Rain can be your lawns friend or enemy, A few rain storms can result in washing away soil in vulnerable areas in your landscape. This is what’s known as erosion. And it can wreak havoc on your yard, exposing tree roots, washing away plant beds, altering grading or drainage, and even damaging your home’s foundation.
If you see some bare spots or have a hard time growing anything in certain areas of your landscape, it’s likely a result of erosion. Once water washes away the plant material that kept the soil in place, nothing is there to stop that erosion from continuing its forceful impact on your property. It can cause gullies and even create runoff that flows from your property into local waterways.
Erosion Control Options:
Turf Establishment Often the simplest and most effective way to control minor erosion problems is to establish and maintain a thick and healthy turf. This process can include grading an area to reduce the degree of a slope, seeding to develop new grass growth, and fertilizing to promote the growth of existing turf.
Retaining Wall Construction Retaining walls can be used as an effective erosion control solution as they will hold back soil that is eroding away. When creating a retaining wall for erosion control purposes, it is important to properly design and install the wall so that it does not cause further drainage problems and so that it is able to effectively control the soil and water.
Drainage System For areas where poor drainage is causing erosion problems, the first erosion control step should be to create a drainage system that properly collects water and directs it to the appropriate location. This may include the use of down spout drainage systems, French drains, or catch basins. By controlling and eliminating excessive water runoff and controlling hillside water flow, you can often successfully eliminate and control many erosion problems.
Special Erosion Control Products For serious erosion control problems that cannot be addressed with simpler solutions, there are a variety of special erosion control products that can be used to prevent soil erosion and control rainwater runoff. The types of erosion control products that we can utilize to address your erosion control problems include silt fences, straw mats, gabions, erosion blankets, rip rap rocks, and ADS pipe products.
Don’t Forget About Basics Like Mulch and Irrigation For a slope that is not too severe, mulch can help keep soil in place. Laying three inches of shredded bark mulch can provide a decorative landscape element, as well as practical function when it comes to how to prevent soil erosion. A properly designed and installed irrigation system that matches your landscape’s needs can also ensure you’re not adding additional and unnecessary water flow to an already soggy space.
Slow Down the Water Water that moves on your property should do so slowly, so the earth has a chance to absorb it. Proper grading can help stabilize water movement in your yard. For bigger water issues that require redirecting water away from your home, other strategies may be necessary. A french drain that includes catch basins, for instance, can guide water to where you want it to go, stopping erosion in its tracks.
J. M Mathieu Hydroseeding
is a Lunenburg, MA based company. We specialize in residential lawn care services. These services range from hydro seeding, soil preparation, land excavation and erosion control.