Fastest growing anything...help

[CTyler]

The recent rains and the severe storm this weekend have caused me much grief again. My grass was starting to grow everwhere and now I have large areas that are wiped out.

I have two recurring problems.
1. The water that run around the house keeps rutting and
wiping out the grass and roots everytime it gets started.
I'll be fixing this for the third time this weekend.

2. I have a waterway that I fixed several times last year.
Fixed it again a few weeks ago and had grass started on it
and now its' wiped out again.

The problem with number 2 is the 30"+ culvert that goes under the county road. When it rains hard there is a lot of water coming out of it. Then it wipes out the dirt and piles it in my terrace. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I've been putting 6'+ flat bottom on it.

So what can I plant that will grow overnight? I don't care if I have to buy weeds!! I'm going to talk to the seed dealer this afternoon and see what they have for mesh material as well.

 

[isucrazy]

Straw or hey strolled around should holp some. Unroll some round bails where you can for good results. I have also learned the hard way a couple times a year that water is the boss! Seams like it dont just rain anymore. Its a full blown FLOATER or nuthin. Silt fence is great but you realy have to want it $$$$$. good luck.

 

[kensfarm]

The county just recently took a grade-all and re-ditched a section of the roadside. They used a cloth/fiber type material that was tacked down on the fresh dirt.. to prevent washout while the grass regrew. I saw the same type of matted material at the tractor supply store yesterday.. grass seed is embedded w/in the material.. maybe this would help.

 

[CTyler]

I did the straw thing everytime I fixed that waterway last year. Was ready to cry after the third time.

Slit fence...LOL...I can laugh at this now. Learned my lesson on that. Use metal T posts. Those 2x2 stakes all snapped like little twigs.

 

[CTyler]

Hopefully the mesh/fabric is fairly inexpensive. However at this point I don't think it matters what it costs. Probably should have started with something like that to begin with.

 

[trkbldr]

Having gone through the same experience, I can feel your pain /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. Are you using annual rye in your grass seed mix? Annual rye will germinate more quickly and help hold things in place while the other seed germinates. Generally a 20 to 30 percent ratio of annual is sufficient. I found a "straw mat" at a local seed dealer. Around here, this is used by the hiway dept. on ditches and hills. This straw mat is a thin layer of straw sandwiched between 2 layers of mesh. After you seed, you just roll the straw mat out over the area you need to protect. Get some sod staples and peg it down around the edges. This stuff worked great for me even with a couple of heavy rains. I paid $45.00 per 8' X 120' roll. A little pricey if you have much to cover. Also, don't forget to sow that ditch a little heavy to help prevent washout in the future /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[chucko]

What about sod?

 

[DocHeb]

Do you have 4" ABS Corrugated Black Draintile running from your gutters? (you do have gutters, don't you?).

Last fall I worked on 30,000 sq feet around the farmhouse, and tilled, "Harley-raked", fertilized and spread an annual ryegrass/perenial ryegrass mix. I had the local landscape company come and shoot hydromulch over the whole area (they used the hydroseed mix but didn't use the seed.) The ryegrass started sprouting in 3-4 days, despite the very dry fall in Michigan. The mulch lasted the entire winter and I didn't have any erosion problems. The price was $450 per 15,000 sq feet. You might even consider having the area hydroseeded or sodded.

As for your second culvert problem I can't tell from your description, but it sounds like you may be trying to keep something that is impossible. Water always wins - it may take time, but it always wins.

 

[CTyler]

Went down to the seed dealer. Bought a 5x216' mesh roll, 100 sod stakes and a 50lb bag of annual rye. $190 for it all, Kinda spendy.

I've been using a fescue blend, called non-destruct II, with some annual rye in it. I'm going to use that and put down extra rye as well.

The sod idea crossed my mind but I'd need 700' hose to water the waterway in the terrace. A strip of Sod could work down the side of the house though.

 

[CTyler]

Yep, I have gutters /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. I even dug french drains for every one of them. They worked well even with this last horrible storm. They do not contribute to the problem.

The area on the side of the house isn't that bad. There is a lot of area that has to drain to the north side of the house though. It all collects together once it gets to the north side. Since its' on a slope it speeds up. Every time the grass start going it rains enough to create a rut aprox 1'+ wide a few inches deep. Not counting this last mess. It will be fine if I can get the grass past the fuzz stage.

As far as the waterway from the road to the terrace. This will probably be my last or next to last attempt. After that it gets riprap.