Gettin' top soil to stick to a slope???

Anonymous Poster · Sep 15, 2002

Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

HI,

I have made a taper on the high side of my pond, and actually on the low side as well.

Especially on the high side I would like to get some grass growing. The soil is clay/sandstone/shale or something like that.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=projects&Number=185380&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&fpart=>Some pictures here</A>

This link is a thread related to my pond...Hope it works, first time I have tried including a link in a post!

Anyway, I was wondering what the best way is to get some top soil to stick to the slope, which is about 45 degrees at the steepest point, I think.

Just dump it on the slope, and cover it with straw?

Or try to dig some little horizontal grooves to hold the soil better? It is difficult to get the loader bucket straight into the slope, but iit is possible to do it, with little room to work behind the tractor.

Or???

I don't have a lot of top soil to spread around...so I can't dump enough on the slope to have it become a thick, self-supporting layer.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. By the way, the geese like weeds so I am not trying for pure grass anywhere, just green ground cover really... /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bill in Pgh, PA...

Dozernut · Sep 15, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

Heres something that might save you some work. I use it around new ponds that have clay soil around them and are too large to truck topsoil in. I go to the local grain mill and buy wheat in 50 lb. bags. Scratch up the soil a little, then simply broadcast the wheat. If you water it. you will have a stand of wheat in 4-5 days. Once the wheat is up you can throw grass seed in amongst the wheat. When you mow the wheat down it will provide mulch and cover for moisture retention for your new grass. In my area depending on the market, you can buy a 50 lb. bag of wheat for 4-5 dollars.

Anonymous Poster · Sep 15, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

Dozernut,

Thanks for a great idea. Would have never thought of that myself.

I'll have to try that for sure.

Bill

Darren · Sep 15, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

If you don't want geese don't mow the grass/weeds.

cstocks · Sep 15, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

Dozernut,

Will wheat take root into clay on a steep slope? Would rye grass work as well?

Dozernut · Sep 15, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

Wheat will take root on a clay slope if you water it and get it started before a heavy rain washes it off the slope. I think wheat would sprout on concrete if watered. Buckwheat works very well in poor soil, if you can find it. I don't have enough experience with rye to give you an honest answer. My thoughts are that rye would work. The key to getting green on your bare areas is watering. I use a Honda pump with sprinklers, which works well in remote areas with no electricity.

Soundguy · Sep 16, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

Rye is a good ground maintenace cover for the colder areas, and brown top millet is good for summer / warmer areas.

Both sprout fast, and will grow just about in any soil from sand on up.

Terracing with some inexpensive landscape timbers will also help with erosion controll ( if that is his idea ).

Soundguy

cj7 · Sep 17, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

Maybe sometiype of ground cover. You would not have to mow the bank then...

rmorgan · Sep 17, 2002

Re: Gettin\' top soil to stick to a slope???

Bill--

Grass and other green stuff will grow fine in clay--in fact, once started, better than loam because the clay holds moisture. I don't think you'll ever get topsoil to hold on a hill unless you just top-dress over and over after you've got stuff growing--it'll just wash off into the pond--but since all you want is grass and other green stuff, why bother?