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Gardening on a slope with clay soil - adding trenches and bricks?

squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
in Problem solving
My garden is on a slope. It has four stone steps (each around 2 meters depth). Beds on one side. 

It’s not yet planted up. I think when it rains (will it ever rain again?!) the water will run down, taking soil and nutrients with it.

Given its on a slope, when I plant out, is it worth digging in small trenches above planting holes and adding bricks under planting hole?  This way, the water puddles more around the plant before making its way down.

The only reason I’m hesitant about doing this is because I have clay soil which is compacted and I don’t want to end up waterlogging my plants when it rains heavily in autumn and winter. 

I’m improving the soil now (compost and manure) but of course it will still be clay. 
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  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    What was on the slope before? If you have stripped it back to earth, yes there would be a danger of erosion as what was there before would have been holding it all together. I’m not sure what the trenches behind the plants would achieve, nor the bricks tbh. Can you explain your trench idea a bit? Where does the captured water runoff go to and wouldn't the soil from above just wash into it and clog it up?

    Better to create little pockets of level soil that are retained at the front. Basically terracing, but it does not have to be a major engineering job or have a formal look. Clay on a slope can absorb a fair amount of water if there are plants and plant roots there to absorb it and knit the soil together.  Think big rockery. The problem if you plant into a bare slope without levelling the planting area is not so much rain, unless it’s really heavy, but watering until the plants until established - contents of the watering can just run straight down. That’s what I found on my steep land with clay soil (especially in summer when it’s baked). The areas which have been properly levelled and terraced are fine.

    As always, a photo would help to understand!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    I have this photo... 
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    This is where I got the trenches and bricks idea from:

    https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-plant-on-a-slope/


  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Ah, thanks for that, the photo makes it much clearer. Your slope looks very gentle, compared to mine anyway, which are almost vertical in places. I also thought you meant putting bricks under the actual plant roots, duh! What Stephen describes is exactly what I do, and describe above, but with larger slabs/stones to deal with the steeper slope - his ‘ditches’ are really just levelled off areas of soil to plant into with the soil retained in front of the plant. If you wanted it to look more formal, you could run a row of bricks level with each riser of your shallow steps, maybe just slightly higher than soil level, to the fence, and backfill behind them. This, I think would level the soil sufficiently, so basically you have a series of stepped beds level with each step. If you are worried about water backing up behind each little wall, just leave seep holes/ the odd gap and it will trickle through on it’s own. 
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    edited April 2021
    That looks like a gradual slope to me and doesn't look like a huge problem. Our whole garden's on a slope, some bits are terraced and others aren't. We also have clay soil and
    only one small area of greater slope is difficult to water.
    If you are really worried, you could install a line of bricks from each step in the paving right across to the fence if that makes sense.

    Snap, Nollie, I posted earlier but omitted to send it!  Great minds think alike.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    edited April 2021
    Ah thanks! Now I understand what you meant by “terracing”...

    I guess that’s a job for the weekend.

    it is a gentle slope... do you think I can get away with doing nothing..? Or will I pay the price come watering in the summer? It’s my first summer here and previously the bed was all lawn.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    You could get away with doing nothing, why not wait for a good downpour and see what happens? If it doesn’t all slump down, you could just plant it up, levelling the soil a bit around each plant then mulch thickly over the soil after said downpour that will probably be enough to retain water. Personally I would do the little line/terrace thing as I think you have made a lovely job of the steps and it would finish it off nicely, especially if you have some leftover stones to do it with. As @Lizzie27 says, it doesn’t look like a huge problem!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    Thanks both - very much appreciate the input.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    You’re welcome, let is know what happens when it rains!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • squirral87k4-WvGwTsquirral87k4-WvGwT Posts: 167
    Will do! It hasn’t rained properly in a month in London!
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