Question
Hi Marc,
I have a bank near the road that contains some juniper and lillies.  Each Spring I spend money on mulch and labor to cover it thus I am no longer able to do the labor myself.  Then, after that I have the weeding issue also that is not workable for me. Would some sort'a rocks be appropriate to cover all of the non-plant areas so I do not have the expense each year?  Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

Answer
Hello:

If the slope is less than 45 degree you can cover it with cobbles (rip rap) of about 8 inches in size.  Here are the steps to installing rip rap:

Clear the slope of all vegetation and compact the soil to a density similar to the surrounding undisturbed soil.

Layer the stone a mimimum of 9 inches thick.

Dig a keyway trench at the foot of the slope to hold the stone in place.

Lay filter fabric on the compacted slope and lay 6 inches of sand or gravel over the fabric and then lay the stone on top. The sand/gravel and fabric will aid in holding the underlying soil in place. Bury the fabric at the top of the slope and key it in at the bottom of the slope.

Install a drain at the bottom of the slope if needed to channel away water from the slope.

Planting shrubs at the top of the slope,immediately above the stone,will aid in further reducing erosion.


Mark Harshman


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