How to Prevent Soil Erosion

Soil erosion can be a major problem for you if you have a garden, plant beds or a farm. Preventing soil erosion is a responsibility that we all have to take seriously. There are several things that you can do to prevent soil erosion and protect your plantings.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Prevent soil erosion by planting vegetation, trees, ground cover, shrubs and other plants. Roots from these plants will help hold soil in place on the ground. Soil will not blow away due to wind, or be washed away from rain as easily.

2. Create windbreaks, which are barrier rows planted along the windward exposure of a plot of land. Windbreaks made out of trees, such as evergreen trees or bushes help prevent erosion by preventing wind from blowing across your land.

3. Grow cover crops on farm land. When land is not being used during the off season, cover crops can help prevent soil erosion due to wind and rain. Legumes (beans) are often used as cover crops.

4. Apply mulch to retain moisture and also help prevent soil erosion. Topsoil is not as likely to be washed or blown away when it is covered by mulch. Mulch is often used in flower beds.

5. Construct surface runoff barriers, such as edging made of bricks or stones, can help prevent soil erosion by minimizing runoff. If runoff is minimized, soil is less likely to be carried away by groundwater runoff.

6. Use contour farming when farming on sloped areas. This conservation technique is to follow the actual topography of a slope when planting crops. Using the natural lay of the land in this way can also prevent soil erosion.

7. Try terrace farming and gardening to decrease groundwater runoff. Create nearly level layers of crops on a hillside.