For the purpose of this blog, I have copied and pasted Stefan's words, written by the man himself that embarked on this project that also includes planting Willow rods, which love water. The photography is by Stefan's son, Thom Cartwright.
"In Spring 2022 we implemented a wetland system to process grey and black water from our family smallholding in Wales. The system comprised four 10 x 2.5 metre swales (shallow pools with banks in between) and located perpendicular to a gentle slope. Filtration and cleaning plants were planted in the soil below water and on the edges.
We covered the top of each bank with lengths of Heavy Duty Corn Starch supplied by Mulch Organic. The material, which came on a roll, is easy to use and we used stainless steel pegs and small rocks to hold it down. This was then covered with a layer of wood chip to blend in to the surroundings.
Small holes were uniformly made in the material and basketry willow rods were planted through to create tight rows along each bank. Willow loves water and the roots soak up nutrients in the waste water as it percolates through the soil. The willow is coppiced annually for basket making.
April 2024 update. The results are very positive so far. The fabric is still in place and continues to provide a plastic free weed suppression" - Stefan Cartwright
Raking Woodchip onto banks
Rolling out the fabric
Overlapping the fabric
Once fabric is overlapped, using stainless steel pegs
Completed Banks
Planting basketry willow in lines
A Willow rod poking through the fabric
Finished Plantation!
January The Following Year...
Photography by Thom Cartwright.