[JohnB]

I expect although it is not settled yet that a neighbour will be selling me a bit of land which is all hill varying from steep to very steep. I want to terrace it. Any ideas?? Note I have no transport other than my bicycles and trailers and I live a fair bit from the shops. So will have to order anything I can't collect on the bike or trailer. I am thinking sleepers for the terracing with a concrete path running roughly up the centre of the land with the terraces either side. I guess I am talking about a fifth of an acre and use it to grow food and as extra storage for my firewood. Any thoughts much appreciated. Thanks JB

[tode]

It all depends on what sort of budget you have to get the place in shape. I would think that if youve got about 1000 m2, then youll have a hard time doing it by hand.
Have you thought about getting in a small digger to do the hard work?
What's the soil like? and how deep?

[JohnB]

It all depends on what sort of budget you have to get the place in shape. I would think that if youve got about 1000 m2, then you ll have a hard time doing it by hand.
Have you thought about getting in a small digger to do the hard work?
What's the soil like? and how deep?

No way to get a digger in? All will be done by hand. I do have the rest of my life!! I am not sure of the size of the plot a fifth of an acre may be an exaggeration. No, on second thoughts after looking at it 1000m2 might be quite accurate (is that fifth of acre).
Whats the soil like? a very small area has been garden before the rest was grazed or left to go to weed. If I dig down a short way I come to brown slightly clay like soil with lots of white (chalk?) stones. Am in Linconshire on the wolds soil is very varaible so cannot say that the soil wil be same everywhere? Thanks JB

[Trillium]

Sleepers are the best idea. If you had access to a lot of stone, you could get some mortar in and build a few stone terraces. Sounds like you'll need to bring in a load of decent soil as well.

If possible it might work out best if you save your money for a while and get a truck load of sleepers/wood delivered. The small delivery cost would be worth all the hassle and struggle. Just be sure to stash the wood so thieves don't help themselves.
I'd also recommend you go with treated wood as a hillside is not something you want to re-do every few years. These days the treatment stuff is not as toxic as before and would be safe to use. If you have hesitations, then line the terrace 'boxes' with heavy duty plastic sheeting (like 6 mil vapor barrier), slit a number of drainage holes in the bottom and fill with soil. On my boxes, I've draped the plastic over the top edges and have fixed them down permanently with treated 2x2's (won't rot, won't flap free).

Some soil can be saved from leveling out paths that you'd need to cut into the hillside for easier access, especially to haul barrow loads of manure, etc. Highly recommend paths as well as your physical abilities to navigate box edges may decrease over the years.

[JohnB]

"Sleepers are the best idea"________                                                    
 I was thinking of many different things brick stone even breeze blocks but i am pretty sure all would be very expensive slow and would require me to learn a new skill..... *  that.  I think sleepers held in place with half round fence posts? I should then not need to put the sleepers below ground?

"If possible it might work out best if you save your money for a while and get a truck load of sleepers/wood delivered. The small delivery cost would be worth all the hassle and struggle."_____________
My normal method would be to use a zero interest credit card if i can get one and then save up and pay off the credit card when 0 interest runs out.
 
I'd also recommend you go with treated wood as a hillside is not something you want to re-do every few years. These days the treatment stuff is not as toxic as before and would be safe to use. If you have hesitations, then line the terrace 'boxes' with heavy duty plastic sheeting (like 6 mil vapor barrier), slit a number of drainage holes in the bottom and fill with soil. On my boxes, I've draped the plastic over the top edges and have fixed them down permanently with treated 2x2's (won't rot, won't flap free)."_______
      Not sure what you mean here some of the terraces will have 4 foot high walls most will be a couple of sleepers high IE about 18 inches. Unless I do lots of "boxes" which may be quite narrow. What is the plastic for? to protect the wood or to protect the soil from the chemicals in the wood? Another reason for using wood is the assumption that water may drain easier between the sleepers.

"Some soil can be saved from leveling out paths that you'd need to cut into the hillside for easier access, especially to haul barrow loads of manure, etc. Highly recommend paths as well as your physical abilities to navigate box edges may decrease over the years." _________
Am I right in thinking you I should have paths going accross the hill as well up IE one going up the hill then some going accross the hill as well. Must admit it would be hard to move stuff in wheel barrow on some parts of the hill without side paths? Thanks very much for your help  JB

[Greengirl]

You may need to put sawn sleepers in vertically in the very steep bits JohnB. The weight of the terraces behind would be vast.

[JohnB]

You may need to put sawn sleepers in vertically in the very steep bits JohnB. The weight of the terraces behind would be vast.

