Question
We are buying a home that has an area at the rear of our lot that has a fairly sharp curved incline up to the street.  I would like to terrace the area and plant a vegatable garden on the terraces.  My question is, what is the easiest way to cut the terraces.  They will be about four foot deep and about 20 ft. long and there will be probably four of them going up the hill.  Currently the area is covered with grass.  The lot is open at the present and a moderate to small mechanicval gas powered piece of equipment could be brought in.  Do I start cutting the terraces from the bottom, the top or the sides? What do I cut them with?  How deep do I cut them and how deep a lawer of topsoil should I import?  Etc?  Thanks

Answer
FOLLOW-UP: I erred.  It's not 5 cubic yards, its 50 cubic yards that typically triggers a grading permit (per the UBC). Thats a lot of dirt - roughly, 20'x20'x 3' deep.

See, that's why you should trust the contractor to go get the permits, and not the Landscpae Architect!!  -M

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Lots to tell you about:

1st thing - Make sure you own it...if its near a street, it may be in the right-of-way, even though the pavement doesn't extend into it.

2nd thing - Make sure there are no utilities already buried there, or an easement for FUTURE utilities.  This can be done by consulting the local utility locator for your area (ours in 1-800-227-2600 - USA Underground) but they are different all over the country.  They will locate, usually for FREE, all underground & overhead lines for you before you find them the hard (& expensive) way!!

3rd item - If you are moving more than 5 cubic yards or cut more than about three feet down, typically, you need to get a grading permit.  One row of your 20ft x 4ft wide terrace would be a little less than 5 cubic feet; if it were 3 ft deep on the up-hill side & you were dumping the "spoils" on the downhill side. Check with your local building permit agency...if you're afraid of stirring up a bunch of "trouble", just ask anonymously.  But now you can't say you didn't think you needed one - it's a poor excuse, anyway.

If these are more "dainty" & gently sloping terraces, then so much the better.  I'm usually working with folks who live on the side of a cliff or something, so I naturally think "big" terraces.

4th - The digging part is up to you, though from an efficiency standpoint, no use moving the dirt twice, if you don't have to.  Cutting from the uphill side and dumping on the downhill side would probably be the most efficient.

5th - Consider, maybe, some low retaining walls between the terraces to give you more room to plant stuff & move about...plus it adds interest to the garden.  Materials could be wood or dry-stack stone (even salvaged concrete).

OK - now for the actual growing medium.  It all depends on your soil fertility.  Here in the desert, if you didn't bring it in, it's going to be a challenge, or at least many years of trying to "improve" it.  If its just lawn, add about 4 inches overall.  If it's a garden, then 1 foot deep, minimum.  That's a lot of dirt!! For your 20x4 terrace, that corresponds to anywhere from 1 to 3 cubic yards per terrace.

Maybe its worth the $30 to have your soil tested...check with your local Agricultural Extension service for a lab in your area.  It may save you from having to buy & haul a lot of topsoil. Let me know what state you're in, and I can get you pointed to the right Ag Extension office, plus, they may have some more ideas for you that are best for your location - ours even has an exhibit garden to show folks what will grow locally.

Lots to think about, but better now than when the rented tractor is waiting in the driveway!!

PS If you don't want any grass to grow back (I think you mentioned that it was a grassy slope), you need to "kill" it or remove in mechanically, first, or it will come back.

-Marc