Seeding a steep slope

[diydoug]

My project is at a stand still right now. I have to wait for the electric company to finish bringing phone and electric wires to the house before I can get started again. The house will be completely framed by the end of the week. Shingles and windows next week. Things are really starting to look good.

Doug

 

[DMF]

Looks good! I knew from one of the photos that you had to be from VT before I even looked at your location; the view looks like my BIL's who is building a camp in Barton.
Great job!

 

[trlong]

Doug,

Looks GREAT! And an attached 3 bay utility shed for the tractor and implements! But where's the wife going to park her car? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Tom

 

[trlong]

Figured I'd post a quick update picture. Coming up on two weeks since seeding. We had grass coming through the straw mats in 5 days but, it grows slowly this time of year. There is more grass that it looks like. Most of what look like bare areas of staw mat actually have grass under them. It is just taking time for it to come up through enough to show well. Only a couple of thunderstorms. Otherwise, the rains have been kind, often dropping a 1/4" or so at night. Just enough to keep the soil damp in 90 deg. + weather. That brown tarp, at top, is covering the topsoil to re-claim the lawn just below the deck, above this slope. Hopefully that will be leveled and seeded within a week.

DMF, where in Barton, Crystal Lake, Parker Pond,... I spent a lot of time in that area growing up. I was born just over the hill in Albany. Now I'm about an hour from there, looking at the 1st (West) ridge of the Green Mountains.

Tom

 

[AntrimMan]

Looks real good from here.
Grass is a necessary evil, I guess, to keep the soil from eroding. What will you use to mow, a goat? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
My missus uses a 21" Sycamore. You should see the arms on her!
Seriously though, now that you have the grass what new gear must you purchase that your wife will use to cut it?
Martin

 

[trlong]

Martin,

The whole idea of filling in that hole, turning it into a slope, was to use the 60" grooming mower behind the JD 4115, instead of "weed-eating" it several times a summer. It will be some time before the grass is thick and strong enough to run the tractor over it. However, since I was able to drag the chainlink all over it to smooth the topsoil before seeding, it appears I should be able to make it up and down, and some diagonal, once the grass can take it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. 'Til then, I'll have to do any cutting with the self-propelled, walk behind Honda. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The basic plan is to get to the point where there is no more than 10 minutes of "walk-behind" mowing around here and as little weed-eating as possible. I have two other "lawn" areas on the 10+ acres which I am able to mow with the tractor/grooming mower. I really don't care how much "seat-time" mowing there is. It helps to be able to say "Honey, I'd love to help with the dishes but, if I hurry I can get that lawn cut before dark and the rain comes in.... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Tom

 

[diydoug]

Tom,

The grass looks great! Those erosion blankets really do the trick.

You guys are always pretty funny. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You and I both know the tractor ends up in the barn. I think that's ok, because it's a great place to hide out. They can always find you in the garage.

Doug

 

[rambler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Ralph,

I called all over today and no one has any roll out straw or other material mats anywhere in this area, other than Agway. No "Lowes" around here and "Home Depot" doesn't have any. Agway has one roll of 6' X 130' straw roll, and can order more, at $49/ea.. For the 8-10 I'll need, they'd take off 10%. I hate to spend up to $450, just to keep the seed in place until it takes but, I may have to. We had another "gully-washer" today. I didn't lose any trees, or too much fill but, many large trees did come down in a 30 minute heavy thunderstorm. As soon as I get a firm date on delivery of mats, I'll have the rest of the topsoil delivered and maybe finally get this job put to bed 'til the mowing. If I ever get it finished, I'll post some nice "green" pictures (including that green tractor mowing /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif).

Tom
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I;m a simple dirt farmer. Don't know much about landscaping or making a lawn grow. Really enjoying your thread tho.

Anyhow, when we plant alfalfa on our rolling hills, it takes a couple months before the alfalfa really shows up - very slow starting & very fine spindly seed/ young plants.

To keep the fields from washing out, we plant 2 bu per acre of oats with the alfalfa. The oats shows up in a week, and sets up a root network & holds the soil in place. It comes in like a stemy heavy grass, gets 3 feet tall, can be mowed or let to ripen in 100 days or so, and will die out over winter, be out of the way.

Your project is perhaps too steep or too fine a work for such a thing, but $10 of oats (or perhaps a very fast growing annual gras seed with your real seed) would help stablize things until things get established?

--->Paul

 

[trlong]

Just figured I should post an update as to how the slope and grass progressed, over the summer.

I knew July was a bad time to plant but, I had to try to stabilize, as best I could. I could wait 'til next year and post a really pretty picture of a nice full lawn (atleast, I hope it is by then). However, in the interest of do's and don'ts, and "real" results, I thought I should post these.

This is the best perspective of the results. Note that I have been able to run the 5' grooming mower over it, albiet carefully when making the turn at the top, and NO moving along the "fall line". Beats the H@#$ out of running the clearing saw/trimmer several times each year and way easier than moving the current slope by hand (did that the 1st couple times with tender new grass).

'Nough said...here's the good, bad, and ugly.

Tom

P.S. (If interested in what I'm up to at the top, the retaining wall, I am about to post pic's in "Projects" of "Hillside Retaining Wall", or some thread name similar)

 

[trlong]

This is over toward the east, facing up (obviously). Where that nice Ash shades the slope most of the day, the grass feels REALLY soft and full between my bare toes. Guess that's what it's all about, anyway. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

More fertilizer, seed, and finish up the retaining wall so I'm not tearing up the top area and, hopefully, it will all feel great on bare feet by this time next year.

Tom