Coastal Reclamation
Coastal areas vary enormously from one part of the country to another, but establishing a good sward on or near a coastal site can be hampered by wind and sea erosion, growing medium, soil instability and the general lack of organic matter.
These problems can be corrected by the means of amelioration with some form of organic matter along with stabilising compounds such as mulches, binding agents, bitumens and, more recently, plastic and jute meshes to stabilise loose sand.
Whilst some of the grasses found growing in coastal areas have a good stabilising influence, few are available commercially. For this reason it is difficult to generalise because requirements and indeed uses vary enormously from practical and essential work, such as large reclamation schemes and the restoration of coastal defences, to more specific areas such as nature walks, picnic areas and caravan parks, etc. As a general guide, a simple fescue-based mixture – using a small percentage of a low growing perennial ryegrass – will help with initial establishment so as to act as a nurse crop, although the ryegrass is unlikely to persist, particularly on those coastal areas which are subject to salt spray.
| Product Name | A21 (Saline Coastal and Road Verges) | ||
| Mixture Breakdown | 5.00% | TYEE CREEPING BENT | (Agrostis stolonifera) |
| 40.0% | ABERCHARM SLENDER CREEPING RED FESCUE | (Festuca rubra litoralis) | |
| 30.0% | PILLAR PERENNIAL RYEGRASS | (Lolium perenne) | |
| 10.0% | JOANNA CHEWINGS FESCUE | (Festuca Rubra Commutata) | |
| 15.0% | ESSENTIAL TALL FESCUE | (Festuca arundinacea) | |
It is always beneficial on a coastal area where soils are normally impoverished to apply a a slow-release fertiliser such as GSR Tri-Phase 18-3.5-8 to speed establishment.
Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria) exhibits salt tolerance and is extremely tolerant of dry conditions. It produces a strong ramifying network of underground rhizomes and is a coloniser. Seed, however, is not commercially available. The grass is normally established from sprigs planted at 50cm centres. Temporary screens are often erected to prevent wind erosion in the establishment phase.