How to Grow Vegetables on a Hillside
- 1). Till the hillside in a horizontal direction with a rake or rototiller. Dig to a depth of 8 inches until the soil loosens. Remove any rocks, weeds or twigs and dispose of them. Till in a 1- or 2-inch layer of compost, manure or an equal combination of peat moss and compost or manure.
- 2). Set landscape timbers or stones around 4-foot-wide by 4- to 6-foot-long sections of soil. Place each bed area beneath the next, building down the hill to create terraced beds. Press the landscaping materials into the soil to secure it.
- 3). Fill the beds with compost or soil if the existing soil does not fill the bed space.
- 4). Plant vegetable seeds and plants in rows in the beds. Follow the specific planting guidelines provided on the plant labels and seed packets. Plant the rows across the slope instead of up and down.
- 5). Water the soil on days when it feels dry within the first inch. Water until the soil appears moist. Skip watering areas if they retain moisture --- such as at the bottom of the hill --- until they dry out.
- 6). Fill the beds with additional soil or compost as necessary. Vegetable gardens planted on a hillside may be more likely to experience erosion from runoff.
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