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Like Cogongrass. No thanks.
















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Originally Posted By: Taweesak
Vetiver grass can help stop further collapsing of a pond bank. Vetiver grass is a tropical grass originate in India and south east Asia. This grass has a very strong root system. And can grow in a wide range of climatic condition from minus 15 degree to 50 degree Celcius. Virtually It can be grown in every condition.


"Virtually can be grown in every condition..."

Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Recommend staying away from exotic/invasive species until ample research can be performed on it's potential effects.


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

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Originally Posted By: teehjaeh57
Originally Posted By: Taweesak
Vetiver grass can help stop further collapsing of a pond bank. Vetiver grass is a tropical grass originate in India and south east Asia. This grass has a very strong root system. And can grow in a wide range of climatic condition from minus 15 degree to 50 degree Celcius. Virtually It can be grown in every condition.


"Virtually can be grown in every condition..."

Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. Recommend staying away from exotic/invasive species until ample research can be performed on it's potential effects.


I am glad TJ share the same concerns as I do.

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This sure came out of the darkest corners of the forum.

Having just put in a number of new ponds, I have used a variety of things to hopefully control erosion. The worst parts, where I can't mow due to wetness and the steep inclines, have been planted with crown vetch. In some places, I've even put in horse radish. The places where I plan to have guests, and maybe even a few campers, now and then, have been planted with various mixes of bluegrass, fescue, and rye. Where water ebbs and flows, I've put in water cress.

It is interesting to see the various views on crown vetch. Some states and researchers love it, others hate it. I already have it on my property on my nearly mile of driveways/roads, and I love it. If it is kept mowed, it doesn't spread. It doesn't spread into forested areas. Yet, it requires virtually no maintenance in areas where it is really needed, and it keeps other noxious things from gaining a foothold. If you buy the inoculated/coated seeds, which are quite expensive (about $70/lb.), it can be put down on nearly anything, including compacted clay -- and it will prosper very quickly.

The top of the dam of our biggest new pond (only 1/4 acre) will be covered with gravel. Because every part of the country seems to use a different method of sizing gravel, I won't even attempt to describe what I plan to do -- other than to say, it will be OK for a D8 Caterpillar or a 40 ton truck to cross the dam, as well and most any wheel chair or motorized cart for the handicapped.

We'll see what happens. Right now, my arms are covered with what I believe is poison ivy, from the cheap straw I put down two days ago over the seed that I spread that day.

Regards,
Ken

Last edited by catmandoo; 05/30/12 07:43 PM. Reason: fat finger corrections from my "smart phone"

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We have vetch in a wheat field and provides extra food and nutritional besides wheat. It appears to be very similar to clover in my eyes.

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Vetiveria zizanioides is a non-fertile and non-evasive grass. I believe in some certain states in the US start using this grass in several objective including erosion control. Try to find these information in the International Vetiver Network and learn from there.


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Cogongrass is Imperata cylindrica. It is noxious weed and totally different from Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides). The vetiver is not evasive and sterile (non-productive).


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This is vetiver grass at about 2 months old.


Last edited by Taweesak; 06/02/12 08:28 AM.

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Vetiver grass were planted just above the highest water level. This picture was taken at about 1 month old.




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We're fighting with erosion from rain water and the sea wave too.



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This is veti-plug ready to transplant.



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To stop further collapsing of a pond bank, vetiver plug can be planted 6 inches above the water level. Fully grown vetiver grass can withstand a partial submerged in the water without any problem. Fully established, vetiver line will perform as a living wall to slow down run-off rain water into a pond. The root system will form a matted wall to strongly hold soil of a pond bank. No further collapsing bank after 2-3 months after installation. Guaranteed.


Last edited by Taweesak; 06/02/12 09:50 AM.

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Good root systems on the plugs!


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Perhaps there is a more natural solution. My back yard pond has some vegetation that as established itself from a single flower pot that was purchased from a home center. It is attractive (small white flowers), grows both under and next to water, grows only 18" high and makes a good home for fish, frogs turtles and ducks.

My best attempt to identify this is this:

http://www.parkswholesaleplants.com/spring-plants/stepables/pratia-white-star-creeper/

I think if you spaced some along the shoreline, it would establish itself and stop the erosion without taking over and choking your pond.

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This is it? The white star creeper?



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DK,

From the pictures it appears that your pond shape allows for maximum "fetch" for every direction of wind. [Wikipedia has a decent entry on fetch.]

Enabling long fetch lengths makes the waves much more powerful (and therefore more erosive), even in your small 1 acre pond. One other solution to your erosion problems would be to minimize the fetch.

