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Erosion control without fescue

yoderjac

yoderjac

5 year old buck +
Gents,

I'm in the process of having a quarter mile driveway installed at my retirement property. The ground is relatively flat but will need some sculpting for drainage. There will probably be 3 or 4 culvert pipes. The first bid includes $2,300 for hydroseeding. Seems expensive to me. I'm considering doing the seeding myself. I'm sure I would use WR in the mix, but is there something other than fescue that would be perennial and deal with the erosion control?

Thanks,

Jack
 
If you are wanting deer to eat from it? Are you going to mow it, or leave it?

If you want deer to eat it, and arent planning on mowing, I would plant "high sugar rye grass" and white dutch clover. ALthough I am not sure what low growing clover will work in the south.
 
If it was me I would plant winter rye, an annual like vetch, and a wild flower mix.
 
I planted Virginia Wild Rye in a waterway and it has totally exceeded expectations. It's not cheap but it establishes well, reseeds, is extremely tolerant of occasionally standing water, and creates a root structure that holds soil well.

It does get tall though...will you be able to mow it?
 
While I prefer any planting I do to be as wildlife friendly as possible while achieving the primary objective, this is not being planted to feed wildlife. I have 8 acres of old pasture land where the road ends and the house will go. I've been killing fescue and planting it with wildlife foods an acre at a time. I'll have about 1 acre of established clover next spring and one acre of new clover planted with WR in September. I hope to kill the fescue and plant another acre of buckwheat and Sunn hemp next spring to prepare for planting it with WR and Clover in the fall.

This area has lower deer densities than my farm and probably more deer food than needed. I just don't care for fescue and will slowly be converting sections of it to benefit other wildlife.

As for the road, we are talking shoulders that will be mowable. The work will likely be done this winter. That means that there won't be much germination until spring. While I've had ryegrass issues when planting food plots in the past as it can be hard to eradicate, this is not a food plot situation so I have no issues using it. I would guess an annual ryegrass would establish as quickly as anything. I presume if I mixed in a perennial ryegrass it might last longer. It is probably a good practice to include a legume like clover, vetch, or trefoil.

Currently there are a few places where water pools but if the contractor does his job that won't be the case. I need to stabilize the soil after the work is done. Whatever I use, it needs to withstand regular mowing. Keep the suggestions coming. I had not heard of Virginia Wild Rye before, so I'll need to look into that one.

Thanks,

Jack
 
Some variety of vetch. It isn't an easy start, but once you get it going it will keep on! But, it doesn't like being mowed short. If if remember, the crown sits rather high up on the plant.

https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_cova2.pdf
 
In all reality there is more than likely plenty of seed that will germinate when the contractor is done. You could just plant it in rye and start mowing it next spring. The continued mowing will take care of the broad leafed plants and grasses should take over on their own.
 
I think you are right. Since this is not a real bad erosion situation and more of a best practice thing. I may just use WR and maybe some annual ryegrass and let nature take it's course.
 
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