Vetiver
Maintenance in Sandton

Vetiver Trading 142 cc is a specialized service provider in the Horticulture and Landscaping industry with our main focus being the design and implementation of gardens both residential and commercial.

At the farm we grow the miracle grass known as Vetiver. Dr Sue Hart was one of the pioneers, who was instrumental in bringing the grass to South Africa and promoting its benefits and use through the work that Ecolink did in community projects. Unlike most grasses which form spreading mat like root systems, Vetivers’ strong, fibrous, binding roots go down between four and six meters. The plant can be grown over a very wide range of climatic and soil conditions, and if planted correctly can be used virtually anywhere under tropical, semi-tropical, and Mediterranean climates. It has characteristics that are totally unique to a single species. The measured maximum resistance of Vetiver roots in the soils is equivalent to one-sixth that of mild steel (75MPa) and improves shear soil strength by as much as 39%. Closely planted Vetiver grows into dense hedgerows with a deep tough root system that can withstand flooding. Including r ehabilitation and stablisation of mining areas and landfills. The Vetiver System (VS) is a system of soil and water conservation whose main component is the use of the vetiver plant in hedgerows. The Vetiver System is used in more than 100 countries for soil and water conservation, infrastructure stabilization, pollution control, waste water treatment, mitigation and rehabilitation, sediment control, prevention of storm damage, and many other environmental protection applications (through bioengineering and phytoremediation). The vetiver plant, Chrysopogon zizanioides, is the main component to all Vetiver System bioengineering and conservation applications. It can be used in the tropics and semi-tropics, and areas that have a Mediterranean climate where there are hot summers, and winters are temperate. When Vetiver is planted as a hedgerow across a slope, it forms a very dense vegetative barrier that slows down and spreads rainfall runoff. Combined with a deep and strong root system, a wide range of pH tolerance from about pH 3 to pH 11, a high tolerance to most heavy metals, an ability to remove from soil and water large quantities of excess nitrates, phosphates and farm chemicals, the vetiver plant can be used for soil and water conservation, engineered construction site stabilization, pollution control (constructed wetlands), and other uses where soil and water come together. The variety of Vetiver that is promoted for VS applications originates in south India, is non-fertile, non-invasive, and has to be propagated by clump subdivision. It also has stiff and erect stems, which can stand up to relatively deep water flow. New shoots will develop from the underground crown, making Vetiver resistant to fire, frosts, traffic and heavy grazing pressure. A hedgerow will stay where it is planted and the sediment that is spread out behind the hedgerow gradually accumulates to form a long-lasting terrace. It is a low-cost, labor-intensive technology claimed to have a very high benefit/cost ratio. When used for civil works protection, its cost is claimed to be about 1/20 of traditional engineered systems and designs. In some countries Vetiver has even been used to define property lines. As a soil conservation technique and, more recently, a bioengineering tool, the effective application of the Vetiver System in large-scale projects that involve significant engineering design and construction requires an understanding of biology, soil science, hydraulics, hydrology, and geotechnical principles. The Vetiver Network International (TVNI) is an international NGO, with members in over 100 countries promoting the Vetiver System (VS)for a sustainable environment particularly in relation to land and water. Its active members include people working in government, research institutions, international development agencies, NGOs and the private sector and farming communities.