Have you had a small slip on your property? If so, some new planting can be a good way to restore the damaged area and help to strengthen it against future slips. Adding the right kind of plants in the slip area helps because the plant roots make the soil more stable and help reduce pressure from water in the soil.
Here are some tips for safe and effective gardening to reduce slips.
First – check to make sure it’s safe
Before doing any planting, it is important to make sure the area safe to work in. Things to look for when checking whether it’s safe include soil contamination (for example rubbish or debris), loose material above the area, or unstable areas that are dangerous and could slip away. Working near cliffs or areas on higher ground can be riskier so it would be wise to seek advice from an expert, like a geotechnical engineer before starting any work.
Then remove the weeds
When earth is disturbed by landslides, it can quickly become invaded by weeds that can threaten valuable native ecosystems. That’s why the next step before planting is to remove any pest plants that have moved into the space.
Next, choose the right plants
Generally, landslide affected areas have similar planting conditions to cliff tops, so plants that grow well on cliffs are a good choice. You can find a list of suitable plants in the Landslide remediation through planting guide (606KB PDF) on our website.
Prepare the soil before planting
It’s important to consider how the topsoil might get washed away when it rains and put some protection in to stop this from happening. For example, you could use mesh mats, mulch or hydroseeded grasses to divert the water flow away from the area and protect the soil.
Please visit the Auckland Council website for more information on how to successfully plant areas affected by slips.
