5 Ways to Reduce Soil Erosion in Landscapes
1. Brace Eroding Soil With Baffles
A landscape baffle is an item that impedes soil erosion. It can be a plastic item for smaller areas or timber for larger areas. You can create a baffle using just about anything you like. Use a trowel to set the item into the ground so it creates a small wall or terrace to help hold the soil in place. You can place baffles around plants or along areas where you want to mulch.2. Hold Soil in Place With Retaining Cloth
Retaining cloth may help fix some landscape issues, like soil erosion. The most important thing is to use a porous cloth so the soil can still breathe and collect moisture. Before you lay the cloth, water the soil and use a landscaping tool to loosen and smooth the dirt. After you lay the soil, stake it in place. If you want to plant trees, shrubs or plants, you can cut holes in the material with scissors.3. Reduce Weeds and Build Up Soil With Mulch
A thick layer of mulch, usually 4 or 5 inches thick, can help create new organic material, which will eventually turn into topsoil. Applying the mulch in such a thick layer will also prevent sunlight from reaching the soil, acting as a natural weed control. For mild slopes, the mulch may be enough to hold the soil in place. On steeper slopes, brace the mulch with baffles.
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4. Build a Retaining Wall
Retaining walls, especially ones that use natural items like stones, can help keep your land where it should be. If you aren't sure how to work the retaining walls into your landscape design, hire a professional landscaping company to help you. The company will create a design that will blend your personal preference with the trouble areas in your yard.If you don't want to build a complete retaining wall, consider using stone riprap. To do this, find large rocks or boulders and bury them halfway into the ground. Create a line that runs perpendicular to the slope. Fill in any gaps between the larger rocks with smaller stones. Plants will be able to extend their roots beneath the rocks, but the ledge will help slow down water runoff, reducing erosion.
5. Use Erosion-Control Plants to Solve Landscaping Problems
- Japanese Spurge: These perennials grow 8 to 10 inches tall and thrive in moist soil. They prefer partial shade to full sun, but they will grow vigorously and create a maintenance-free ground cover that will look beautiful in your yard.
- Rockspray Cotoneaster: The low-growing shrub can add height to your landscape design while helping to keep the soil in place. The plant features red berries in the summer and scarlet foliage in the fall.
- Virginia Creeper: This ornamental plant can cover the ground in a lace-like ivy. While the red berries can create a nice contrast to the green foliage, the berries are toxic to humans. If young children will play in your yard, choose a safe alternative like the Alpine strawberries.
When you take the time to correct a landscaping problem, your hard work lasts longer. Improving the soil condition can help plants, trees and shrubs get the right amount of water and nutrients, which is important if you purchased new plants for the area. For more landscaping ideas, check out our DIY blog.