I also have a south- facing slope. Last year, I had a very productive raised bed--although I used mulch below to create a level surface for the planks. I did this because I was afraid that heavy rains would wash my dirt out and over the container and down the slope (I tried open raised beds this year and they washed down the slope pretty quickly despite being surrounded by heavy mulch. Anyhow, last year's garden was lovely. I grew chard, pumpkins, tomatoes, basil, and squash...but most all was eaten by deer and rabbits! However, I did use a very nice mix of dirt from an old compost pile left on the land we bought AND Buffaloam compost (pricey lovely black stuff)! We also feed it bat guano and seaweed. Best of luck to you with your slope. Keep me posted. I love to read about people's struggles with slopes...I've got a fine one myself and not the energy nor equipment to terrace it...but I have some new ideas about what to do next year...
