Stabilising a slope

[Feralbilly]

Hi All,
We have just moved into a new house built on a sloping section. The rear of the house area is cut out and I intend building a terraced retaining wall. The front is built up and forms a slope at about 45 degrees, two metres high and about 25 metres long. The subsoil used to form the slope is volcanic red clay with a lot of decomposed basalt rocks in it (Atherton Tablelands, Far North Qld).

Has anyone any sensible suggestions for stabilising this slope (I don't want another retaining wall). My thought was a rockery with good ground cover plants, but the problem would be stopping the added topsoil being washed away until the ground cover was established.

Regards
Bill

[Master Splinter]

One of the things I've seen for holding slopes is to put down a thick layer of dry hay or straw and hold that in place with the plastic chickenwire mesh stuff, pegged in place with wooden stakes. This greatly reduces the force of rain on the loose soil. As it decomposes you can seed it with the grass of your choice, let it be wind seeded, or just dig holes and plant what you like.

[Feralbilly]

Thanks Master,
I have a load of old monofilament fishing net that a mate gave me. I will put a load of straw over it and then peg down the net over it

Regards
Bill

[Jim Carroll]

On Friday night Jamie Dury and his mates worked on a sloping site of 70 degrees. If you want more info get the latest Bourkes backyard as they usually have all the info on what they did to the block.

[la Huerta]

don't tell me you did'nt watch backyard blitz ! that's a compolsory mate...

[Feralbilly]

Yeah. Only just moved in and havn't got a TV antenna up yet so no reception. This weeks job.

Bill

[la Huerta]

mate , you live in far north QL, i'd fishing for queenies instead of watching telly...


on the show they used large boulders , but they also got some pros in for addvice, see if there is a local servayer or something to talk to for addvice, different soils everywhere , different ways to solve the problem, on the show they said clay soils need less stablisation that sandy soils...