What type of grass can I plant to help with an erosion problem?

March 16, 2006

Question What type of grass can I plant to help with an erosion problem?

Answer There are a few questions to consider when dealing with grass and erosion. Is grass a solution to the erosion problem? Is grass a permanent or temporary solution?

Grass may not be a viable solution if the erosion is taking place in really shady areas or if the grade is too steep. In very shady areas, you may want to consider some type of mulch or ground cover (plantings). On steep banks, you may again want to consider mulch or plantings. Terracing (stair stepping the soil) or some other form of grading might also be an option with steep embankments. Often times riprap (granite rocks) is used in steep grade situations.

Flatter areas near ponds, ditches, and houses can be stabilized with grass. If you are having an erosion problem now (in a grassable area) then the quick fix is going to be annual rye grass. This is certainly not the long term solution, and grassable is a word that I made up. Warm season grasses like centipede, Bermuda and St. Augustine are more of a long term solution. Unless you lay out rolls of sod (grass) that cover the entire area, then warm season grasses may take a couple years to establish themselves. Once they begin to grow, then they will take over the world. Warm season grasses spread. Therefore, they are best at stabilizing soil over the long run. Centipede and St. Augustine like wet areas the best.

Warm season grasses can be sodded, plugged or seeded (not all varieties can be seeded). Of course, complete sod coverage is immediate. Plugging and seeding take a couple years to accomplish complete lawn coverage. Rye grass is often used to stabilize the soil while a warm season grass is spreading from plugs or seed.

Cool season grasses like annual rye and fescue are “clumpers”. This means they do not spread. However, they do come up fast and give great temporary erosion control. If planted this time of year, neither one will live through the summer. Fescue has a better chance of surviving the summer heat when planted in the fall (Sept). Annual rye will germinate (come up) nearly any time of year. In the cold winter, rye will be slow. In the hot summer, it may not live long. Remember to mulch your rye grass seed with a light cover of wheat straw. Usually, one to two bales of straw per 1000 square feet is sufficient.

As a general rule, disturbed areas need to be either sodded with a warm season grass or seeded with rye grass as soon as possible. Disturbed areas would include construction, grading and digging. Homeowners should also sow cover crops on fallow vegetable gardens to prevent erosion.

Erosion is a major source of water pollution. It can also be an expensive problem to correct. You don't get a break on your taxes for land that leaves your property, so try to keep it there. If you have any questions, then call me at 910-893-7533, write me at PO Box 1089, Lillington, NC 27546 or email me at gary_pierce@ncsu.edu.