Sowing grass on a steep bank?

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Sowing grass on a steep bank?

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fdsgrs

Joined: 22 Aug 2013
Posts: 11

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 13 9:18 am Post subject: Sowing grass on a steep bank?

We've had some groundworks finished this year and it's left us with a very steep clay bank. We've found a supplier of grass seed that sends roots out sideways to stablise the bank but we're wondering how to sow it - we fear if we scatter seeds on it they will simply bounce to the bottom or be washed to the bottom when it first rains.

We've come across aquaseeding which would be fab, but their minimum charge is for 2000sq metres and we have less than 500sq m to seed.

Wondering if we can mix the seed with some liquid and 'water' it on with a hose and pump, or spread something on the bank first with a muckspreader - muck should stick to the bank and then seeds would stick that but may just rot away in the muck?

Any ideas?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45714
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 13 10:09 am Post subject: Re: Sowing grass on a steep bank?

KeythorpeValley wrote:

We've had some groundworks finished this year and it's left us with a very steep clay bank.

Snap

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 13 10:12 am Post subject:
If you can get a muckspreader on the bank,then you can also get a chain harrow and roller on it,job done.

fdsgrs

Joined: 22 Aug 2013
Posts: 11

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 13 11:25 am Post subject:

Ty Gwyn wrote:

If you can get a muckspreader on the bank,then you can also get a chain harrow and roller on it,job done.

We can't get a muckspreader on the bank, as I said, it's very steep, prob about 60 degrees. I can barely get up or down it at risk of personal injury myself! I can however drive a muckspreader across the bottom of it and fling muck up it

fdsgrs

Joined: 22 Aug 2013
Posts: 11

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 13 1:40 pm Post subject:
No ideas?

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 13 2:08 pm Post subject:
Looks like a hand job if you cannot get machinery on the slope. You have`nt said if this slope is real clay,or if there is an amount of top soil on it,that would made a big difference in seeds germinating before they get washed away by rain.

fdsgrs

Joined: 22 Aug 2013
Posts: 11

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 13 2:27 pm Post subject:

Ty Gwyn wrote:

Looks like a hand job if you cannot get machinery on the slope.

You have`nt said if this slope is real clay,or if there is an amount of top soil on it,that would made a big difference in seeds germinating before they get washed away by rain.

It's a made up bank from clay, but some of it has been made up for a while and now cut off steeper, whilst the other end has been tracked in. There is some soil mixed in here and there but predominantly it's clay. The rain is the worry because there's nothing there for it to stick to unless I spread something on it...

onemanband

Joined: 26 Dec 2010
Posts: 1473
Location: NCA90

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 13 5:58 pm Post subject:
sounds like you could need some sort of geotextile membrane / mesh to hold the soil and seeds in place till they take root. Saw something on the tv where they planted a very steep bank using a deep mesh/grid (like the dividers in a cardboard wine box) Turf ? I guess a bit of a costly gamble if you can't prep the bank properly.

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