PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHING NEW VEGETATION 



When it is necessary to do planting in the ravines, the following 

 procedures will aid in the establishment of a new vegetative cover. It 

 should be emphasized that it is of the utmost importance to immediately begin 

 a revegetation program after there has been any kind of construction work, 

 such as the installation of drainage systems or terraces/retaining walls, 

 that has disrupted the vegetation in the ravines. To delay planting encour- 

 ages the erosion of soil left bare by the construction or invasion of the 

 area by rank weeds. 



Grass and ground covers . — It is nearly impossible to establish 

 permanent grass cover in the dense shade of mature ravines, but construction 

 often opens up enough of the tree canopy to allow the planting of the more 

 shade-tolerant grasses that will give some temporary cover. See your local 

 garden center for suitable grass mixtures. There are some ground-cover 

 plants that do tolerate the shade in the ravines. Most of these are not 

 native to the ravines or to the eastern United States, and the property 

 owner should decide whether or not to plant exotic species. Wild ginger, 

 As arum canadense , is a native plant that is recommended for planting as a 

 ground cover in the ravines. Perhaps the most frequently planted ground 

 cover in the ravines is goutweed or bishop's weed, Aegopodium podagrarla . 

 This is a very aggressive plant that will crowd out native wildf lowers, so 

 it should be planted with discretion. It does tolerate shade and forms a 

 thick mass of coarse leaves. Common periwinkle or creeping myrtle, Vinca 

 minor, or winter creeper, Euonymus fortunei , have also been planted in the 

 ravines. All of these ground covers are planted as young plants, which spread 

 by creeping stems. 



Wildflowers . — To maintain a naturalistic effect in the ravines. 



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