We provide

Vetiver-based solutions

 

to Hawaii’s slope stabilization and erosion problems

Motivated by the success of Vetiver in addressing serious environmental issues in more than 100 countries, we're pleased to offer this remarkable plant to Hawaii.  VSH is committed to protecting and preserving our precious island resources--land and water.

Chrysopogon zizanioides

 

commonly known as vetiver is a perennial grass of the Poaceae family, native to India. In western and northern India, it is popularly known as khus. Vetiver can grow up to 1.5 metres high and form clumps as wide

 

 

We

grow and install Hawaii Sunshine Vetiver, and consult with the local landscape, construction, government, and consumer markets.  We happily introduce Vetiver applications to civil engineers, landscape architects, homeowners, landlords, developers, municipalities, community groups, students, and other interested people.

 

is your backyard threatening your back room?  Is your front yard washing into the street?  Let us help!

We'll provide a candid assessment.  If Vetiver's the solution, you'll receive a prompt quote that includes the cost to clear your site, install Vetiver slips, place the irrigation lines, and maintain your   planting during its four-month establishment period.

 

Vetiver Systems Hawaii also ships bare-rooted slips and tissue culture outside Hawaii.  For a quote, contact:

 

       VETIVERSOURCE.COM

grows quick

VETIVER

Vetiver Systems Hawaii is a proud member of The Vetiver Network (International) (TVNI).  In 2008, TVNI awarded us a Class 2 Certification for "Vetiver propagation and nursery management, soil conservation,  and Vetiver information dissemination."  In January 2010, TVNI elected   Owner Mary A. Wilkowski to become an Associate Director, an honor and responsibility she was humbled to accept.

VETIVER

roots deep

Vetiver is a non-invasive (infertile!), deep-rooted, long-leaf clump grass

 

Vetiver has been used in tropical climates to stabilize hillsides, stop erosion and define property boundaries for more than a century.  Left naturally, its stiff, tightly-grouped leaves can reach heights of six to eight feet, although they can be trimmed easily with a hedge trimmer.  It’s the invisible length of Vetiver, though, that tenaciously enmeshes the soil.   Growing straight down 9-12 feet, Vetiver’s dense, fibrous roots lock into the earth.

VETIVER

 

saves land

Vetiver's hardy

 

It grows on dry and swampy land, in fertile and poor soils, in soils that are highly acidic or alkaline, and in coastal areas.  Vetiver flourishes in temperatures up to 122ºF, and in areas with annual rainfall between 11 and 236 inches. It’s unaffected by pests or diseases.

 

Vetiver loves Hawaii.  It’s not picky about the type of soil, and it grows quickly in our warm, humid weather.  It tolerates—and remediates--soils contaminated by herbicides, pesticides, and heavy metals, including chlordane, heptachlor, arsenic, lead and TNT.  Vetiver’s gluttony for environmental punishment is unmatched by any other grass.

Hawaii Sunshine Vetiver

 

is plant material that has completed Hawaii’s mandatory quarantine.  Understandably concerned about the incursion  of invasive grasses into Hawaii, both the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (DOA) maintain import restrictions on ALL grasses seeking to enter Hawaii.

 

The USDA bans the import of ANY grass from outside the country.  In addition to the USDA’s complete ban on foreign grasses, the DOA prohibits the release into Hawaii of any grass from the mainland until it satisfactorily completes a one-year quarantine.  Confiscation occurs upon arrival.

 

Vetiver propagated and sold by Vetiver Systems Hawaii proudly bears the Hawaii Sunshine Vetiver trademark.

 

VETIVER

grows anywhere

Vetiver IS NOT a weed

 

Hawaii Sunshine Vetiver  is sterile

We propagate only Hawaii Sunshine Vetiver, which is non-invasive, and does not compete with native plants.

 

Vetiver doesn't creep or send out rhizomes. Since its roots grow vertically, not laterally, it doesn't wander into other areas.  However, Vetiver's sterility also means that each slip must be planted individually.  It's labor intensive.

 

Both the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) and Hawaiian Ecosystems At Risk (HEAR) have evaluated Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) and assigned Vetiver their absolute LOWEST rating for invasiveness.  Within a scale from-8 (least invasive) to 20 (most invasive), Vetiver’s PIER/HEAR rating is -8.

 

Although Vetiver is an introduced plant, it's not invasive.  On the other hand, many indigenous grasses and sedges are invasive, some highly so. Vetiver's highly favorable PIER/HEAR rating leaves in the dust some native plants commonly used for soil conservation and bank stabilization, for example:

   18

   12

     5

   15

   18

   17

   18

   18

   11

*- 8*

 

                                 Plant

 

Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum)

Bamboo (Giant Reed)

Bermuda grass (Bynodon dactylum)

Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus)

Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum)

Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandastinum)

Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana)

Switch grass (Panicucum virgatum)

Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides)

PIER/HEAR Rating

VETIVER

stops erosion

Vetiver is a proven solution to compromised slopes and erosion

 

Installed in horizontal rows on the slope contour, Vetiver is a strong, effective, natural barrier.  Its stiff, densely-grouped leaves slow the speed of water and trap soil, sediment, and debris that would otherwise slide off the slope.  Its dense, fibrous roots anchor the soil, hold in moisture, and conserve topsoil and plant nutrients that otherwise would be swept away.  Used worldwide to prevent landslides and erosion, Vetiver retaining walls are effective, economical, and environmentally appealing

 

 

Vetiver is STRONG!

