- 1). Evaluate the grade of the slope to determine its severity yourself or hire a professional. While a grade of up to 3 percent does not require special planning, a grade of 3 to 10 percent requires erosion control, while a higher grade requires retaining walls.
- 2). Build and install a French drain at the foot of the slope to carry excess water to an outlet point away from your house, plants or fixtures. Dig a 6-inch-wide and 8-inch-deep trench along the base of the slope. Cover the base with 1 inch of gravel before laying a perforated pipe over it. Position the pipe so its holes point downward. Cover the pipe with agricultural fabric before backfilling the trench with soil.
- 3). Dig a channel that measures a few inches deep around the circumference of the slope. Dig smaller furrows spaced a few inches apart along the hill that run into this channel from the top. Also dig furrows from the center channel to the drainage pipe along the base of the hill.
- 4). Prepare the soil by removing weeds and undesirable boulders or rocks from the slope. Leave randomly placed rocks over the hill for added appeal. Mix and spread equal amounts mulch and topsoil into the ground to a depth of 2 inches.
- 5). Dig holes into the soil where you want to plant shrubs or trees. Plant a shrub into each hole and backfill with soil, building a mound over the downhill part of the slope. Fill the mound so it forms a crescent around the side of the plant facing downhill. Form a small trench with the tip of your shovel that leads from the uphill side to the downhill side of the plant. Excess water is driven into the crescent from where it seeps into the soil, instead of rolling downhill.
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