Ground cover in wooded / shaded areas

[MossRoad]

Dont look now, but that unit on the left is sinking.

It's been like that since we moved here in '95.

 

[MossRoad]

Fine crop growing this year...

 

[John_Mc]

The key to trails that don't erode is laying them out properly and building them right. If you are under about a 7% grade (that's 7%, not 7 degrees), you can get away with broad based dips for erosion control (BBD's are easy to drive through and if properly installed tend to hold up really well without requiring much maintenance). Steeper terrain will require water bars (basically a ditch every so often across the road - the steeper the trail, the more water bars you need over a given length). Seeding them in with something will definitely help, but it won't overcome significant design issues.

We are in the process of re-routing some trails on a cooperatively owned 115-acre conserved, working forest wher eI am one of the co-owners. Some of the trails were let over logging paths that were simply laid out in a way that promotes erosion. we're rerouting them to reduce the grade (staying below 7% wherever possible, and making sure any steeper sections are short, and have erosion controls installed to get water off the trail before it can concentrate, build up speed and do damage. and avoid sensitive areas. We also seed in trail areas. We use a conservation mix which is supposed to have plants native to the area.

 

[VaGlock]

Our 5 acres of woods (central Virginia) is being taken over by Japanese Stiltgrass, it seems to be killing out all other ground cover plants. It spreads farther every year. From what I have read it is very hard to eradicate.

 

[oosik]

Around here there is usually a very good reason nothing grows in shaded areas. I certainly won't plant anything poisonous. I use the chips from my chipper. They are about one third the size of a playing card. I will go out to one of the bigger piles and shovel them thru the chipper a second time. Cuts the size in half. Load up these rechipped chips and spread where needed.

 

[PILOON]

Around here there is usually a very good reason nothing grows in shaded areas. I certainly won't plant anything poisonous. I use the chips from my chipper. They are about one third the size of a playing card. I will go out to one of the bigger piles and shovel them thru the chipper a second time. Cuts the size in half. Load up these rechipped chips and spread where needed.

Ajuka (adjuca) really likes shady areas and spreads nicely.

 

[MossRoad]

Ajuka (adjuca) really likes shady areas and spreads nicely.

It's also called bugleweed. I have a bronze-leafed variety that does really well on the shady side of my house, but it does well in sun, too. Really pretty blue flowers for a couple weeks in spring. And yes, it does spread.

 

[kenmbz]

The stiltgrass is everywhere here and even comes up through bushes.

I use Milestone herbicide, does not kill it, but stops it from growing and reseeding itself.
Stuff choked out my gardens 2 years ago and killed almost everything.
This herbicide can't be used on food plots though, so I keep my food plot very small.

 

[John_Mc]

Around here there is usually a very good reason nothing grows in shaded areas. I certainly won't plant anything poisonous. I use the chips from my chipper. They are about one third the size of a playing card. I will go out to one of the bigger piles and shovel them thru the chipper a second time. Cuts the size in half. Load up these rechipped chips and spread where needed.

Do wood chips help with erosion at your place? They just seem to wash right out easier than the soil that used to be there every place I've seen them used.

 

[RalphVa]

Looking for some ideas to help with erosion in my wooded areas. I made some trails last winter but they're always muddy and are eroding really fast. Anything I can throw down that will sort of grow under trees? The shorter the better but I'm open to any ideas.

Plantain loves shade and compaction.