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Removing wild brush from sloped backyard

wzxchange
10 years ago

I'm new to home ownership and gardening, and it seems like the folks here are really experienced and helpful. Thought I could get some advice.

I have a sloped backyard (approx. 45-60 degree gradient) that's overgrown with wild brush. There's very long grass and small trees (i.e.: blackberries) growing on it. My understanding is that the original owner was unable to take care of the backyard due to sickness, so he left the sloped area to grow wild. The next owners did not bother and continued the "process".

I was thinking of taking a machete or small axe to the small trees in the back, chopping down everything but the lowest 2ft or so, and then digging them out(saw how this was done on Youtube). It'll probably take some time to get them all out. My question is this: if I removed all the trees, but left the grass mostly intact, would I have a soil erosion problem when it rains?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!

Comment (1)

  • deviant-deziner
    10 years ago

    You may or may not have a problem , it depends on your soil profile, the gradient, and your climate.

    Many years ago we bought a hillside lot in the middle of the woods on the pacific NW coast.
    I used a professional quality weed eater with a special brush cutting blade , which looks like a skill saw blade.
    It made cutting through the brush and small trees easy work.
    I strategically left a fair amount of the shrubby root systems for erosion control and slowly removed portions over time as I landscaped the hillside.

    If you are concerned about landslides or land slippage you can look up your parcel on a US geo map or go down to your county office and read the geo report for your area - this might not be a concern for your area but it is here in CA.
    I find it very helpful research info when starting a new landscaping project where we will be denuding a hillside for a new landscape project.
    If there has been a history of landslides, extensive erosion or landslide repair in the area, you'll be better prepared in understanding how to best approach working on and developing your property.