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Hillside prairie or shrubs

Posted by theresa2 z5 (My Page) on
Mon, Aug 9, 10 at 14:00

I have a sunny hillside that is currently lawn edged by a shrub border. I want to convert this hillside to a native planting so that I don't have to mow it any more. My question is, will shrubbery hold the hillside as well as a prairie planting? Any experienced advice would be appreciated.


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Hillside prairie or shrubs

Shrubs will do a decent job of controlling erosion but a prairie planting would do it better.


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RE: Hillside prairie or shrubs

Thanks lycopus. I kind of figured a prairie would be better because up here, in Wisconsin, they are removing woody vegetation from earthen dams. I heard somewhere that it's because the woody roots form pathways for water that may infiltrate the ground undermining the integrity of a dam. I just wanted to see what others thought, or had experience with, before I progressed with my hillside.


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RE: Hillside prairie or shrubs

That is pretty much it. A prairie has more vegetation near ground level to reduce runoff and increase infiltration. In my experience a hill with deeply rooted forbs and grasses with have a deeper layer of topsoil than one with only woody vegetation.


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