Soil Erosion: What Can Be Done?

While we would love to spend all of our time focused on the prettiest parts of landscaping, we also must help you prevent the ugly. While you might typically think of disease, pests, and weeds as the primary cause of woes within your landscape, there are some issues specific to our local area that you must be aware of. Soil erosion is a silent killer, caused by the elements like wind and rain over long periods of time. This is when your topsoil is washed away, taking most of the nutrients with it. This can cause patchy lawns, weak plants, and even pest infestation as your lawn weakens overall. Robbing your landscape of the healthy soil it needs to thrive, there are a few different ways you can prevent soil erosion on your property.

Natural Erosion Control: Planting Large Trees and Shrubs

The wind is one of the most common culprits of soil erosion, and natural barriers are one of the easiest ways to keep wind manageable in your landscape. On top of the many benefits that trees and shrubs provide your landscape, from beauty to structure, they cover your property up from the elements. The shade that your trees provide also keeps your soil from drying out, which can be why your soil is easily eroded by wind. Add beauty and prevent soil erosion all in one.

Need New Turf? Try Hydroseeding and Erosion Matting

While this might not help you out if you already have a lawn full of healthy turf, it could if you are willing to replace it. For those who need new turf, hydroseeding is a seeding method that prevents soil erosion. It is specifically designed to be able to be applied to slopes and steep yards. This is because it is applied as a sprayed liquid slurry, which is seed combined with organic additives to assist with growth. At Dream Greener, we then apply erosion matting atop the seeded area. This gives the turf a lightweight structure to grow through, preventing seed discharge and infiltration. A combination of hydroseeding and erosion matting prevents the seed and soil erosion seen when you use conventional seeding methods that require the application of straw, with virtually no protection for the seed. Hydroseeding is actually a more inexpensive alternative to traditional seeding, with more nutrient access, and an ability to seed tougher areas.

Retaining Walls: Hardscape Solution

Water runoff is the most frequently encountered cause of soil erosion and this roots in poor drainage. If your yard is sloped in any way, excess water not absorbed by your soil will run down your yard, taking soil with it. Over time the amount of topsoil removed can cause problems, such as brown patches or disease. Installing a retaining wall can disperse this runoff into varying places in your lawn, rather than the same piece of soil taking a pounding every rainfall. On top of these erosion control benefits from your average retaining wall, at Dream Greener, we additionally install a drain pipe along with gravel and fabric to encourage improved drainage. We tailor our retaining wall installations to the specific needs of our clients, so feel free to schedule your consultation today.

A staff of service experts leads Dream Greener Lawn & Landscape, each with ten years or more of professional experience, focused exclusively on lawn care & maintenance, landscaping, and snow & ice management. Locally owned and operated, we are proud to serve the greater Pittsburgh area. Give us a call at (412) 835-1035 or visit our website today.