IDEAS ON HOLDING DIRT ON A SLOPE?

[workinallthetime]

any of my fella tbn guys have a good idea for holding dirt on a slope, i cant use grass because i drive through the area w/ loads all the time. the soil is mostly glay and sandstone and i was thinking of making some sort of boxes to devide the area and reatain the surface. I watched a contractor build a modern gravel driveway and they used some sort of underlayment to reatin the agrigate. I do not want to use gravel because it will be unsightly in this area and during the rains most likely would end up in my yard and drains.

 

[RonMar]

Grass is pretty resilient. Unless it is really wet and you tear up the surface, the grass should take the abuse of an occasional rollover. I have grass on most all of my land and slopes, and it does just fine with my tractor travel.

 

[workinallthetime]

Grass is pretty resilient. Unless it is really wet and you tear up the surface, the grass should take the abuse of an occasional rollover. I have grass on most all of my land and slopes, and it does just fine with my tractor travel.

to much shade, have to use fescue and it wont take the r4's at all, hardly takes turf. This is a deep shade area, i will try and take some pics

 

[dtd24]

Jute Mesh Erosion Control Mat

Stuff is expensive, but it works. They use it alot on sides on road. Allows grass to grown in healthy below and through matting atabilizing ground!!!

Jute mesh!!

 

[SPIKER]

I have 2 slopes that are like you'rs ( one on each side of the creek where I craoss the bridge. ~40' long with a 15%~29% fall) One side has an intermittent spring where the tractor travels, (often wet even when every thing else is bone dry but on the less sloped side.) I've scooped several dozen FEL loads of creek wash and placed it onto this spot and keep tossing full shade grass seed into it. it grows enough to stabilize the rock but makes the slope slightly slippery due to being wet all the time. the other side of the creek is mostly dry and more shade with higher grade need 4x4 engaged to keep from spinning wheels going up on the tractor with r1 tires. Now it also is grass and has a dirt bike path that crosses the tractor path midway up the hill . this has caused the only real problem there as the bikes tear up the grass much more than the tractor R1s. Once the dirt has gotten exposed getting it to re-grow has been more of a problem.

One thing that I have seen done is to use old FENCE (chain link) and stake it into place on slopes adding gravel/stone on top for added traction. the fence will hold up longer than most people think as long as there is enough rock to keep the fence from being fully exposed. and also the rock helps keep the fence drained of standing water so rust is less likely also area/geographical dependent. Ohio is a RUST BELT I didn't notice where you are at. Planting GRASS if it is right type it will grow... There are grass & Woven Matts that can be bought as a 1 piece material. used a lot in roadways high washout areas and areas under construction where fast water control is needed...


Mark M

 

[Airic]

There is also Geo Grid. I've seen it used on many project. Once the grass is established you can even see it. They use it alot for fire truck entrances to the back of buildings.


Blank

 

[slowzuki]

We sometimes use a fertilizer spreader to spread cement powder over an area. It will tighten a surface for a bit but it isn't permanent. Reduces erosion tracks through a loose surface.

 

[atgreene]

Geo grid is ok, but expensive. I've used it before and it worked ok. On a slope it may not work too well as spinning tires will strip the grass out of the cells.

Jute mat is tender, it needs lots of grass in it to keep it from moving when wheeled equipment rolls across it, especially on a slope. The plastic netting in it will catch on atv tires and get picked up, as well.

Personally, around here we use erosion control mulch. It's ground stumps and will hold amazingly well. I use it by the truckload instead of silt fence. Not sure if you can get it our that way, but if you can try a little.

 

[RalphVa]

I keep putting down various rocks on my path through the trees. A lot of it keeps washing away.

On the slope from the front of the carriage house down to its drive-out basement, I've put down that weed preventer cloth (forgotten the name for it; it's a gray-black tight mesh). Staked it down with ground stakes (like big wire staples, similar to if you cut a wire clothes hanger and make a "U"). Really lousy clay soil there that wouldn't maintain grass even though it gets sun.

On my sunny back slope parallel to the path through the trees, I've good fescue grass there. It's holding up pretty well.

Ralph