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Erosion can be severe on a hillside, but proper planting can help stabilize it. There are five steps to keep in mind if you want to use plants to prevent erosion on a slope in your yard.
1. Soil Assessment
Begin by assessing the soil on the hillside. If erosion has been an ongoing issue, the soil is likely to be thin and rocky. This makes it difficult to support plant growth on the hill. If the goal is to use plants to eventually eliminate erosion, this thin soil must be built up with fresh topsoil and compost and until it is several inches deep. If the soil structure is still good on the hill, though, you must only protect it until plant roots can anchor the soil in place.
2. Blanket Anchoring
Erosion control blankets will help keep the soil, whether it's the natural soil or freshly laid topsoil, in place until plants root. Some blankets are densely woven and embedded with grass or other groundcover seeds. As the blanket decomposes, the seeds inside germinate and root in the hillside. Others are thin nets that are designed to stop soil loss but are open enough so that you plant seeds or small plants through the blanket.
3. Water Diversion
Water flows down the hillside will be the biggest erosion issue in the early days after planting. Fast-moving water can carry off topsoil, seeds, and even smaller seedlings. Use a few straw bags to help divert the water flow and slow it. These straw-filled tubes decompose over time, so they will be gone by the time the plants have fully established. In the meantime, they will help prevent rapid erosion from damaging your early repair attempts.
4. Groundcover Options
Choose a groundcover that is suited to the climate and exposure. Avoid sun-loving lawn grasses if the hillside is usually in deep shade, for example, and instead go for a more shade-tolerant plant like a bugleweed. For a hill that tends to dry out and drain quickly, opt for a creeping thyme that can tolerate drier conditions.
5. Deep Root Anchors
Groundcovers can do a lot to stop erosion once established, but a few plants with deeper roots are needed to fully stabilize the hillside. Shrubs are ideal as they have deep roots but they aren't as heavy as trees and so won't cause the hillside to collapse. Many conifer shrubs, like juniper, have deeper roots systems that work well for stabilizing hillsides.
Contact a service that provides hillside erosion control if you need more help.
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