Berm Preservation

[TXBRASS]

For any of ya'll that maintain a range for work or have one on your place, have you planed anything on the berm to help hold it together?

My land is VERY sandy so my berm is mainly a mixture of sand and some clay. When it was built (last winter) we covered it with rye grass seed so a downpour wouldn't damage it much...In a few weeks the berm was covered in grass, but this does little to help the areas that receive much of the rounds. Have been thinking of planting bamboo over the berm as the bamboo rhizomes get extremely thick in a short period of time and usually grow down about 18-24 inches. they can be cut (shot) and will continue to grow. Anyone ever done this? Maybe Im over-thinking it and should just get the back-hoe to come out once a year.....just curious if anyone has experimented with plants to help keep a berm together....

 

[Strangedays]

Re: Berm Preservation

I have always planted a low growing fescue mix. It grows fast and low and spreads. The grass matts and grows well. Try a red fescue. I have never tried bamboo but again I also don't live where sand is an issue.

 

[stefan73]

Re: Berm Preservation

I would almost say crabgrass would hold together pretty well.

 

[dohnuts58]

Re: Berm Preservation

wouldn't the bamboo just get blown apart? like wood getting hit, just come off in chunks?

 

[zack-s]

Re: Berm Preservation

I used some kind of decorative vine that was at my house when I moved in. It grows fast as hell and you cant kill it even with weed killer. Ive tried.

 

[armymedic.2]

Re: Berm Preservation

any true grass will work. bamboo will spread bad juju. orchard grass gets too tall.

i like a rather bare berm to spot impacts. timothy or brome would be my choice (stay low good roots)

 

[Diablo]

Re: Berm Preservation

Kudzu?

Anyone from the Southeast could loan you some plantings.

 

[TXBRASS]

Re: Berm Preservation

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> wouldn't the bamboo just get blown apart?</div></div>

Bamboo is a grass so the roots under where the boo is getting shot can survive from canes elsewhere on the berm....I have it growing on my place elsewhere and it does great for water errosion protection in ditches...It does spread FAST and in just a few years would have to be removed from the range around the berm which is the only set-back....

How deep does kud-zu roots go?

 

[Diablo]

Re: Berm Preservation

Don't know that anyone ever dug deep enough to determine for sure............

Am kidding about the Kudzu, please don't ever try to spread it anywhere.

Bringing Kudzu into this country was an ecological mistake, (a really, really big ecological mistake).

 

[TXBRASS]

Re: Berm Preservation

Heard of it, but guess we dont have any around here.....remember hearing something about it being a pain.....

 

[Diablo]

Re: Berm Preservation

Yes, it is...there's places in the Carolinas where it's taken over. Spreads fast and is hard to kill.

 

[Wild_Bill]

Re: Berm Preservation

if you are looking at shooting low velocity pistols on your range the Bamboo would create a danger as the projectiles could return back at you if the hit it in the right place so i would stay away from it a high velocity rifle would shread it but make a massive mess aswell.

Look at the lawns like the the ones that have runners and mat realy well together i dont know what you have in the US available to you we use chooch grases and they are realy good at holding together and live through harsh summers but anything in your impact area is going to be blasted and need repair work every few years anyway so just make sure you are not going to make a bigger problem by bringing a fast growing weed essentialy onto your property you might be better just doing the small repair work every year or two and having a cleen farm than bringing a pest weed onto it as that is what lawn is and then having to try and contain it or remove it later down the track.

 

[rware91]

Re: Berm Preservation

I agree, I would just bring in the tractor every year or 2 and repair the berm, i think that would be easier than planting any grasses on your berm. good luck

 

[doc76251]

Re: Berm Preservation

I was affiliated w/ a range that tried straw bales (blew holes or hot spots into them) which looked pretty for a while. The best and end result is shredded tires. You can get it with or w/o the steel belts (if cost isn't a factor get it w/o as that shit hurts when it goes in and comes out and stays hurting). Box the berm in w/ 2 X 12's or railroad ties or logs just to hold the shred tires in place. To redo the berm you need a rake. I witnessed the berm take full auto fire and concentrated rifle and pistol fire like only the US military can dish out at the end of the year with nary a dent. What ever you do, DO NOT let them talk you into ground up polyurethane chunks. That sh!t flies EVERYWHERE and will not stay on the berm.

Cheers,

Doc

 

[aggiesig]

Re: Berm Preservation

can you grow cedar or mesquite trees?

I've shot thousands of concentrated rounds into dense cedar thickets in the hill country with little to no impact on natural hillslopes...

20 years from now that might be a little different.

 

[koz]

Re: Berm Preservation

Don't use kudzu, it's the zombie of plants...


There's a house under there.

http://www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/houses.html

 

[TXBRASS]

Re: Berm Preservation


Here is the berm now with the added dirt....about 8' tall now.

Here it was before at about 5' tall:

covered it with rye grass seed for now until spring comes.