How to Plant a Vetiver Hedge to Stop Erosion: A Step-by-Step Guide
A vetiver hedge planted along the contour slows runoff, holds soil in place, and stabilizes slopes. Here is how to plant one, step by step.
Active on multiple continents · Since 2019
Vetiver holds ground when nothing else does.
VSF helps communities and local partners use vetiver to protect soil, water, and fragile land — across Africa, Latin America, and beyond.
Learn what vetiver is ↓What is vetiver?
A deep-rooted grass for soil and water protection.
Vetiver is a practical grass used around the world to slow runoff, hold soil in place, and make fragile ground easier to manage. Its roots reach 3–5 metres deep — that depth is what holds a hillside through heavy rain.
Learn about vetiver
01
Plant in rows
Vetiver is planted in contour hedgerows across slopes, following the land's natural grade.
02
Roots anchor the soil
Within two seasons, roots reach 3–5 m deep, locking soil in place against heavy rain and runoff.
03
Water slows and infiltrates
Hedgerows act as natural silt traps, slowing runoff and pushing water into the ground instead of off it.
04
Land stabilises
Fields, roads, and slopes become more productive and resilient with minimal ongoing maintenance.
Finca Sin Fronteras · Costa Rica
The same site, before and after.
Drag the handle to compare the hillside before vetiver planting and after establishment.
Same hillside, Finca Sin Fronteras, Costa Rica.
How vetiver helps
Reported outcomes from real field conditions.
Every figure is flagged as reported, cited, or a planning reference. These are working benchmarks — results vary by site and management.
Reported
90%
Soil-loss reduction
From vetiver hedgerows on vulnerable slopes. Observed across multiple field sites; results vary by site and management.
Reported
3–5m
Root depth
Typical across field conditions in multiple countries — what holds soil in place through heavy rain.
Planning ref
30+
Countries
Where vetiver is cited in national and regional land and water planning references.
Concrete amounts. Concrete results.
Here is what specific contribution levels make possible on a real site.
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Field projects on multiple continents.
VSF in RDC
Active nursery network · 4 regions
Finca Sin Fronteras
Costa Rica
VSF in Colombia
San Rafael · planted April 2026
Field training
Multiple sites
Drone monitoring
Ongoing surveys
Stories from the sites where vetiver is working.
From Fire to Future: Understanding and Breaking the Cycle of Slash-and-Burn Agriculture
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Bamboo and Vetiver: The Resilience Revolution
A field example of how bamboo and vetiver worked together at Yantze Farm.
Before vetiver, every rainy season meant losing ground. Now the slope holds, and we can actually plant on it.
Field observation · Kasangulu, Congo Basin