The main component to any streambank restoration project is the plant material used to maintain the integrity of the soil. The EC blankets and logs are simply temporary media for soil stabilization used as insurance that the plants will one day thrive and grow along your restored streambank. Native wildflowers, wetland plants, streamside shrubs and trees are all used in different varieties to increase habitat available to birds, fish and other wildlife. Proper planting technique needs to be followed for these small plants to perform a big job.
To properly install the plants into the EC blanket, cut an ‘X’ into the EC blanket and dig a hole big enough to hold whatever size plant you are planting. Remove the plant from its container and use a hand shovel (or trowel) to score the sides of the plant’s root mass. This is to force the roots to grow outward and not to retain the shape of the container in which it was grown. The fours triangles of the ‘X’ are tucked into this hole, the vegetation is planted, and the soil replaced.
