hottest part of summer with temperatures around 95-100 . The pond banks are dry dirt/area , unless it rains. Ty
I believe several members have had better luck making their erosion control kind of a two-step process. (Since there is no perfect solution.)
I believe they have seeded with something like annual ryegrass that comes up fast, even under tough conditions, combined with the seeding for the longer term cover plant. They then overseed the longer-term plant over the next year or two to turn the patchy ground cover into a solid cover.
I am NOT an expert, so those are just some rough ideas for you to research since you didn't get an actual expert in your thread yet.
Depends if it's for pond bank or front yard...
What snipe said it depends on what you are looking for in a finished product, as you indicated you are not mowing it, I planted a cover of annual rye grass and wheat for a quick hold for the dirt to avoid erosion, and then interseeded that with a clover mix that lasted for a couple yrs and made some really great deer and turkey attractant for a couple yrs , also mixed some crown vetch seed in which I really like for long term, it is a erosion control vegetation that I think is pleasant to look at, has nice flowers, spreads semi slowly but thoroughly, and will pretty much take over the area in a couple yrs, and best of all will grow in really poor dirt.
After several yrs the clover is sorta thinning out and the vetch is taking over. google it and see what you think of the looks of it. its not extremely beneficial for wildlife but it is pleasant to walk thru and does extremely well to stop all erosion. bees like the flowers tho.
Ty for replies. This is just for pond bank around the 3/4 acre pond on the sides - and back of pond. The front of pond bank that faces my home, already has grass there and I mow that without any issues.
I just had the areas that need replanting, dozed up , so there is no grass/ weeds on it...just bare, roughed up dirt.
I was gonna try dispersing perenial spearmint- peppermint seeds { cause they look nice and smell nice and should keep bugs away} and creeping thyme seeds all along the bare bank areas, hoping they would take root and spread.
Those herbs actually probably would I know the teas spread like crazy and get an amazing root system.
Consider Dutch Clover for your pond dam. It sprouts quickly, has a dense root system, a low growing pattern, and fixes nitrogen into the soil.
Clover has the added bonus of being very resistant to glyphosate once established. Makes eliminating unwanted weeds much easier in most cases, if you are ok using glyphosate around your pond.
Will dutch clover grow easily from seeds...if I just spread the seeds all around the pond banks ..and does it like full sun ? Ty
Yes to all of your questions.
If you've got bare dirt it's helpful to drag or rake the surface after sowing, but clover will sprout from the surface with adequate moisture.
A light mulch is beneficial but not necessary. Considering the heat this time of year I wouldn't plant anything without adding some mulch.
Doesn't have to be the fancy woven straw mats. Any light covering of organic material will provide a bit of shade and moisture retention.
Dutch Clover grows easily from seeds, BUT it needs constant moisture to do so. Ditto with about any seed, the seed can't dry out once it starts to germinate. If planting clover seeds. spread it out in December or so.