Best Vigorous ground cover for a steep slope and Glysine weed???? (help)

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by PermaLEO, Oct 2, 2012.

  1. PermaLEO

    PermaLEO Junior Member

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    Hi all

    My wife and I are struggling to plant our steep house pad bank in Pullenvale Qld which is about a 45 degree slope (fill spill slope line) of track rolled fill (claylike soil, 5 years old). It is huge at about 350 m squared. We have this terrible Glysine (choker) weed which just spreads and covers everything! :( We have just cleared a section again and are looking to plant something that will compete with minimal maintenance. Have tried GRevilia ground covers and native pavaforum which did ok but still got over-run. Sweet potatoe also did ok but didn't get a chance to get established before being over run.
    Help.

    Many thanks

    Leo
     
  2. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Senior Member

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  3. PermaLEO

    PermaLEO Junior Member

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  4. Grasshopper

    Grasshopper Senior Member

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    Have a read of this Glycine doesnt sound like a totally negative crop,its a nitrogen fixer, good for animal freed,as a mulch for bananas and Citrus orchards
    https://www.trc.zootechnie.fr/node/293
     
  5. PermaLEO

    PermaLEO Junior Member

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    Yes, but it spreads by air, runners and tap roots and then covers
    And chokes every plant in its path. :n: Absolutely rampant can even
    Outdo wandering Jew and comfrey! Will have a
    Read though, thanks
     
  6. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I think you have the best, vigorous groundcover. Just not the one you want.

    Are you trying to grow trees on the bank as well, or is the vine just climbing everything and choking established stuff?
     
  7. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Perhaps if you consider the glycine weed as a resource to be managed rather than as a problem, the answer will come to you... How accessible is the area? Can you get in and run a whipper snipper through it and use it as a chop and drop mulch crop?
     
  8. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Prune/cut and solarise/black plastic/water barrel your vine and have a nice mulch in other areas.

    Not much will out-compete Glycine though the choko sounds interesting (similar to the lantana hand grenades in the manual).
     
  9. PermaLEO

    PermaLEO Junior Member

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    Thanks all, I realise it's better to work with nature rather than against it but this stuff runs rampant. Yes we have some native bottlebrush on the bank to attract the birds etc and this stuff just chokes it out, then spreads onto the house pad, the herb garden, native beds and anything else it can get it's hands on. Maybe the choko idea is worth pursuing. I like the idea of sweet potato as well but my early zone 3/4 experiment failed with it not able to compete.

    cheers

    Leo
     
  10. PermaLEO

    PermaLEO Junior Member

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    45 degree 350m 2 bank. Yes, can access to whipper snipper but it is hard work as the stiff vine tendrils get wrapped around the snipper head really easily. I am doing a mulch pile experiment now so will let you all know how it goes. I wonder if I could process and eat the soybean somehow. Didn't realise it was soy. It grows so fast in summer though I would have to snip every 2 weeks and I am flat out maintaining the rest of the block. I so need a food forrest to cover my useless grass. Just don't think I can do the earthworks to support it. Can you grow a food forrest on a 1:5 slope without swales or a dam?
     
  11. PermaLEO

    PermaLEO Junior Member

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    Does anyone know of the best place to source Permaculture support species seeds or seedlings in Brisbane or SE Qld? I think Northy St ehas a few things but relatively expensive for large amounts?:think:

    Many thanks
     
  12. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Try Greening Australia at the Gap. Tube stock $2 each. They do local natives so they should thrive with little attention. They'll have acacias that you could use as support species and grasses and ground covers.
     
  13. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I can send Pigeon Peas.

    Bazman (member on here) is my local supplier, he has all the good stuff.
     
  14. permup

    permup Junior Member

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    Wondering whether vetiver grass would be good to stabilise the bank. Not sure how it would go with surviving the glycine though.
     
  15. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    I'd theorise, being a full sun grass, the part shade afforded by the twining glycine as it covers it, would impact it negatively.
     
  16. PermaLEO

    PermaLEO Junior Member

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    Thanks everyone!:y:

    L
     
  17. John Gros

    John Gros Junior Member

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    You could try micro earth works for your fruit forest. Just holes near your plantings and make little swales with the soil you excavate to direct water into the holes. Put mulch over the embankments and in the holes. They only have to be deep enough for your average daily rainfall. You'll only need a spade and a level.
     

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