Re: Plants for Erosion Control & Geese

Hello Carol,
    Quite a bit of information in different areas you ae seeking. In your shoes, I
would use them to   the local Extension Office and talk to my County agent. Talk
to someone in soil conversation department. They have experts that are trained to
handle local problems in ag and hort such as yours.
    My first though in soil erosion are grasses and then shrubs such as specific
species of dogwood, willow, but I do not know what is best for your area.
    Anyone from Texas want to speak up.....
    Gene Bush     Southern Indiana    Zone 6a     Munchkin Nursery
          around the woods - around the world
genebush@otherside.com     http://www.munchkinnursery.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Lively <clively@OnRamp.NET>
Subject: Plants for Erosion Control & Geese


> Hello,
>
> I've been subscribed to the Perennials mailing list pretty
> much since it first started, but it's only now that I've
> started to do any actual gardening.  I have some questions
> that I hope someone will be able to help me with.
>
> We're fortunate enough to have the opportunity to live on
> approximately 8.5 acres just outside of Fort Worth, Texas.
> On the south and east sides is a creek, and on the north and
> west sides are gullies that feed the creek when there is a
> lot of rain.  Parts of the gullies are rather wide and deep,
> with some parts being ten feet wide and at least 15 feet
> tall.
>
> I'm looking for ways to control the erosion of the soil
> along the creek and the gullies.
>
> Last June we received approximately 12" of rain in a 24-hour
> period.  I've never been exposed to 'water' like that
> before, and when the creek overflowed its banks by 75 feet
> on either side and the gullies overflowed as well, a large
> part of our pasture looked much more like a lake than
> anything else.
>
> The electricity went out about 10 p.m. the night we received
> the bulk of the heaviest rain, and I remember poking my head
> out the back door to see how my blue heeler was faring, when
> there was a flash of lightening, and I saw what looked to be
> water everywhere.  I thought to myself "This just can't be",
> and then I heard the roar and realized that it wasn't the
> roar of the wind; it was the creek.
>
> I took a flashlight outside and went over to see what was
> happening in the gullies, and there were no gullies to be
> seen.  It was just water, deep water, everywhere.
>
> Boy, was that a heart-stopper.
>
> The force of the water was such that it took out quite a bit
> of soil in the gullies, particularly when there were bends
> in the path the water took, and when the soil went, so did
> the red oaks and burr oaks who had their root system in it.
> Some of these trees were at least 50' tall, and my heart
> sank the next day when I saw what had happened.
>
> I've been perusing books and catalogs, e.g., Shady Oaks,
> trying to figure out what kind of plants/ground cover that I
> could put along the sides of the creek and gullies in an
> attempt to keep the soil in place, but what the books don't
> tell me, and what I need to know, is what kind of a root
> system do the plants that they're selling/talking about
> have?  I think I need plants that have an extensive
> underground root system, and I need some that can take full
> sun, some that can take medium shade, and some that can take
> deep shade - and all in heavy clay soil.
>
> If anyone has any suggestions regarding this erosion
> question, it would be appreciated.
>
> My second question is about plants that are safe for geese.
> Also last June, this city girl received a box from the post
> office that had six of the loveliest little goslings in it.
> They're not so small anymore, but still just as lovely, and
> friendly too since I raised them from babies.
>
> I was wondering what I could plant around their yard that
> would be safe for them to eat should they decide to take a
> bite of it.  They're in a 400 sq. ft. area that is enclosed
> by a hogwire fence.  I was thinking about planting some
> cherry tomatoes and a Hyacinth Bean Vine up the fence, with
> maybe some pole beans as well, to give them some shade in
> the summertime.  In the yard itself, I was hoping to plant
> some comfrey, buckwheat, and sorghum grain grass.
>
> Can anyone tell me if this would be a safe thing to do?
> There's some good information on the net and in books about
> chickens, but I haven't been able to find a thing on geese.
>
> Best Regards,
> Carol Lively
>
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