Living on a property that is sloped can be very challenging in certain ways. You might have issues with mowing the lawn when you have to deal with a slope and it can also make gardening challenging.
Many people still want to be able to garden normally, but they have to approach things differently when doing so on a slope. For instance, many people have issues with getting mulch to stay in place on a slope.
If you put mulch down, then it’s likely going to roll away and go down the slope at some point. It might be frustrating to you, but it is possible to get good results when you approach things the right way.
Below, you’re going to be able to find information about how to keep mulch in place on a slope. This will make it much more plausible for you to enjoy using mulch and your garden area will look a lot nicer as well.
1 – Ensure That You’re Using Terraces
Using terraces will almost be necessary when you’re gardening on a slope. Some slopes will be so steep that it’ll become impossible to plant a garden without making use of terraced sections.
Essentially, you can use terraces to create areas where there will be a flat surface. This will give your soil a place to stay and you can plant things properly without having to worry about them rolling down the slope.
A terrace can also help your mulch to stay in place if you use it properly. Ensure that you’re utilizing a terrace design for your garden if you’re dealing with a particularly steep slope.
It might even be wise to go this route if you’re only dealing with a slight slope. Terraces mitigate the problems that you will encounter with slopes, and they’ll allow you to keep everything where it needs to be much more easily.
2 – Consider Using a Trench
It might be a good idea to dig a trench of sorts that will help to catch your mulch if it does happen to fall. Even when you do things right and use a terrace, it’s still possible to have mulch get blown away in the wind.
You can’t stop windy days from occurring from time to time, but you can try to keep your mulch from going all the way down the slope. Digging a trench will ensure that the mulch that falls out of your beds will wind up falling into the trench and staying there.
It’ll be possible to simply grab the mulch out of the trench and put it back where it needs to go. This is a simple idea that winds up paying off big-time for those who are willing to put in the work.
When you’re living in an area that has extreme slopes, it’s going to be very smart to go through with this trench idea. It’ll save you from losing too much mulch when things don’t stay in place exactly as planned.
3 – Use Mulch That Works Better on Slopes
Some types of mulch just won’t do as good of a job when it comes to staying in place. If you’re using light types of mulch such as pine mulch, then it’s not going to do a good job of staying in place due to being so light.
Using a heavier mulch might be a better idea when you’re trying to get things to stay put. The increased weight of something such as heavy wood chips or wood nuggets will be ideal when you’re trying to get things to work on a slope.
Not all wood chips are going to be heavy enough to be ideal, though. Some wood chips are a bit lighter, and this means that you might have to specifically seek out heavy wood chips or wood nuggets.
You could choose to use something such as shredded bark as well since it’s a mulch type that is known to work well for sloped areas. The reason why shredded bark works nicely has to do with the bark pieces getting tangled up together, and it helps them to stay in one spot.
Generally, you’ll want to stick to heavier mulch types when you’re placing mulch on a slope. So long as you keep this in mind, it’ll be easy to make good decisions.
4 – Avoid Using Plastic Lining Under Your Mulch
Many people choose to use plastic lining under mulch because it can help with weeds and other issues. However, it’s likely going to make it harder for your mulch to stay in place.
The plastic lining is so smooth that it makes it easier for the mulch to shift. You’ll probably wind up losing more mulch than usual if you choose to use plastic underneath the mulch.
Some people have taken to using multiple layers of mulch in lieu of using plastic lining barriers. You could lay down some mulch and then water things before adding a second layer.
Get rid of plastic lining barriers as soon as you can if you’re having issues with losing mulch. The plastic is likely one of the biggest causes of your woes and you’ll be able to make things work more easily once the plastic has been removed.
Even if you need to meticulously move the mulch to get the plastic barriers pulled up, it’ll be worth it. Take the time to make this change and you’ll see that the mulch will stay in place better on the slope.
5 – Make Use of Netting
Making use of netting is a fantastic idea when you’re dealing with an extreme slope. You can install netting that is there to catch the mulch and keep it from going down the slope.
Landscape netting has been designed specifically to help people with this problem. You can easily pin the landscape netting in place using landscaping pins and you won’t have to worry so much about your mulch getting lost.
The netting will be pinned down to the dirt and it won’t be able to go anywhere. So long as the netting doesn’t have large holes, you won’t see much if any mulch escapes and rolls down the slope.
It’s important to point out that this isn’t always going to be necessary for people who are just dealing with slight slopes. Usually, people only make use of landscape netting when they have steep slopes on their properties.
Regardless, this could be an easy solution to your problem of losing mulch. Installing landscape netting is very simple and it isn’t going to cost an exorbitant sum of money to get what you need either.
The downside is that you might not feel as though the netting is visually appealing. Installing nets could make it so that you aren’t able to see your plants as well as normal, and that’s sort of a shame when you think about it.
You might want to think about whether using landscape netting is truly necessary before moving forward. If you can get by without it, then it might help to keep your garden area looking its best.
6 – Landscape Edging Is an Option
Landscape edging is an option when you’re trying to find something that will keep your mulch in place. This is basically something that creates a sort of barrier between your mulch and garden area and the rest of the yard.
People use landscape edging under normal circumstances simply to keep their gardens separate from other areas of the yard. They also add some charm to the garden and can look visually stunning in some instances.
There are many different types of landscape edging on the market that you can choose from. You can find simple landscape edging that is just designed to get the job done, but some of the options will be ornate in nature.
You should simply pick a type of landscape edging that is going to appeal to you while also being easy to install on a slope. As long as you can secure the landscape edging to the ground properly, it should do a good job of holding your mulch in place.
This could be a better option than using landscape netting for many people. It’s worth looking into the landscape edging options that are out there to see which ones appeal to you.
Final Thoughts
There are going to be many things that you can do when you’re trying to keep your mulch in place on a slope. You just need to ensure that you’re approaching the situation wisely so that you can make the right choices.
Make sure that you’re using terraces if you’re dealing with really annoying slopes. You might also need to make use of things such as landscape netting or landscape edging to keep things in place in some instances.
Choosing the right mulch will also help you to get things to stay in place better. Generally, heavier types of mulch will do a better job of staying in place, but some types of light mulch might work fine if they clump together or stick together well.
Taking the time to dig a trench below the slope might help you to collect any mulch that does happen to roll down the slope. Windy days do occur sometimes, and it’s good to be prepared.
You can make sure that you have a good experience even when you’re planting things on a slope. Just review the information above and figure out what pieces of advice will help you out the most in your situation.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.
Before you go: Now is the perfect time to start tracking your gardening progress, and I created a garden journal to do exactly that. Click the image below to see it in action and to get your own copy.
