How Do Slopes Affect Watering Needs for Lawns?

It’s all downhill from here, because having a sloped lawn is about to get much easier. The truth is, your sloped lawn is a little different from having an off-kilter home: though it might seem like it’s a problem to solve, there are actually many ways to get irrigation just right, without bringing in the tractor. That means you can enjoy the unique beauty of your sloped lawn without worrying about issues like flooding, root rot, and general soil degradation.

We’ll cover whether or not you should level that slope, how a slope affects the watering needs of your lawn, how to water your sloped lawn properly, and more solutions to mitigate the downsides of having a sloped lawn. Then, we’ll cover the solution you need to know that both waters hilly lawns perfectly and enhances soil structure—so that slope remains evenly lush and, well, in place.

Is There a Solution to that Slope?

Instead of adapting to the watering needs of your lawn, you might be wondering whether it’s better to just get rid of that slope altogether. Well, not so fast.

A sloped lawn can present some challenges for maintenance, but it’s not necessarily a problem to solve. Although sloped lawns can experience issues with soil erosion and water runoff, these are preventable and workable issues. And, if well-designed and landscaped, a sloped lawn can actually make for an aesthetically beautiful and unique outdoor living space.

Still want it gone? That’ll cost you, though the cost varies depending on the size of the area, the degree of the slope, the type of material used, the cost of labor in your area, and the complexity of the project. A small slope correction project can cost a few hundred dollars, while a more complex project can cost several thousand dollars. It is best to get quotes from a few contractors to get an accurate estimate.

How Do Slopes Affect Watering Needs for Lawns?

Slopes affect watering needs for lawns because of two issues they experience: water runoff and soil erosion. Here’s a soil spoiler: gravity is the culprit for both.

All About Water Runoff

On a slope, water can drain away quickly, leaving the top of the slope dry. But where is all that water going? To the bottom of the slope, which promptly over saturates. This results in dry patches at the top of the slope and waterlogged soil at the bottom. And that’s a problem.  Waterlogged or water-saturated soil is extremely harmful to plants like grass because it deprives them of oxygen, which their roots need in order to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. When soil is waterlogged, it becomes anaerobic (lacking oxygen) and the roots are unable to function properly. This can lead to root rot, stunted growth, and grass death. These are also the ideal conditions for plant diseases and pests to thrive. And nobody wants that.

On top of causing dry soil at the top and waterlogged soil at the bottom, water runoff can also carry with it fertilizer and pesticides, polluting water sources and affecting wildlife. This is yet another reason to use organic and natural lawn treatments—on top of keeping your soil healthier, it reduces the risk of these harmful situations.

Some Serious Soil Erosion

Sloped lawns are also subject to soil erosion, or the displacement of soil particles. This process can lead to a reduction in soil quality and fertility, as well as the loss of topsoil, which is essential for grass growth. And it can cause even more serious problems, such as increased runoff and flooding, and soil degradation.

Soil erosion can happen on a slope because gravity pulls water and soil down its decline. As water moves down the slope, it carries away soil particles, which leads to erosion. Plus, raindrops can loosen soil particles, which also contributes. Here’s one unfortunate rule of thumb: the steeper the slope, the more susceptible it is to erosion.

How to Water a Slope Properly

To avoid water runoff and soil erosion, water your sloped lawn in a way that allows the water to soak into the soil thoroughly, instead of running off quickly. And you can choose from a variety of methods to do this. Solutions include breaking up the watering schedule into more frequent and shorter sessions, watering deeply but infrequently (you know, the opposite of the first method), using a sprinkler that adjusts water flow depending on location, and watering just after dawn or before dusk, when cool temperatures will prevent water from evaporating too quickly.

You can choose a combination of these approaches and experiment to see what works best for your lawn. How quickly your water moves down your slope depends on your soil texture and structure, so different methods might be more effective than others.

More Measures to Prevent Water Runoff and Soil Erosion

There’s more to avoiding a lawn with dry, patchy spots at the top and root rot at the bottom. Here are some prevention methods that go beyond how you water:

Plant Proper Grass and Groundcover

This one works by anchoring the soil in place, which in turn prevents erosion. For gentle slopes, try planting dense grass. For steeper slopes, try groundcovers like creeping thyme or strawberries.

Construct a Wall

If soil erosion and water runoff is a serious problems in your yard, it might be time to get building. Retaining walls help to both keep soil in place and reduce the risk of water runoff.

Build a Berm

Never heard of it? A berm is a raised area of soil that helps to slow down the flow of water and reduce erosion. If you have a particularly troublesome spot in your yard, consider building one.

Administer Mulch

Adding a layer of mulch to the topsoil helps retain moisture, which in turn reduces evaporation and prevents erosion. Plus, it’s a natural fertilizer for your soil, which improves soil structure. More on that next…

Improve Your Soil’s Structure

The stronger the structure of your soil is, the more it’s armed against erosion and water runoff. To improve soil structure, incorporate organic matter, like compost, peat moss, or mulch into your soil.

Or, Try This Solution for Perfect Irrigation AND Improved Soil Health

One of the basic solutions for watering a sloped lawn is watering in zones, where the top is watered more, and the bottom is watered less. But by definition, a slope moves gradually downward, so simply watering the top and bottom differently isn’t going to save your lawn from water runoff and soil erosion. To water it properly, you’re going to have to break it up into many smaller areas and administer different amounts of water to each.

Thankfully, there’s smart technology to do this work for you. The OtO device is a lawn treatment device that can irrigate up to ten zones, and it does this automatically and intelligently. It uses the specific measurements of your yard and then analyzes different environmental factors, such as local weather, windspeed, humidity, and temperature data. Then, it adjusts its watering schedule and delivers the perfectly right amount of water to different sections of your lawn.

And that’s just half of it. The OtO device also applies the right solutions to your plants and aids in soil repair, by choosing the most suitable time to fertilize and applying the non-toxic solution in small quantities. This allows for proper absorption by your lawn, minimizes runoff, and strengthens your soil structure.

Sloped lawn? No problem. Now you know what it takes to minimize erosion and water runoff, whether or not you’ve turned to the OtO device for some much-needed help. That’s what we’ll call slope success.