  As in? How high do you think i can go before I have to put them in vertically? And do I need to have  30% or 50% of the sleeper in the ground. Thanks JB

[tode]

Sounds like your soil is very much like round here. If youre in the Wolds, youll be on the chalk and sandstone.
Two important points:
Don’t make your terraces too wide: your retaining walls/sleepers will be very high and you'll be down into the clay/stone on the uphill side of the terrace. ( A retaining wall 4 feet high is starting starting to be a serious project, needing proper foundations)
Allow for controlled drainage: whether stone wall or sleepers, make sure that theres drainage along the whole length. The best solution is to put a geotextile (like fleece, but thicker) behind the "wall", which allows water to seep through, but holds back the soil.

If you could post a little sketch of the plot, indicating approx. difference in level, access, fences etc, I could give you a few ideas (I used to be in earth-moving business), or you can mail me.
Are you sure you cant get a machine in? Some of the little diggers only need a 4 – 5 foot passage now. Its worth taking down a bit of fence or hedge if that’s all it needs.

[Salmo]

You will need to work out a system of moving the soil so that you end up with an even depth of top soil. If you just simply pull the high end down to fill the low end there will be double depth of topsoil at the bottom and none at the top.

If you start with the bottom terrace, take the top soil off and put to one side, level the sub soil, bring the top soil down from the terrace above and so on. When you reach the top terrace use the top soil put aside from the bottom terrace.

[catllar]

We live on a steep hill and once we got bored with building walls we used railway sleepers to terrace and keep the mountain in place. In order to fix them we firstly levelled off the ground (we're on rock and shale) then placed the sleeper - we predrilled the end of each one with a masonary bit 10mm and used 10mm reinforcing rod precut to about 50-60cms and hammered them into the sleeper and down into the ground. The next course was laid on like brickwork (staggered joints), and drilled through both levels of sleeper, rebarred and so on, so each layer of sleeper goes into the onebelow. That way we didn't have to sink any into the ground. They've been in place now for 6 years  and all is good. We have them up to 4 courses high and have backed them up with permeable weed-mat to prevent the soil from washing out. We did burn out a lot of drill-bits and a couple of drills however, but the result is great and  a lot quicker than building walls. Good luck whatever you decide to do!

[JohnB]

Sounds like your soil is very much like round here. If youre in the Wolds, youll be on the chalk and sandstone.
Two important points:
Don’t make your terraces too wide: your retaining walls/sleepers will be very high and you'll be down into the clay/stone on the uphill side of the terrace. ( A retaining wall 4 feet high is starting starting to be a serious project, needing proper foundations)
Allow for controlled drainage: whether stone wall or sleepers, make sure that theres drainage along the whole length. The best solution is to put a geotextile (like fleece, but thicker) behind the "wall", which allows water to seep through, but holds back the soil.

If you could post a little sketch of the plot, indicating approx. difference in level, access, fences etc, I could give you a few ideas (I used to be in earth-moving business), or you can mail me.
Are you sure you cant get a machine in? Some of the little diggers only need a 4 – 5 foot passage now. Its worth taking down a bit of fence or hedge if that’s all it needs.

geotextile (like fleece, but thicker) behind the "wall", which allows water to seep through, but holds back the soil.
Does this sit between the wall and the soil? I thought that the soil would not was out from between sleepers? I never saw that as a problem. Would garvel do instead? Thanks JB

[JohnB]

We live on a steep hill and once we got bored with building walls we used railway sleepers to terrace and keep the mountain in place. In order to fix them we firstly levelled off the ground (we're on rock and shale) then placed the sleeper - we predrilled the end of each one with a masonary bit 10mm and used 10mm reinforcing rod precut to about 50-60cms and hammered them into the sleeper and down into the ground. The next course was laid on like brickwork (staggered joints), and drilled through both levels of sleeper, rebarred and so on, so each layer of sleeper goes into the onebelow. That way we didn't have to sink any into the ground. They've been in place now for 6 years  and all is good. We have them up to 4 courses high and have backed them up with permeable weed-mat to prevent the soil from washing out. We did burn out a lot of drill-bits and a couple of drills however, but the result is great and  a lot quicker than building walls. Good luck whatever you decide to do!

     I am not sure that a rod would work as the soil isn't that hard? What does rebarred mean? Are you fixing each sleeper to the one below and not one bar going through all of them? Thanks JB

[JohnB]

You will need to work out a system of moving the soil so that you end up with an even depth of top soil. If you just simply pull the high end down to fill the low end there will be double depth of topsoil at the bottom and none at the top.

If you start with the bottom terrace, take the top soil off and put to one side, level the sub soil, bring the top soil down from the terrace above and so on. When you reach the top terrace use the top soil put aside from the bottom terrace.

Thank you I will remmeber that. JB

[Bernard]

Two points from when I had a terraced garden -

if the terrace is held up by flags stood on edge and if they happen to face the sun, the soil warms quickly to the full depth which is very good for tomatoes and the squash family.

it is very easy to rig a polythene tunnel along a narrow terrace.

[devondave]

can you put some pic on here so we can get a better idea of how steep and how big, might get lots more idea's, sounds like you could make it look really good