I live atop a coastal bluff 1/1 slope in san pedro. there has been little or no erosion but the adobe soil is mixed with small fragmented rock and there has been slippage and erosion on other properties in the area.

the slope descends 120 feet with the upper half being mixed ice plant and the lower half mostly weeds and some small shrubs.

questions:

1. in planting the shubs and trees to hold the soil, should I remove the iceplant first, or just plant the trees and shrubs amongst the iceplant?

2. any additional suggestions to the advice from gardenguru joe who previously wrote the following:

Posted by gardenguru1950 SunsetZ15 (My Page) on Fri, May 13, 05 at 21:26

1. Plan construction/planting activities during summer and fall, so that erosion control measures can be in place when the rain comes.

2. Preserve existing vegetation as much as possible.

3. Limit grading and plant removal to the areas under current construction.

4. Preserve the natural contours of the land and disturb the earth as little as possible. This latter part is very important.

5. Limit the time in which graded areas are exposed.

6. Minimize the length and steepness of slopes by benching, terracing, or constructing diversion structures.

7. Landscape areas that you do bench to stabilize the slope and improve its appearance.

8. As soon as possible after grading a site, plant vegetation on all areas that are not to be paved or otherwise covered.

Select from the following plants, choosing one or more from each category (mix them up):

Small trees with tenacious root systems --

Agonis flexuosa PEPPERMINT WILLOW

Callistemon citrinus LEMON BOTTLEBRUSH

Callistemon viminalis WEEPING BOTTLEBRUSH

Heteromeles arbutifolia TOYON

Juglans californica californica CALIFORNIA BLACK WALNUT

Leptospermum laevigatum AUSTRALIAN TEA TREE

Lophostemon (Tristania) confertus BRISBANE BOX

Non-spreading shrubs with deep, bank-holding roots --

Atriplex lentiformis Breweri BREWERÂS SALTBUSH

Baccharis x ÂCentennial DESERT BROOM

Ceanothus ÂJoyce Coulter JOYCE COULTER CEANOTHUS

Cistus ÂSanta Cruz SANTA CRUZ ROCKROSE

Cistus purpureus PURPLE ROCKROSE

Cistus ÂSunset SUNSET ROCKROSE

Cistus x skanbergii PINK ROCKROSE

Echium candicans PRIDE-OF-MADEIRA

Eriogonum giganteum ST. CATHERINEÂS LACE

Eriogonum parvifolium COAST BUCKWHEAT

Melaleuca hypericifolia RED PAPERBARK

Melaleuca nesophila PINK MELALEUCA

Myrica californica PACIFIC WAX MYRTLE

Rhamnus crocea ilicifolia HOLLYLEAF REDBERRY

Rosmarinus officinalis ROSEMARY

Salvia apiana WHITE SAGE

Salvia clevelandii BLUE SAGE

Trichostema lanatum WOOLY BLUE CURLS

Expansive, low spreading shrubbery --

Acacia redolens PROSTRATE VANILLA WATTLE

Arctostaphylos ÂCarmel Creeper C.C. MANZANITA

Arctostaphylos edmundsii LITTLE SUR MANZANITA

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

ÂEmerald Carpet E.C. MANZANITA

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ÂPoint Reyes P.R. MANZANITA

Baccharis pilularis ÂPigeon PointÂ, ÂTwin Peaks TRAILING COYOTE BRUSH

Ceanothus griseus horizontalis ÂYankee Point Y.P. CEANOTHUS

Cotoneaster (low-growing types) COTONEASTERS

Juniperus (low-growing types) JUNIPERS

Mahonia repens CREEPING BARBERRY

Myoporum ÂPacificum PACIFICUM SANDALWOOD

Ribes viburnifolium EVERGREEN CURRANT, CATALINA PERFUME

Salvia leucophylla ÂPoint Sal POINT SAL PURPLE SAGE

Salvia mellifera ÂTerra Seca TERRA SECA BLACK SAGE

Stem-rooting perennial groundcovers --

Drosanthemum ROSEA ICEPLANT

Fragaria chiloensis BEACH STRAWBERRY

Gazania rigens leucolaena TRAILING GAZANIA

Lampranthus ICEPLANT

Rosmarinus officinalis ÂProstratus TRAILING ROSEMARY

Thymus serpyllum CREEPING THYME

All of the above, despite being the most drought-tolerant plants for slopes, require water to get them established. For most of these you can put in a temporary drip system. For the spreading stem-rooting perennial groundcovers, you will have to spray irrigate. An easy sytem to install is a main line along the base of the slope (not the top) and tall rigid risers with roatary heads tilted slightly backwards so that they spray up and onto the slope.

Joe