[Scpg] steep permaculture slope ideas?

John Calvert jcalvert at crystal3.com
Mon Sep 6 11:20:27 PDT 2010


Vetiver, a perennial grass, has many uses including erosion control.  
I'm working with a group in Haiti that is planning on using it, and we 
are in communication with a world-renowned vetiver expert. :-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysopogon_zizanioides

JC

lfunkhouser at juno.com wrote:
> Yes! I believe vetiver grass is it. Thank you Vinay.
>
> With all due respect to Owen, please don't shoot the messenger. I was 
> trying to put Kevin in touch with someone who has a challenging slope 
> and has done a lot of research and has had years of results and 
> tinkering with the regime. Just passing along contacts and information 
> here.
>
> Yes, you can't beat professional advice and experience, but there are 
> new things to be discovered if one wants to live an experiential life 
> and has really good insurance, and where safety is not an overriding 
> concern. Some people like the process of discovery as much as the 
> goal. I'll leave it at that.
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------
> From: Vinay Jathanna <vjathanna at gmail.com>
> To: "lfunkhouser at juno.com" <lfunkhouser at juno.com>
> Cc: kevin at kevingleasonart.com
> Subject: Re: [Scpg] steep permaculture slope ideas?
> Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 10:55:15 -0700
>
> Hi Laura and Kevin,
>
> It is Vetiver Grass. Doug Richardson, in Santa Barbara is doing a lot 
> of work with vetiver grass. It is a grass that comes from the Indian 
> subcontinent. It is very benign and has multiple uses as a 
> Permaculture plant.
>
> http://vetivernetinternational.blogspot.com/2008/06/vetiver-system-applications-in.html
> http://www.vetiver.org/
>
> Vinay
>
> On Mon, Sep 6, 2010 at 10:08 AM, lfunkhouser at juno.com 
> <mailto:lfunkhouser at juno.com> <lfunkhouser at juno.com 
> <mailto:lfunkhouser at juno.com>> wrote:
>
>     Kevin,
>
>     You might also want to talk to Mary Scaran, who is an
>     acupuncturist in SB (she's in the phone book) and has a very steep
>     slope running the entire length of her oak wooded and desert
>     upland property that is permeated by a spring. She has planted
>     lots of things to stabilize, including Persian mulberry trees
>     (edible!) and some kind of grass -- can't remember which -- but a
>     type of bunch grass that she selected for its very specific
>     properties of soil stabilization. Mary practices permaculture,
>     studies horticulture, and is a very fine acupuncturist.
>
>     Good luck.
>
>     --Laura
>
>     ---------- Original Message ----------
>     From: Kevin Gleason <kevin at kevingleasonart.com
>     <mailto:kevin at kevingleasonart.com>>
>     To: John Calvert <jcalvert at crystal3.com
>     <mailto:jcalvert at crystal3.com>>
>     Cc: scpg at arashi.com <mailto:scpg at arashi.com>
>     Subject: Re: [Scpg] steep permaculture slope ideas?
>     Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 07:14:15 -0700
>
>     Thanks, John, and all others who have replied. ?This is such a
>     helpful ?
>     community. ?I am going to look into the "net and pan" technique
>     Susan ?
>     recommended and am trying to find some good "pinning" shrubs and
>     trees ?
>     per Dan's advice. ?I need to pay good attention to the plants that ?
>     seem to be holding up west facing slopes next time I'm out hiking.
>     ?It ?
>     is okay with me if this really steep section doesn't grow food.... ?
>     Maybe I'll just grow food for the birds there.
>     I appreciate eveyone's help.
>     Thanks!
>
>
>     On Sep 5, 2010, at 9:22 PM, John Calvert wrote:
>
>     >
>     >
>     > I started out writing a response to this, looking in the direction ?
>     > of what grows native on our steep coastal mountain canyons.
>     >
>     > But I realize that there isn't much edible on the really steep ?
>     > slopes. ?It seems the more fruit-bearing types are more likely to ?
>     > appear where there's better soil and moisture.
>     >
>     > So, that leaves the plants that do well in poor soil and least ?
>     > moisture...
>     >
>     > nopal cactus, various wild sages, maybe fit in a hollyleaf cherry, ?
>     > chia ?, maybe some kind of mulberry, wild golden currant (?).
>     >
>     > so, mostly natives, and then some select fruit-bearing plantings
>     w/ ?
>     > drip irrigation. ??
>     >
>     > JC
>     >
>     >
>     > Kevin Gleason wrote:
>     >> Hi all,
>     >>
>     >> I was wondering if anyone has good advice for creating a garden
>     on ?
>     >> a VERY steep slope (more than 45 degrees.) ?I'd love some
>     feedback ?
>     >> on alternative terracing methods, whether this is too steep for ?
>     >> small swales, good soil-holding, drought-tolerant ?ground covers ?
>     >> and other plants that would be useful and other ideas. ?I
>     remember ?
>     >> hearing Brock Dolman talking about making retaining walls with ?
>     >> burlap tubes filled with soil and a little cement. ?Anybody
>     tried it?
>     >>
>     >> Thanks for your help!
>     >> Kevin
>     >> _______________________________________________
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>     >> Scpg at arashi.com <mailto:Scpg at arashi.com>
>     >> https://www.arashi.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/scpg
>     >>
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