Learning how to stop erosion in your yard could save you a considerable amount of money in the course of several years. You might not realize this at first, but your yard loses around1% of topsoil in a year.
Depending upon the size of your yard, that could be a considerable amount. The worst thing is that this loss can be completely avoided.
Erosion occurs due to a variety of different reasons ranging from poor land management practices to a higher amount of tillage, which are just a couple of reasons.
On top of that, climate change is also a major problem that contributes heavily to soil run-off and erosion. According to one study, almost 500 million tons of soil is eroded on an annual basis.
You might experience the effects of soil erosion with the passage of time as bald patches start to appear all over their lawn.
More importantly, as the quality of the soil decreases considerably, the plants are likely to be more susceptible to pests. Clogged pools are also likely to appear all over the lawn as well.
However, these are just small problems faced by homeowners. This doesn’t even scratch the surface for agricultural workers. The source of all of these problems is soil erosion.
Erosion is causing gradual, global problems and understanding how to prevent soil erosion and runoff is of critical importance for homeowners.
There are a number of different steps that you can take in order to stop erosion in your yard. It’s recommended that you follow the steps given below in order to prevent erosion and make sure that your soil remains intact for a longer period of time.
1 – Covering the Soil
Arguably the best and the most commonly used method for preventing soil erosion is to cover the soil properly.
When the soil is left bare, it is much more susceptible to erosion caused by wind or rain. In order to protect the soil in the right way, you have to make sure that it remains covered throughout the year.
There are plenty of soil-covering materials that you can choose from. Another advantage that you get for choosing soil-covering materials is that they prevent weed growth.
Because weed needs a considerable amount of moisture and light in order to grow, you are effectively limiting its growth by covering the soil properly.
There are two popular materials that you can use in order to cover the soil: bark and cocoa shells. Cocoa shells are an excellent cover that will easily repel snails. They are generally hard materials and are quite environmentally friendly.
One of the reasons why cocoa shells are so popular is because they are able to retain water better than other materials. By using cocoa shells, you will be able to reduce the amount of water that evaporates from the soil.
On top of that, the cocoa shells also contain lots of nutrients.
Bark is an ideal ground cover that protects against moisture, damage caused by the sun, and frost as well. Bark is easily able to protect your yard from the effects of excessive frost or the sun.
Another excellent advantage that you get for using bark is that it will decay over time and it will also contribute heavily to the fertility of the soil.
You don’t have to worry about bark sticking to your shoes, either, and it’s one of the main reasons why bark is so commonly used in playgrounds and other larger yards as well.
Covering the soil is one of the most important ways of preventing erosion in the soil.
2 – Building a Garden Terrace
If your garden has a gradient on one edge, it can be a difficult challenge to reduce the amount of soil erosion. For instance, if your garden is on a hillside, it’s going to be quite difficult for you to reduce the amount of erosion.
The incline often makes it difficult to stop landslides or erosion, and many people often face challenges when it comes to reducing the amount of soil erosion.
A highly elegant solution to this problem is to properly terrace the hill. This is possible using various homegrown and natural materials as well.
Basically, this will help you create gaps in the slope, break it up, and create distinct plateaus. This will also prevent the run-off from going straight down a hill.
Once you are done with the terracing, you can plant different kinds of trees and other plants, using compact soil that is going to prevent runoffs. Roots from perennial fruit trees as well as other herbs is going to play a great role in preventing soil erosion, and they will also increase the levels of nitrogen in the soil.
One of the biggest advantages that you get for using this method is that you can easily use organic materials in order to create the terracing. For instance, the use of logs and bushes is common.
Wooden stakes can also play an important role in creating a neat, clean terracing effect.
3 – Use Sandbags for Diversions
Sandbags have been used for diverting water for many years, and you can do that. Sometimes it’s just impossible to put up a fight with nature, so you need to consider the next best option. With the help of sandbags, you can do just that.
When there are heavy rainstorms in your area, especially if you live in a hilly region, there is a pretty strong chance that your yard will be in the way of the runoff.
By stacking the sandbags in a conventional stair step formation, you will be able to divert the flow of water in a straightforward manner around your property. This will make it easy for you to divert the flow of water around your house.
Keep in mind that this is just a way of diverting the flow of water; you can’t stop it.
4 – Build a Retaining Wall
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of building a garden terrace, installing a retaining wall might be an effective and viable solution.
Not only do they look very good but retaining walls are also quite functional. They will allow you to create stages or zones around the sloped property, making it resemble a terrace.
One of the reasons why these retaining walls are so popular is because they will prevent the soil from eroding and they will also allow you to create multiple plant or flower beds. You can let your imagination run wild when it comes to creating different kinds of flower beds or plant beds around the property.
You might want to cover all of the bald spots around your garden with mulch and it’s imperative that you get something growing there as quickly as possible. It’s important for you to make sure that you protect the soil as much as possible and these are arguably the best ways to do so.
At least once in a year, you should closely look at the topsoil around your garden and then revise your strategy accordingly. This is just a simple guide to help you stop erosion in your yard and prevent topsoil damage.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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