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Keeping Soil in Place Preferred
© 1997, 1998 Streamline Publications
Millions of dollars are spent trying to
undo harm that could have been prevented. Recent heavy rains the length of
California moved millions of tons of soil from slopes into streets, storm drains
and rivers. The press is quick to report on the human losses—lives, homes—while
virtually ignoring another loss that doesn't provide such dramatic pictures, the
loss of topsoil. The soil loss drama comes later, in
the courtrooms and boardrooms when the question of who pays for the losses are
sorted out. Albright Seed Company
is your erosion control source. Albright experts help prevent sleepless nights
when rain is the last thing you need.
How Much Water is Too Much Water?Is it possible to drown a seed?
According to Paul Albright of Albright Seed Company, it happens rarely.
The bigger problem is not enough moisture to support germination. In very wet
conditions slime molds can kill seeds. "Some riparian grasses, such as
Bermuda are meant to be water-borne. If one of these seeds begins germination
then winds up in a river, it simply suspends germination and floats on the
current until it lodges in a friendlier place. Then germination resumes. "Most
seeds won't start germinating if they are surrounded by water because they need
oxygen for the process to start. Oxygen is also necessary to support the
bacterial action that takes place in organic materials. The bacteria convert
ammonium to the nitrogen that fertilizes growth." Check with
Albright for answers that
make sense for your clients.
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