Netting made from jute can be very useful in your home garden or landscaping project as a method to prevent erosion and encourage plant growth. Jute netting helps reduce soil erosion and provides cover for regrowth. Try these tips for using jute erosion control netting in your garden.
Erosion Control Blankets
Erosion control blankets are biodegradable, open-weave blankets that create short-term shelter for seeding and establishing vegetation on bare and sloped landscapes. You might have seen large erosion control blankets on roadsides, where they are often placed to support emergent vegetation (normally grass) for erosion prevention.
These blankets are made of natural, biodegradable fiber — often jute, straw, or coir. The natural material protects bare soil and newly seeded areas against rain and wind. This allows seeds to germinate and grow root systems, which will eventually lead to established plants. As plants or grasses grow through the mesh, they are stabilized. Later, the erosion control netting decomposes to allow further growth.
Benefits of Jute Netting
Made from the woven fibers of the jute plant, jute netting, or mesh, is a biodegradable, natural, and flexible material used for temporary erosion control and selective plant establishment. Jute mesh has openings in the weaves, which trap seeds and provide a protective environment for germination. This mesh allows light and water to pass through, encouraging strong plant growth and enhanced mineral content in the soil.
How to Use Jute in Your Garden
Jute netting can help prevent erosion on riverbanks, embankments, slopes, and other landscape features. It is commonly applied to roadside and general landscaping, garden and plant beds, wetland and land reclamation, and to protect other land features prone to erosion.
Erosion control netting can also be applied alone as an alternative to wood chips or straw, on flat sites as a method of dust control, or to support seed germination. To use jute mesh correctly, first you must clear away debris and excess weeds from the slope or plain where you plan to place the netting. Apply netting up and down the slope, never along the contour. Anchor the netting every few feet as you go, and overlap sections.
This material doesn’t work in every situation where soil erosion and water runoff is a problem. Jute netting will not be helpful in areas with steep, sandy slopes, very rocky hills, or significant fire-burned vegetation. It should also not be used in areas where runoff is expected to be high.
You might want to try coir blankets for areas with slightly higher runoff and erosion problems. On average, coir mats provide solid support for up to five years, which is enough time to allow vegetation to take root, grow, and stabilize. In addition, coir blankets and mats are relatively easy to install.
Most gardeners will find jute erosion control netting useful as a way of protecting their soil from wind and water damage, as seeds take time to germinate and become established. Use these tips when using jute in your garden, and add coir blankets for bigger erosion problems.