One alternative would be to build one or two small "peninsulas" on the eroding side of the pond. Obviously the design would have to enhance rather than degrade the beauty of your pond. However, almost any design would help.

The peninsulas could be narrow jetties lined with rock - which might allow you to buy prettier rock and put it in a much smaller area.

You could also build a wide "lobe" peninsula and keep the shore in grass. With your excellent "grass skills" you could probably get your bermuda to stop the erosion for quite a distance downwind of the peninsula. The upwind side would get pretty beat up, but a higher percentage of your shoreline would look "non-eroded".

To get the most "bang" for your dirt-work buck, the peninsulas would be perpendicular to the shore. However, any angle would provide some wind lee. If (for example) your prevailing wind is from the south, you could build a single peninsula in the middle of the north shore. For all of the times when the wind is more from the southeast, no full energy waves will hit the northwest quadrant of your north shore, due to the peninsula reducing the fetch. Likewise, for the same wind - no full energy waves will hit the northeast quadrant of your north shore, due to the fact that they only have half of the lake or less to build their energy. This may be enough to make your bermuda erosion control sufficient for most of your shoreline.

Finally, the peninsulas also make good places for little people to use as casting sites. When the fish are hitting in 4' of water, they can cast parallel to the shore and keep most of their retrieve in the productive water.

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DK,

As usual, my reply was long-winded. Therefore, I will put plan "B" in a second reply.

Installing a breakwater is also an excellent means at reducing wave erosion. Breakwaters are usually quite ugly and utilitarian. However, you have a luxury that most pond owners do not - a relatively stable water surface level.

If your pond usage allows it, you could build an underwater breakwater. You could use the cheapest, ugliest broken cement rip-rap with rebar sticking out, as long as you keep it just below the water surface.

*** Do not use this option if people will ever swim in this area, and it is absolutely forbidden if anyone would ever dive into your pond.

The distance from shore to place your breakwater obviously depends on slope, water clarity, desired fish structures, etc. However, an underwater breakwater would give you the chance of keeping your natural looking grass shoreline intact.

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Taweesak,

The veti-plugs look awesome for natural erosion control. Do you start the planting trays from seeds or cuttings? How easy is it to raise from onset in trays to the size in your picture?

I am a geologist, not a plant guy. The habit of the grass looks much like the growth habit of nutsedge we have in Kansas. The nutsedge is quite invasive and hard to kill, but I think it is an entirely different family of plant.

Thanks for the help.

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Dear FishinRod,
Vetiver grass is probably getting more interested all over the world. To me it's still not fast enough to help people to protect their environment. You can learn more from www.vetiver.org for all the information about the grass.

Vetiver is not like other grasses. Its root system is not laterally spread but only vertically deep down in to the soil. In most cases, its root can penetrate as deep as 2-5 meters into the soil. The root system can form as an underground wall and hold the soil particle together tightly. The grass will produce tiller tightly and closely together to form an above ground wall to filter sediment from runoff rain water. More importantly this grass is not fertile. It will flower but their seed is not viable in nature. The vetiver is not evasive unlike cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica).

USDA had already approved to use in several states e.g.. Louisiana, Florida etc. It may be more, I'm not sure.

Propagation is pretty easy by tiller separation or cutting. I use peat moss as growing medium. I use forestry seedling tray, which has volume about 100 ml. It will take about 8 weeks to be ready for field transplanting. Remember I'm in Thailand which the temperature range is about 25-37 degree celcius. In your condition it might take more time. One more thing, the vetiver grass can be tolerated from minus 15 to 50 degree celcius. You can also put it float in the water to clear polluted water too.

I have many good pictures about vetiver in my folder in my Facebook account. Please visit me at www.facebook.com/taweesak.klinkong .

Welcome to the club.


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Close-up picture of the vetiver root from a propagation tray. Please note the big penetrating root and netted smaller root system.



Last edited by Taweesak; 06/06/12 07:02 PM.

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Shoreline protection. We will see it grow. This is last month at my seaside resort in the south of Thailand. A few year back, we spent a lot of money to protect our shoreline. This is the first step. We will stop the upper section first and then we will go down face to face to the sea. Soon.



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Just one vetiver grass line right at the water level can provide a pond bank erosion in about 1-2 months after planting. This is a newly constructed pond's bank.


Last edited by Taweesak; 06/07/12 12:22 PM.

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Cogon grass, the bad guy. Very thick but can't protect. It's the world worst weed!!!!



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What temperature (low temp) will the vetiver survive? Or put another way, what temperature kills it?


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