Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Groundcover Options

I had a 2 acre pond constructed last year that it now full. Unfortunately, due to some really heavy rains toward the end of the construction process, my contractor was not able to move dirt to the backside of the dam so that the area would be easily mowable. I now have a rather steep backside to my pond making it impossible to mow with my tractor or zero turn mower. Does anyone have any recommendations for what I could plant that would mitigate the need to regularly mow and that would also keep other undesirable plants/trees from growing? I am in southeast TN, the ground is acidic and is rich in iron if that helps narrow down the possibilities. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Hey, thebar, not sure about the answer to your question right offhand, but here's a bump to get your question back to the top of the list.

If you haven't done so yet, do a little research into the forum on this topic as I know it's been discussed before. Obviously, you don't want trees or shrubs that are going to root into the dam and potentially lead to problems. I would have to think almost any sort of groundcover would work, though - myrtle is really pretty and grows pretty heartily, crown vetch (I think that's the stuff that grows along a lot of highways - really takes off and you may need to control it to prevent a complete takeover, but it'll cover fast), etc.

Hang tight and let's see if you can't get some more useful feedback.

Is it an area that you would consistently need cut short? Might help to plant something like an annual rye to solidify the soil. It'll die off eventually and natural plants will take its place. More expert advice to follow I'm sure, but that would be my first guess if it were me.

Acidity makes finding suitable plants a bit harder... Sorry I didn't see this post sooner, not a sub forum I check as much. I would plant a mix of annual rye grass a cover crop and to help hold things together. In with the rye grass I'd plant crown vetch. It grows just about anywhere... It's commonly used for steep road side banks. You may have seen it before, it's got bright white and pink flowers in the summer. Should be easy to find from most seed companies. It grows very thick with excellent drought resistance and good erosion control. I'd plant 40 pounds of annual rye and 8 pounds of crown vetch per acre.

Thebar...
A couple of suggestions:
First, I would check with the TN DOT to find out what they use on steep grades in your area. We use fescue in Missouri, but those guys deal with steep roadside grades on a regular basis and would be able to tell you what does a good job of growing and holding down erosion in TN soil...and as CJB noted above, you want to add a nurse crop that will sprout quickly to hold the soil until your annual plants take hold (like rye or oats in my area, but again, I would check with TN DOT to see what they use on roadsides). I would stay away from highly invasive plants. They do a great job of holding the soil, but will spread to unwanted places and are hard to eradicate (think Kudzu in your area!).

Second, I would suggest putting down some jute netting after you seed, especially if your grade is steeper than 3:1. It doesn't take much rain to cut sizable chunks out of your dam's backside. There are many types of this material, but it acts to hold the bare soil for a couple of years until your plantings catch hold...it decomposes after a couple of years. I have attached a link for Dayton Bag & Burlap...I got my netting shipped from their Chicago location and it worked great.

http://daybag.com/info/locations.html

Thanks for the advice. You've given me some good food for thought.

get1fiddle,

What jute netting did you get from them? I have some areas at my parents place that are washing out, and I need to put some fabric down the next time I re-arrange the dirt to keep it in place until the grass can take hold.

esshup...
I bot 4' x 225' rolls of the jute netting...John Hendle was the rep out of Chicago that I dealt with (Toll Free: 800-585-2247). He also carries the staples to hold the netting in place. I bot a pallet with 12 rolls and had it shipped to a buddy in the construction business...You need to have a business address for the drop point since they won't ship to a home address. They're wholesalers, so they are shipping to landscapers and retail distributors. Here's a link to see what the stuff looks like:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/LandArch/ec/recp/images/ec_jute_mesh_title.jpg

Thanks. I'll give them a call. I'll be in the Chicago area next week and will see if I can pick up a 100 yd roll. I think a roll 8' wide should do it.

Goats are a real option. In SE TN, you have to have neighbors close by with goats. They may be interested in setting up a temporary electric netting fence to and bringing their goats over to eat. Both of you benefit! Goats hate water so you don't have to worry about them sloshing your pond edge like cattle or horses. i've got 'em and they do a perfect job - quickly.