There’s nothing more frustrating than spending countless hours working in your yard only for a heavy downpour to wash away the top layer of soil. Once this happens, small ‘trenches’ develop which lead to further erosion in the future.
And if you don’t take immediate action to fix the problem, you’ll end up with a yard full of washed out soil. The good news, however, is that you can prevent soil erosion by following a few simple steps.
Drainage Runoff
The first step in preventing soil erosion is to make sure your yard is equipped with a fully functional drainage runoff. Allowing rainwater to pool up in your yard will only increase the chances of soil erosion.
Whether it’s an underground gutter system or an elevated pebble-filled trench, yards need some form of controlled path for the water to flow.
Pay close attention to your yard the next time a heavy storm rolls through to identify exactly where the water is pooling. Look for areas where the water collects along with its direction of travel.
If necessary, snap some before and after photos of your yard. Using this information, you can design a suitable drainage system to help guide the water away from your yard.
Retaining Walls
Another important tips that’s helpful for preventing soil erosion is to build a retaining wall around the exterior of your yard. It’s a common assumption that retaining walls are simply used for aesthetics, but they actually offer a couple of different functional benefits.
Constructing a retaining wall around your yard will define the edges of your yard and lawn, which in turn prevents the encroachment of weeds and other unwanted plant growth.
The real benefit that comes from using a retaining wall is its ability to prevent soil erosion. With a retainer wall in place, water won’t be able to wash out the soil during a heavy rainfall.
Of course, you must choose a strong, durable material to use for your retaining wall so it will withstand the force of the water.
Mulch
Common sense should tell you that mulching around your plants and trees will naturally reduce the chance of soil erosion. Whether it’s wood chips, pine straw or compost, try adding some mulch around the base of your plants.
This isn’t a surefire way to completely prevent all forms of soil erosion, but it’s one more level of protection you can use to keep their plants and soil safe from mother nature.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for amateur gardeners to use an excessive amount of mulch in their yard. Small amounts here and there is perfectly fine, but using too much can literally suffocate your plants, restricting their oxygen and nutrient intake.
Keep your plant mulch under 3 inches tall to maintain a healthy growing environment. Any deeper than this may stunt plant growth or even kill them in severe cases. With the added mulch around your plants, the soil will naturally hold up better in heavy storms.
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Thanks for sharing this post about how to prevent soil erosion in your yard. Taking the steps to prevent this from happening is important.
Great tips and I really love how you explained the importance of retaining walls. Thank you for sharing these information’s that will help prevent soil in our yard. It’s really a big help.
I liked that you talked about how it would be a good idea to keep at least 3 inches of mulch over your plants. It is good to know that will help with soil erosion. I live in an area that gets a lot of rain and I do worry about my garden getting washed out because of the rain.
My yard is on a hill, so during heavy rainfall, the soil drains onto the sidewalk below. I like that you mention a retaining wall helps to prevent erosion, keeping it behind the wall. I’ll have to talk with my husband and see if this is something we should have installed before fall comes.
There really are a lot of things you can do to prevent soil erosion in your backyard. I especially like that the article briefly goes over retaining walls. They really are great at stopping eroding soil and can be made to look quite beautiful as well.
Just like you said, I was one of those that thought retaining walls were just for aesthetics! I will start working on getting one of those for my garden. Do you have any more videos on preventing soil erosion? Thanks!