Combating Soil Erosion in the Garden

By J. A. Young

While slopes, hills and valleys provide wonderful visual interest for landscapes, they can be difficult areas to garden. Often, heavy rains wash soil nutrients away - even the topsoil - making growing anything but the hardiest plants extremely difficult. The following article offers simple methods to combat the erosion problem in various settings.

Erosion is not only a problem for landscapes with steep slopes. All lots have some slope to prevent water from seeping in the house's basement and even these minor slopes can face erosion issues. For areas where erosion is only a slight problem, there are relatively easy ways to fix the problem. Baffles may be a piece of landscape timber or plastic edgings. These are laid down in a shallow rut or ditch to prevent your soil from heading southward. Baffles should be installed before planting.

Retaining cloth may be used if the erosion on these slight slopes is more severe. Usually found in burlap, this cloth is only to be used on slight hills because it will prevent rainwater from penetrating into the soil. In fact, before a retaining cloth is installed, be sure to give the ground beneath a heavy soaking with the garden hose. Other solutions include placing mulch or stone riprap. Mulch, which soaks up rainwater, can be used alone on a slight slope, but stone riprap is an excellent soil preserver that also works well on steep slopes. Stone riprap works like a small retaining wall and will certainly prevent soil erosion on slight hills and slopes.

When slopes become slightly steeper, you may need to step up your plans to keep soil in its place. Building contours and bevels are excellent solutions for tougher erosion areas. Contours are excellent for climates with heavy rain because they intercept the flow of rainfall and steer it to any area the gardener or landscaper directs it. Flexible plastic drainpipe is most often used for this purpose and may be found at your local home improvement center. Of course, you do not want your pipeline to fill up with silt and debris, so this must be laid at a sloping angle in order for such materials to be flushed downward.

Bevels require some basic carpentry skill if you plan to install them yourself. Bevels are essentially boxes without a bottom that are installed horizontally down your slope and filled with soil. These are excellent for annuals with shallow roots and will transform your plain slope into a showy garden of blooms if you so choose. Since roots will be above the ground level, be sure to use plants with shallow root systems.

Finally, erosion on a steep slope may be conquered with retaining walls, terraces or ground cover that thrives in poor soil conditions. Generally, for most slopes a retaining wall that is three feet high will be adequate and attractive. Several such walls built downward along the slope constitutes a terracing effect which is both attractive to behold and convenient to garden. Terraces, more than any other method, reshape your difficult slope into what may be the focal point of the landscape. Terraces may be constructed with stone or even railroad ties.

There are plants that may thrive even under the difficult conditions a slope sets up for plant growth. Grass may grow fine, but mowing becomes the difficult issue. There are several types of ground cover that need very little maintenance, but will grow well on the slope and help keep erosion at bay. Check online or at your local garden center for ground covers that do well in your climate. Even many climbing plants or vines like English ivy may do well in a slope situation.

Of course, if none of these methods seems appealing to you, consider building a structure on or near your slope. Structures that are often built on slopes include fences, gazebos, decks and porches. Adding steps to a slope also makes for a practical landscape feature. Or, if your tastes lean to water, consider installing a rock-based waterfall that enters a small garden pond. A slope is the ideal place for installing such a feature and it will doubtless become the grandest sight of the garden.

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