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I had no idea what check logs were, but I found more information in Edible Forest Gardens as well as in Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, where they are referred to as check dams. I sought council from local permaculture practitioners, who suggested that I look into the concept of check logs.
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Oh, and the solution needed to be cheap and low tech, because after all, we’re just a volunteer group operating on a small budget. We were looking for a garden terrace solution that not only helped stabilize the hillside, but also helped increase fertility (to make up for all that had washed away).
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Any topsoil and nutrients that may have been there at one time had since washed away. The hillside was prone to land-sliding and erosion.
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In 2011, I started Hillside Community Garden, and as the name implies, we had a steep challenge. Oh, and don’t forget to grab your FREE DOWNLOAD: Building a Check Log Terrace Quick Start Guide at the end of the article. Are you challenged with sloping land? Here’s a solution to stop erosion on a hillside and create an easily-navigable terrace garden.
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