Well, I will start this one with what we did not look at nor care about when buying our home over 25 years ago. We wanted a nice size yard and that summed it up. Our yard has slopes all around it. We knew the slopes were pretty much away from that house which was good. After many years we started noticing cliffs instead of slopes. Our yard has been eroding. A clear sign is the 2-foot drop of dirt on the outside of our fence. I think this is the most noticeable clue.

The definition of erosion is the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents. In simpler terms “weathering”. It does not help we have sandy soil. Nor does it we removed many trees which died. The important thing to acknowledge is it is happening and if something is not done, we will eventually need to spend a lot of money to fix it.

Somethings to look for loose dirt-moving when you get heavy rain. Look at areas that do not have grass. Having dogs, we have a track along our fence line. Dogs are pretty good at killing grass. As the dogs run the perimeter of the fence talking to all the neighbors’ dogs, they continue to kill anything trying to grow. We also noticed spots they sit and watch from were not holding any grass. We won’t even talk discuss the holes they dig! I think they believe there are bones around the mantle of the earth! All of these are indicators we might have erosion.

What you can start doing is creating a planting plan. When you plant something, the roots help to hold the soil in place. It can be perennials, shrubs, or trees. All of it has a good impact. Also, make sure your drainage is good. At the end of a heavy rain grab your umbrella and head outside. Walk around your house and see what your gutters are doing. Are they overflowing? Maybe you need to clean your gutters or perhaps you do not have enough downspouts. Is the water pooling on the ground? If so, you may need to add more dirt or have it slope in another direction. Unfortunately, I think our yard is a little past this. We are now having retaining walls put up in various spots of our yard. Hopefully, this will help to stabilize and stop it from progressing. We will add more plants, shrubs, and trees to prevent other areas from starting. It is a costly price of education on our part, but not as costly as doing nothing for another 25 plus years!