When I built my pond, the exposed dirt was some of the nastiest, rocky clay mix that appeared barren as hell, from way down deep underground.
I hired a lime truck and had him put about 4 tons per A all over it, then lightly fertilized it, and seeded with clover and annual rye grass, the rye grass for quick cover and mitigate erosion, and a nurse crop for the clover.
I added a little crown vetch seed scattered over the whole area, it makes a great ground cover for erosion control in really poor soils, and I like the aesthetics of it.
Then with a good amount of rain that first 4 months the seed came in thick, covered the whole dam like an established old clover hay field. amazing, had a deer hunting patch for several yrs till the clover slowly faded out and now the vetch is taking over and filling in all the voids. looks beautiful!
I had intentions of having a professional come in and blow chopped straw over the whole thing, it was a couple acres, but it stayed too wet, so I never got it done before it all greened up and grew.
