Hillside or hill slide? The right plants can help keep soil stable when big storms roll through
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If you’ve spent a week worrying what rain and erosion may do to your hillside, check out the expert advice that horticulturist and writer Lili Singer rounded up for us in 2005, the last time Southern California had a supremely wet winter. Leafy, shallow-rooted ground covers can get weighted with rain and actually increase the likelihood of a slide, whereas other low-growing plants and taller perennials, shrubs and trees can control erosion without providing substantial fuel for wildfires. Designing rills and gullies into your landscape can help too.
We’ve also got a companion story by Robert Smaus, who offers more suggestions for your post-storm to-do list. Near the top: ‘Make a note of where you saw lingering puddles. When the soil is not so muddy, you might want to regrade parts of the garden with a sturdy steel rake or a hoe, filling the low spots so they shed water better during the next downpour.’
When big weather events hit Southern California -- heavy rains, high winds, a surprise freeze or a long heat wave -- pass along your gardening questions. We’ll do our best to get answers to the most common conundrums.
-- Craig Nakano
