some pics for reference of the hillside

Before anyone can advise specifically we need to know where you are located. Also you need to think why the Vinca didn't grow. Weeds probably weren't the only problem. Was it watered? Whatever the issue was it probably wouldn't be any different for the Trachelospermum. Also I looked up Snow n Summer and it's said to be of restricted growth habit, 2 x 3 feet wide. So it's bushier and less spreading than the basic species. Is that really what you need for covering a slope?

P.s. Pine bark doesn't make soils acidic and if you are going to use the jute erosion fabric you don't really need the mulch as well. The fabric is a mulch. You could cut the weeds down and leave them to rot under the fabric.

I live in northern Mississippi, zone 7b.

The jute erosion control blankets I see on amazon look like a pretty open weave....wouldn't weeds still be able to get up through it?

And I did water my vinca quite a bit. I have dense clay soil and I didn't really amend it. Too hard to get a tiller of any kind on this steep slope. I dunno, I'm just scared to be spending this kind of money on something that may or may not work...

You can get different hole sizes in jute or coir matting. Have you already paid for the plants? If not I'd wait until you've done the research.

I don't think you're going to be happy with the results. Jute erosion control fabric has a very short lived existence and will start rotting away in very few weeks ... before jasmine really begins to take hold and cover. (It works better for seeding or closely spaced, fast growing groundcover.) I think you need something thicker ... like excelsior, coconut coir, or straw matting ... something that does not allow much light to get to the soil and has a synthetic matrix holding it together. You need to run it over the shoulder of the shoulder of the slope for stability.

In addition, trying to establish a groundcover without first killing the weeds and maintaining their absence is going to result in a disappointing mess. While it's going to be technically possible to eradicate weeds and keep them away by strictly "organic" methods, you'll need to devote a lot of time, over a lengthy period, in order to accomplish it. Or, have a team of slaves. It would be much easier and more effective to use chemical means to kill the weeds and keep them away (in addition to EC blanket). That would be starting with Round-Up and treating with Preen on a schedule, until manual control becomes realistic.

Well my idea wasn’t just to put a jute blanket down. I was going to put a layer of mulch down first, then put the jute on top to keep the mulch from washing down the hill. I saw at Lowe’s today they had a burlap barrier. I know burlap is made from jute, but would burlap be stronger and a better use for my idea?

My wife was suggesting instead of me spacing the plants I bought too far apart I put them close together on one section of the hill, and just worry about getting that section established and that way it’s easier to keep that small section weed free as opposed to trying to tackle the whole hill in one season, which obviously only 20 plants aren’t going to fill in a whole hillside very fast anyways. It may take 3-4 seasons but if I did it in clusters like that maybe it would work better?

I think I might just divide the hill into 1/3rds. Plant the 20 asiatic jasmine plants fairly close together and then weed block the rest of the hill with that Dewitt Pro-5 barrier.....then the next year do the middle section, and so forth...

"I was going to put a layer of mulch down first, then put the jute on top..."

I believe you're going to end up with some mulch washing down under the fabric and bagging near the bottom of wherever it is pinned.

I agree with your recent suggestion of converting a limited area to groundcover and focusing more intently on its maintenance. This gives you an opportunity to evaluate results before going too deeply in the wrong direction.

Still, I would not use jute mesh or burlap because of the quick disintegration. They'll be falling apart before your groundcover is established. You need one of the thicker materials as mentioned previously.

@acarsme, I have a situation almost identical to yours. I'm currently on day 3 of removing the tall, aggressive weeds by hand. Then I plan to use RoundUp and Preen to try and get ahead of the weeds. I would like to plant a fast growing, weed suppressing ground cover on the steepest part of my slope as well. I'm just curious how your project turned out? FWIW, I'm in Birmingham, AL.

@Yardvaark I just posted a new question! Thank you. :)