Comprehensive 'How To' of Sepp-style terracing?

Does anyone here have any resources [or advice] regarding Sepp Holzer style no-retaining-wall vegetated-embankment terraces for broadacre applications?

Sepp Holzer's Permaculture and the documentaries [and my google-fu regarding such a terracing method] seem to provide inadequate instruction, to me at least.

EDIT: it occurs to me the title might be misleading, I'm certainly not expecting a single article or video to teach this art [though that would be amazing] but rather just looking for additional resources to help me really grok how to accomplish it.

Was my Title too specific? I'd really appreciate some advice or suggested resources.

I'd sure be interested in the same myself, hope somebody has some info. Here's what I've got, notes from his Permaculture book, pages 24 - 32:

Terraces and Paths

Design terraces so they can be used as paths and provide access for mechanized farming equipment.

When putting in roads, have a slight rise down the middle to disperse water.

Make shortcuts and paths to connect the terraces so you don't have to travel the full length of the terrace when you want to maintain the land.

Building a Terrace System

Width

Best to make sure that the entire terrace can be cultivated or harvested in a single trip by your machinery.

Managing two terraces 5 meters wide is easier than a single terrace 10 meters wide- also requires less dirt to be moved.

Consider the current gradient of the slope, the steeper the slope, the narrower the terrace should be.

Also consider soil, ex. fine loamy soil on very steep slopes has greatest danger of erosion so only very narrow terraces.

Gradient

Gradient of the terraces should be as low as possible and less than 15 to 20 percent.

The gradient of the terrace embankments can be 1:1 if the soil is stony and 1:1.5 to 1:2 if soil is sandy or loamy.

Risers and Separating Material

Build risers in order to stabilize the embankments.

Remove topsoil and layers of earth until you get to to solid and stable material.

Riser forms the foundation of embankment and is angled slightly into the hill.

Build up embankment replacing the excavated layers, topsoil back on top.

Working with Water

If little rain, angle terraces slightly against hill to help retain water.

Make sure terraces don't channel water.

With loamy subsoil, Do Not angle any ditches into hill due to danger of landslides.

With heavy soils, surface water must be drained off over a large area, best achieved by creating terrace with slight downward angle.

Stabilizing the System

Large stretches of continuous ground should not be altered because increases danger of landslides.

Carry out large-scale projects gradually, over a long period of time.

First year, terraces are made at the top, middle and bottom of the slope and planted.

Second year, more terraces created between original terraces once originals are stable.

On steep slopes, first terrace should be on bottom and work way up- If material slides down, lower terraces will catch it.

Can place stones on the terraces for additional stability and heat storage.

Sow and plant immediately after dirt work is completed, especially good if plants have different depth root systems.

Mulch with leaves or straw after planting.

To ensure trees and plants root well on embankment, make embankments very stable and built up using loose soil rich in humus.

Sepp method differs from conventional terraces, where embankments are heavily compacted and smoothed out.

Managing Terrace Culture

If soil good enough, vegetables and cereals can be grown immediately.

If soil not good enough, plant green manure crops, especially sweet clover and lupins with deep root systems and nitrogen fixing.

Humus Storage Ditches

Dig a ditch on into the base of some terraces, up against the embankment.

Ditch should be on contour, low, and wide.

Ditch will supply terraces below with water.

Careful with humus ditches on heavy soils! Danger of landslides is greatest. Start small.

Here's a drawing similar to what Sepp has in his book, but please note that I might've made the Riser too small:

Hiya Kyrt,

I've come across something that might be of interest on the how-to of earthmoving. Nothing specific to terracing, but it has good drawings on using a dozer to cut benches (quasi-terraces) into a hill. Check out Section 2-15, starting on page 20, of the US Army Field Manual of Earthmoving Operations. Also has other chapters on using backhoes, loaders, etc. It's in the public domain and available here:

http://www.constructionknowledge.net/public_domain_documents/Div_2_Site%20Work/Earthmoving_Operations_Army_FM5-434%202000.pdf

Have you come across anything else yourself?

This fellow came to mind because he has acreage and is contouring it in the hills of Pennsylvania. He isn't doing hugelkultur but rather a system of swales. Check out his Youtube channel I met him at the Mother Earth News Fair but I'll be hanged if I can remember his name.

Tenth Acre Farm did a system of check terraces at the community garden but it wasn't a farm. It is a project that I am also adapting for my urban yard. It might be too difficult to apply to larger acreage. https://www.tenthacrefarm.com/2014/10/heres-a-quick-way-to-terrace-a-hill/

Thank you very much for the analysis and PDF Bryan, you pulled things out of Sepp's description in his book that didn't even occur to me.

Linda Listing wrote:Material regarding swales and Retaining Wall Terraces

It seems I may have been lacking in my description of what I'm after. The youtube you linked is swales on gentle slope, the second is small scale retaining wall terraces.

What I seek to do is carve terraces and embankments into a steep hillside in the way Bryan explained in the post below mine.

On that note, I was asked if I found any further resources and the answer is yes.

This Video helped me to see and comprehend the terracing in a way that FAR surpasses the overhead shots provided in the documentaries of the Kramaterhoff filmed back when Sepp was farming it.

Hey Kyrt,

that's a good find on that video, I'll take a closer look. I've also come across a little more.

There's a link on this thread https://permies.com/t/40534/earthworks/Sepp-Holzer-project-plans to a Dropbox folder containing Sepp's project plans!

In that Dropbox, there's quite a bit of drawings and pictures. Of special interest, I found this pic here in the first folder, armenteras:



There's a good chance that the project plans for that picture are in the documents, but I haven't had a chance to take a look at everything. Also, everything's in German. As luck would have it, I do know some German, but I'm afraid my vocabulary is not bent towards ag or landscaping.

If you have a dig in the Dropbox and find something you think might be useful, send me the link please and I can try to decode it. I've got other things on my plate at the moment so have this on my 'later' list.

I too have questions on terracing.  The biggest being: where do I start?  At the top or at the bottom?  I will be working on a steep, highly eroded slope, which gets flooded once a year in the springtime.  Do I try to catch water at the top the first year, or at the bottom?  I seriously doubt I can get it all done in one summer and fall as I will be using a shovel and pick axe.

Thanks for any input!

Hi, I can translate you anything from german to english. Just provide me with a text and I am glad to help you.