Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Landscaping Decisons Help Needed

My 1 acre pond, which we built in the summer, has now filled. I planted rye grass as a temporary cover in the areas around the pond. The attached aerial photo was before the pond filled and before the rye grass came up. The pond and surrounding area are outlined in red; it is clay with a layer of top soil on top. The field where we moved the excavated dirt is outlined in blue; it is just clay with no layer of top soil. Both areas are now covered nicely with rye grass. We are in East central Alabama.

Now I am trying to plan the permanent landscaping, and I sure would appreciate any advice. I had thought about using native warm season grasses as described here: http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB1746.pdf
But I am thinking that is more than I can handle right now, and maybe I need to concentrate on just getting some permanent sod to reduce erosion and then think about the NWSG in the future.

My current thought is to plant monkey grass at the very edge of the pond, then centipede sod for about the next three feet from the edge, and then common bermuda grass in the areas that will get good sunshine. My reasoning is to eliminate mowing at the very edge of the pond, reduce mowing near the edge, but have the traffic support of bermuda grass in other areas.

Question 1: Is this a reasonable plan?

Question 2: If the plan is reasonable, what would be the best way to get the bermuda grass started? I had planned on discing the rye grass in April, seeding the bermuda grass, and then cultipacking, But a landscaping guy who was helping me with some other work today said he would just overseed the bermuda grass seed on top of the rye grass. I have frequently overseeded rye grass on top of bahia or bermuda grass, but not the other way around. I guess the rye grass would be dying down about the time the bermuda comes up, so maybe that would work. It might at least reduce the period of bare ground and the erosion that would bring.

Question 3: If I do this, would it be feasible later to try to get some NWSG started in smaller areas after I get the sod going?

Sod will be your enimy in getting NWSG started. You need to kill the sod before starting your NWSG planting. So, actually I would do the NWSG this year. You have a good setup to start the project by only having the rye grass growing, I am assuming that it is annual rye and is dead now, correct? If so I would leave the rye grass alone, and either use a no-till NWSG grass drill to drill into the existing rye grass or broadcast it into the rye grass. Broadcasting NWSG is a very successful method if done during freeze/thaw cycles. This helps stratify the seed (required for germination) and works it into the soil just slightly.

I agree with lassig, if you wanna ever get a good stand of NWSG going, now is the time to do it... It isn't as hard as you may think, but it's not easy either. It will require follow up maintenance to control weeds including regular mowings with the deck set high so as to kill back the weeds but not damage the new grass. One fescues and sod forming grasses take hold, they are a real nightmare to control and switch over to NWSG. Plus, with it being a newly renovated soil to work with, the weed seed in the soil should be minimal making the process of getting the NWSG started much easier.

For a good source of seeds, http://www.ernstseed.com/seed_mixes.aspx Their customer service is excellent and they can give you advice on how to successfully establish your NWSG stand. You can also consider a seed mix for the edge of your pond that is adapted to more mesic sites.

Get your NRCS agent involved.
Also, perhaps consider WHIP

Correct. It is annual rye grass. But it is not dead. It slowed during the recent very cold snap, but it will perk up again in March and April before it finally dies down in early summer.

My main concern is getting someone with the equipment and know-how and willingness to take on a small job like this. I have the equipment for grasses like Bahia and rye grass, but I don't have a drill or a seeder suitable for NWSG.

That was my thinking too. The soil is probably pretty devoid of weed seeds, so now would be the time.

I have a call in to them to see if they know of anyone in my area with experience for jobs like this.

Thanks for the ideas. You guys are giving me the courage to consider giving it a try instead of just doing it the easy way.

If there is a local Pheasants Forever or Quail Unlimited chapter they may have the equipment.

I would do the pond area just as you said. Then consider the other area for different options.

Not being familiar with your local weather, do you still see freeze/thaw cycles? If so you can broadcast the NWSG into the rye grass and mother nature will do the rest for you. I am doing this around my own new pond in about 6 weeks, just needs to be mostly free of snow. I am broadcast mine into 12 - 14" tall oats that was planted last fall and is now dead. The oats ins't real thick with lots of ground still expose for the seed to come in contact with. I have done this before, establish 3 acres of switchgrass using this broadcast/frost seeding method. For seeding I use an over the shoulder broadcast seeder. I like being up close and personal while doing this and felt I have better control and coverage

Dan VanSchaik had an interesting article on Reclaiming Pastures in the new issue of the magazine. He described getting some native grasses started in steps using herbicides on selected areas of pasture and then establishing native grasses in stages. That appeals to me, because it would let me go ahead and get down some turf for erosion control, and then come back later with some NWSG. The experts around here had advised me that I would likely have substantial erosion before I get NWSG established if I try to do it all now. Do others have experience using that approach?

Haven't done it myself. But with the snow sticking around so long here I didn't get my frost seeding done at my place so I going to have to plant it traditionally come May/early June.