Seeding a steep slope

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Doug,

Thanks. That grass and slope looks great. I'd be in heaven if by August my grass looks that good!

Here's nearly done smoothing out new topsoil yesterday.

 

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Another view of the smoothing process. BTW, that's just a 6' x 8' piece of chainlink fence ($2 at junk yard) with a 2' chain threaded along the far end, pulled forward to attach to another one threaded through the near edge and then wrapped on my "I-Match" so I could raise and lower it a bit.

 

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And then the RAINS CAME /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. Saw it rolling in so my wife and I pulled out every tarp we had and protected the steepest area. Fortunately, it didn't last long and we lost no soil. However, it did put off the seeding and straw rolls 'til today. Good weather forecast so, I'd better get to it. Cheers!

 

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Now we're done!!!!!! Just a few more pic's of the seeding and straw rolls.

This is my daughter joining in with the broadcast seed spreader.

 

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The straw rolls took longer than I had anticipated. However, they are worth the work as I could walk up and down them to set the sprinkler (even after soaking the mat and soil) without disturbing the seed or sliding down the bank in mud.

 

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Last one. All those pink spots are survey tape so we can pull up all 240 "staples" when the grass has established itself and no longer needs the mat to hold the soil from eroding.

Thanks to all who made suggestions and took and interest. Now, hopefully, I'm going to sit back and watch the grass grow...at least until I get to the re-grading, raking, topsoil and seed for the lawn between the deck and this hillside.

Tom

 

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BTW, the "Staw Rolls" are double sided mesh with interwoven straw...all supposedly bio-degradable with-in 12 months. Their instruction sheet lists "http://www.erosioncontrol.com" as their website, but all I find there are magazines for contractors. In any event, so far they seem to work great. T-Storms in the next few days will tell the tale.

 

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Just one more note until grass fills in and I'll post that last pic.

We had torrential thunder-bumpers last night. The slight ditching/daming I did above the slope helped. However, I do now believe that the straw rolls/mats were worth every penny. Not one bit of erosion, anywhere on the bank. $360 for the 8 rolls I used (8' x 135') but saved all the topsoil and seed. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[diydoug]

Looks Great!!!! I am sure all that hard work will pay off. Can't wait to see all the new green grass.

There have been trusses sitting on the rest of my slope and a culvert and new electric transformer will be installed soon. Once that is all done I am going back to work. At least this time I have a tractor and power rake. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Doug

 

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Doug,

Thanks. Hope to see some pic.'s as you progress, too. Just don't admit to your wife how much fun you're having with the tractor, doing all the hard work /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif !

Tom