Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development will be hosting a giveaway on Feb. 28th, 2-4pm at Bowman Middle School Parking lot. Please complete the form to register
If you have a stream bank and would like to restore vegetation along the bank, this is a great opportunity. I advise those who are waiting for debris to be removed from streams to wisely plant so that during debris removal your planting is not destroyed
Live Staking is a method that can be used to add plant life back to the stream bank. This is something that can easily be done by landowners that involves planting stem cuttings taken from dormant trees (before bud break in the spring). The cuttings are called “live stakes”. These cuttings will establish a root network, preventing further soil loss.
Planting live stakes is simple, but will probably require you to work from the stream (wear waders or high boots). You can use something such as rebar approximately 2 feet long to create pilot holes. Place the stakes 2-3 feet apart in several rows, in a triangular pattern. The pilot hole should be at a 90-degree angle to the soil. Plant the stakes at a depth that ½ to 2/3 of the stake is in the soil. These are planted densely with the expectation that not all will survive. Only plant as high on the stream bank as the live stake will reach the water table (the cutting needs to be in contact with moist soil in order to root. During the first year don’t expect to see much above-ground growth as establishing root growth in the first year is most important. Wait until the second growing season before evaluating which stakes survived and which did not.
