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Anne Miller wrote:Which direction are you mowing downward or crosswise? If crosswise logs could be moved if you just didn't want to avoid them.
In other words, mow across the slope or sideways,
Kevin Olson wrote:Not sure about your physical abilities, but what about mowing with a scythe, rather than the riding mower, on this sloped parcel?
Another thought: could you make switchback terraces down this slope? Level-ish where the mower runs, but with the slope of the terraces alternating back and forth across the fall line of the general slope. Somebody (Ben Falk?) has done a version of this on a steep rocky slope in the northeastern US, with very good results. With your predominantly clay soil, retaining walls of rammed earth may be feasible (with or without an added stabilizer such as lime, Portland cement or wood ash).
Yet another idea: can you do some dirt work to even out the slope, then contour plow with a chisel plow, middle buster or ripper? Search for PA Yeomans for details, though true keyline plowing on such a small parcel probably isn't feasible. This could be combined with the daikons already suggested.
M Ljin wrote:How wide is the riding mower? Could you have very narrow trenches or single pits that it would pass over?
If all else fails perhaps you could use a spade, fork, or some sort of chisel plough. The idea being to make a swale-like tear in the soil that holds and soaks small amounts of water but the ground still looks flat.
Another thought is, dig a trench and fill it with wood chips, sawdust, sticks, etc. up to the brim, adding more to keep it level with the ground around it.
The same could be done with sand or gravel or charcoal if that is more accessible. If it’s sand, that could allow plants to grow on top of it, level with the remainder of the land.
larry kidd wrote:We also have heavy compact clay here. Not sure how cold it gets in 9B but another plant that helps break up heavy compact clay soil is buckwheat and it grows crazy fast like 6-8 weeks from seed to harvest if memory serves. Not that you'll want to harvest it. I'd let it keep reseeding if it were me. Sadly it doesn't tolerate frost or freezing at all! I've had the radishes overwinter here in zone 7a many times.
Seriously checkout Gabe Browns videos. You may be surprised at how much you learn. You also my reclaim a lot of water by combining all these plants locking it in the soil for summer cutting the fire risk way down!
Timothy Norton wrote:If I may ask, why does it have to remain smooth? I feel as if that might play against your erosion control situation. I have a mild slope on my property and I have creatively placed a few logs along the slope to act as a silt/debris catch. While you have an existing wildfire concern, I wonder if you could replicate this with stone through making rock weirs?
Another thought is a different implement for maintaining the area. Would you be amenable to utilizing a weed wacker for this area? You can work around obstacles and still cover a fairly reasonable amount of ground once you get into the swing of it.
Anne Miller wrote:My suggestion would be to use swales that would still let you mow over them similar to traffic bumps that car drive over.
I would suggest using a string method to level those areas.
I also recommend planting winter rye on the swales as soon as possible to prevent further erosion.
Clay soil sounds good to me or doing this.
The good thing about winter rye is that if you temps cool off enough the winter rye will die letting other native grasses prevail.
I would not use landscape fabric or rocks as the fabric will deteriorate and the rocks will make mowing difficult.
Nancy Reading wrote:What sort of slope can you mow with your mower? Maybe you can have more gentle/terraced swales and still mow them.
It sound like you have a Mediterranean climate, so you may find this thread of interest. I believe that by increasing the water content of the soil you can get a benefit in fire prevention too. Swales are just one way of going about that.
As regards grazing animals some are suggested here including borrowing grazing animals and using smaller animals like guinea pigs. Maybe others in the same situation will find it useful.
larry kidd wrote:What kind of soil? What grows there? Can you plant stuff that doesn't require much if any upkeep now or at least two weeks before frost?
Ever heard of Daikon radishes? They will drill deep roots and allow that winter water to get down in the ground. There are many other things you can plant with them. Fella named Gabe Brown does some good you tube vids about soil. Not specifically what you're after but I know they cross over from my own use! Those radish roots have been know to go over 25 feet deep. Plant them now and everything else you can think of or learn of overwinter. You don't even have to till the grass. Just scratch the ground and cover 1/2 to 1 inch. They are also great for eating and wildlife. I've had 22" radishes 2.5" across.. Fixed bad drainage issues here in heavy clay soil.
Some deep cross hill French drains might do the same but costly and not as likely to work.