 

The term "roots like steel" certainly applies to Vetiver!  The average tensile strength of one root in Vetiver’s massive root system equals   one-sixth mild steel reinforcement (mPA 750), the same strength as    Lexan, GE's tough plastic.

 

Vetiver roots improve the shear strength of soil by 30 to 40%, earning Vetiver its reputation as “the green nail.”   (Actually, the security of Vetiver more closely resembles that of a screw but, with a nod toward social propriety, let's just call it a nail.)

 

Conventional engineering uses rigid construction, including rock and reinforced concrete structures, sprayed-on concrete, gabions, steel gates, chain link, and fences. Fixed structures are brittle, expensive to install, and require costly repairs and maintenance.  Often they're ineffective and unsustainable, not to mention unsightly.

 

Permanent vegetative barriers like Vetiver, on the other hand, provide   an attractive, effective, and affordable alternative.  Planted in rows on  the contour, Vetiver’s dense hedge and mass of fibrous roots create  walls that halt the passage of topsoil and debris, and dramatically slow waterflow.  By anchoring the soil and slowing rainwater velocity, Vetiver reduces rilling and gullying, prevents landslides, stabilizes steep slopes, and halts erosion.

 

Permanent vegetative barriers like Vetiver, on the other hand, provide   an attractive, effective, and affordable alternative.  Planted in rows on  the contour, Vetiver’s dense hedge and mass of fibrous roots create  walls that halt the passage of topsoil and debris, and dramatically slow waterflow.  By anchoring the soil and slowing rainwater velocity, Vetiver reduces rilling and gullying, prevents landslides, stabilizes steep slopes, and halts erosion.

 

Vetiver COSTS LESS than the rest

 

Vetiver's not only a green solution, it saves  gr$$n, too!  Vetiver retaining walls offer aesthetic and environmental advantages at a fraction of the cost of fixed structures.

 

Vetiver is half the price of a wood fence

 

Vetiver's not only a green solution, it saves  gr$$n, too!  Vetiver retaining walls offer aesthetic and environmental advantages at a fraction of the cost of fixed structures.

 

The total cost to install Vetiver retaining walls depends upon the slope, but it always comes in well below the cost of alternatives!!

 

+  These prices don't include the cost of obtaining Honolulu building permits for structures taller than 30", architect or engineer stamps, and other associated expenses, including the delays inherent in the permitting system.  Oh, and don't forget to tack on a  premium for a contractor to excavate and install DEEP footings...

 

In most cases, Vetiver is the superior organic alternative.  Mature Vetiver hedges keep out weeds and undesirable grasses, and retain moisture and nutrients.  They survive earthquakes, monsoons, hurricanes, grazing, extreme heat, drought, and extended submergence.  Vetiver grows year-round, harbors no pests or diseases, and does not migrate.

 

Vetiver has MANY other uses

 

Unlike other vegetative barriers, Vetiver is not fussy about its host site.  It will politely do its job, growing in saline and sodic conditions, and even in acid sulphate or pure laterite soils.  Since it even survives fire (generating new shoots in its line within days following fire), Vetiver is an effective firebreak in its green state.

 

Vetiver resists drought, submergence, fire, windstorms, and grazing. It thrives in sunny, damp conditions. It improves the quality of soil by retaining moisture, halting and replenishing nutrient loss, and improving ground water quality.  Vetiver rows are narrow (2’ wide) and do not compete with adjacent crops.

 

Call or email us for a consulation

808-536-5444

 

 

 

VETIVER

doesn't grow wild

Installing vetiver

 

the site will dictate the way Vetiver is planted, to stabilize slopes, Vetiver is most commonly installed in multiple horizontal rows   on the contour (width) of the slope.

 

Properly installed, and depending on soil, sun and water conditions, Vetiver flourishes and requires minimal maintenance. Within weeks, it forms dense walls that filter and slow the velocity of rushing water and trap topsoil and silt that otherwise would slide or be swept away as runoff. Sediment captured at the face of the hedge ultimately forms natural terraces, transforming otherwise unproductive land into a rich, fertile resource.

For the first four months or so following planting, Vetiver requires daily water and periodic weeding.  Once established, Vetiver resists drought  up to six months.

the site will dictate the way Vetiver is planted, to stabilize slopes, Vetiver is most commonly installed in multiple horizontal rows   on the contour (width) of the slope.

4 months of growth

we install  vetiver

 

We cultivate Hawaii Sunshine Vetiver in our local nurseries and install it throughout Hawaii. The price of installation depends upon the application.  Contact us at 808-536-5444 for a site visit and quote.

 

we SHIP  vetiver

 

Following Hawaii State Department of Agriculture regulations, we'll ship clean Vetiver to you, wherever you are, on your schedule!  Few of us can install a single shipment of 10,000 plants at one time, so we'll make sure that you get healthy, rooted slips when you need them.  We recommend that mainland or inter-national buyers confirm import requirements with their agriculture departments to avoid surprises.

 

CALL US FOR PRICES

808-536-5444

 

 

O, and these guys hate it!

O, and these guys hate it!

but THESE guys

LOVE IT

thank you for visiting our site/show

 

We hope that you have learned a little bit about this wonder plant. Don't forget to give us a call if your interested in knowing more

a

4TL

o Design.

Call or email us for a consulation

808-536-5444

vetiversystems@gmail.com

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