permaculture

[Niels <mudguard@gmail.com>]

Woods,

Funny how us lot seem so fond of plants on the "invasive" list!
Kind of a tit-for-tat thing.
Here's a link for crown vetch:
http://www.invasive.org/browse/subject.cfm?sub=3015

Anymore details on its establishment?

Cheers,
N*

woodsjay@cox.net wrote:

> Where I've had the problem of grasses (including bermuda grasses, crown vetch 
> has solved the problem. However, crown vetch can't solve the problem 
> unsupported. The use of old wire fencing which will allow the crown vetch to 
> get up in the air will do the trick.
>  
>
> > From: "Forest Garden" <forestgarden@gvtc.com>
> > Date: 2006/01/29 Sun PM 02:17:30 EST
> > To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > Subject: Re: [permaculture] using old carpet
> >
> > Hi Neils,
> >
> > Thank you for your response.  I currently use living mulches (white and red
> > clovers) in areas directly around the tree in areas I have hand removed the
> > bermuda grass.  I tried planting a variety of legumes directly into the
> > grasses - cow peas, winter peas, vetches, clovers, etc. as appropriate for
> > each season.  The legumes could not compete with the grasses.  I was hoping
> > the cow peas would at least shade them out some, but no.  I've also been
> > trying to move the soil micro-biology towards more fungually based in an
> > attempt to weaken the hold of the grasses.
> >
> > It is a continual effort to keep the bermuda clear in the rings around each
> > tree that I have.  In addition to simply keeping back the grasses from the
> > existing inner rings, I want to expand those rings as the tree roots will be
> > wanting to spread out further as the trees get older.  I thought to lay out
> > the carpet in a ring outside of the inner ring.  The carpet would weaken the
> > grass so the hand removeal would be easier.  The only thing I've found that
> > stops the grass is blocking from light over a long period of time.  I've
> > tried almost everyhting else - including 20% vinegar in the middle of a two
> > month drought.  The grass thanked me for the moisture and kept right on not
> > even noticing the acidity...
> >
> > Black or clear plastic does work somewhat but needs a lot of rocks and logs
> > to keep it held down.  Stiff carpet would be easiest to use and would stay
> > in place in a windy situation.
> >
> > Oddly enough, thick layers of cardboard and hay for mulch really didn't work
> > that well.  The grass grew right through it, and very quickly.
> >
> > I don't intend to keep the carpet there forever - only for 6 to 9 months
> > which would be long enough to really retard the grass.  The plan is that I
> > could retard the grass enough to be able to remove it easily.  Then I would
> > plant with living mulches, and hopefully expand the rings outer further.
> >
> > If you've never experienced it - you have no idea how tenacious bermuda
> > grass is!  I absolutely love it in the pastures since it is such a great
> > cover and holds the soils in so well even with heavy grazing.  But in the
> > garden or orchad.... yikes.
> >
> > - Marjory
> >
> >    
>
>
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