bunti, unless you give adequate watering to these 100 juniper or whatever you choose you're going to have 100 dead ones to pull out.

This is the worst time of year to plant a hillside and consider other alternatives, like terracing using landscape timbers. Figure out and map where the erosion is the worst and terrace those sections first. Behind the timbers you may want perforated piping to lead the excess water to drain laterally.

Seriously, you start digging up a hillside to plant as we approach summer then you will have deeper erosion issues.

What is the pitch of the hill? Is it all on the same grade? Where does the hillside end? At the street? In the neighbors yard? Into your driveway?

Does it pitch toward your home or away from it?

Terracing would give you level areas to plant into and time to choose from the many deer resistant shrubs and perennials in fall so they have time to settle in, grow their roots you need to stabilize the hillside.

You seem very frustrated and that is understandable. Please come back with photos or descriptions that answer my questions about pitch of the hillside.

I have not actually successfully tried this yet (and I'm sure dottie's right about summertime for almost anything), but I keep thinking that Mondo Grass would work in the fall. I hear that deer don't really like it. I know that I stuck a few plants into a red clay slope once or twice without success, but I'm not sure when I tried it.

I think its a great idea because if you just buy a couple little clumps and divide them up a little and plant them in a favorable location, you will end up with a small mountain with hundreds (thousands?) of individual plants that could be planted somewhere else in a year or two.

chas, I think it would depend on the source and volume of the water creating the erosion. Hard rainfall can be deterred by a deep compacted layer of netted pinestraw unless the incline of the hill is severe. Sources of stormwater flows can be redirected or channeled to catchment basins for absorption.

I think that further disturbing of the existing soil with any plant material would be a costly and laborious waste at this time of year because new plants at the volume bunti proposes would require watering and take perhaps years to settle in and alleviate the erosion problem. In the interim, there are weeds and weeding tasks to do and walking on a hillside to accomplish that will affect the newly planted area.

So , if bunti will return and describe the situation more fully then others can make suggestions on plant materials.

Here are the pictures of the slope. We are planning to put more soil and make slope angle less. Do you think mulch will work?

We are planning to collect rain water. Even if there is any rain water, we are planning to have drain pipes so the soil won't wash away.

bunti, relax. The builder has to add another 2' of dirt, compact it and follow all the codes regarding grading.

You're worrying prematurely.

bunti, go into google and pull up Mecklenburg County Real Estate lookup. Choose the first one on the list. Left corner, put in the address of the closest property , or, if this is your parcel before building click on your parcel i.d.number left of your name.

Top of that page click on Polaris . It will zoom to the property. Right side top you have a choice of topo or hybrid.

This will give you a better idea of the area topography and grades prior to your clearing to build the land. Left column down lower you have choices for info on other impacts to your property.

On a pad that high, you will drain rather quickly (unless site on the other side of the house is much higher than yours.

Is October the projected finish month?

We are building the house by ourselves. This is the 3rd time we are doing grading. When the graders are here, we want to finish the work. So we don't want to pay them again. We are filling around the house with 35 loads of dirt. As you see in the photo, next to our house there is a big drop and the lot is empty.

What have the county inspectors advised?

bunti,

The best erosion control is any type of grasses. There are many ornamental grasses that will grow fine there, you will have to water them real good when you are done grading tho. Trianglejohn is right, clumpers are the best.

There are many types you can use, a trip to a local nursery will help.

I have the same problem, and this is what I planted. I planted lirope, the clumping kind, sold everywhere, also, beautiful ornamental grasses, daylillies, (they are wonderful!), St. John's Wort, also blue rug juniper, spirea, a "broom", crape myrtle, (a smaller variety, can't kill them), to name just a few.

Plant some taller shrubs too, to help cover the ground from heavy rains. It will look nice if you plant a variety there, like a nice garden.

Be patient. It takes a while for everything to grow in. Some things will spread, like the St. John's wort, others you will have to separate for more, like the day lillies.

Good luck to you and your new property.

Thank you for all the suggestions. We are still working on the grading. I want to plant them in fall mostly.