6 Best Compost Blankets For Revegetating Bare Soil That Prevent Erosion
Explore the top 6 compost blankets for controlling erosion on bare soil. These options stabilize the ground and provide vital nutrients for revegetation.
Bare soil on a slope is a ticking clock. Every hard rain washes away precious topsoil, carving out rills and gullies that only get worse over time. Getting grass or native plants established is the only permanent fix, but seeds on a bare slope are just an expensive snack for birds and a washout waiting to happen. This is where erosion control blankets become one of the most useful tools on a small farm, acting as a temporary shield and a perfect nursery for new growth.
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What Are Compost & Erosion Control Blankets?
Think of an erosion control blanket as a temporary, biodegradable bandage for the earth. It’s a rolled mat, typically made of materials like straw, coconut fiber, or curled wood, all stitched together between layers of netting. Its first job is simple: to physically hold the soil in place and absorb the impact of raindrops, preventing that initial splash erosion that starts the whole messy process.
But its real magic is in its second job: creating a perfect micro-environment for seed germination. The blanket traps moisture against the soil, moderates temperature swings, and protects new seedlings from being scoured away by wind or water. As the new vegetation grows up through the matting, its roots take over the job of holding the soil. The blanket then slowly biodegrades, adding valuable organic matter back into the ground it just finished protecting.
Curlex I Excelsior: Top All-Purpose Blanket
When you’re not sure exactly what you need, Curlex is almost always the right answer. Made from unique, curled aspen wood fibers, it has a distinct three-dimensional structure that’s fantastic at slowing down water and trapping sediment. The wood fibers interlock, creating a strong but porous mat that holds moisture exceptionally well, giving your seeds the best possible start.
This is your go-to blanket for moderate slopes—think 3:1 or even 2:1 grades—and general revegetation projects. It’s durable enough to last a full growing season (around 12 months) before it starts to break down, giving plenty of time for perennial grasses and plants to get firmly established. For reseeding a ditch bank, a construction area, or a worn-out pasture hillside, Curlex provides a reliable, effective solution without being overkill.
North American Green S75 for Gentle Slopes
For less demanding situations, a simple straw blanket like the S75 is a smart, economical choice. These blankets are made from 100% agricultural straw stitched between two layers of lightweight, photodegradable plastic netting. They are designed for flatter areas and gentle slopes, typically no steeper than a 3:1 grade.
The main advantage here is cost and rapid breakdown. The straw decomposes quickly, usually within a year, making it ideal for areas where you want vegetation to take over fast, like establishing a new lawn or planting a wildflower meadow on level ground. Don’t use this in a drainage channel or on a steep bank. A heavy downpour can tear it or simply wash soil out from underneath it. It’s the right tool for the right job, and its job is low-stress erosion control.
Jute Matting: The Classic Biodegradable Choice
If leaving zero plastic behind is your top priority, jute matting is the answer. This is a classic, time-tested material made from woven, natural jute fibers. Unlike straw or excelsior blankets, jute is an open-weave mesh, meaning it doesn’t provide as much mulch cover on its own. Its primary role is to hold soil, seed, and a separate layer of mulch (like straw) in place.
Jute is the perfect choice for environmentally sensitive areas like stream banks, pond edges, or native plantings. Plants can easily grow right through the wide openings in the weave. It typically lasts for one to two seasons before completely biodegrading, leaving nothing behind but healthy soil. It requires a bit more work since you often apply mulch separately, but for a truly "leave no trace" solution, it can’t be beaten.
Coir Matting for Steep Slopes & Longevity
When you’re dealing with a seriously steep slope or a bank that gets a lot of runoff, you need the heavy-duty option: coir matting. Made from the tough, fibrous husks of coconuts, coir blankets are incredibly strong and durable. They are built to withstand higher water velocities and provide structural support for years, not months.
Coir’s secret weapon is its slow decomposition rate. It can take three to five years, or even longer, to fully break down. This extended lifespan gives the roots of shrubs, trees, and deep-rooted perennials ample time to grow and permanently stabilize the soil. It’s more expensive and heavier to install, but for that crumbling hillside behind the barn or the steep bank of a newly dug pond, coir provides peace of mind that the job will be done right, and for good.
Futerra 7020 TRM for High-Flow Channels
Sometimes, you’re not just fighting rainfall; you’re fighting concentrated, moving water. For drainage ditches, swales, and culvert outfalls, a standard blanket won’t cut it. You need a Turf Reinforcement Mat (TRM), and Futerra is a leading example. This is a different class of product entirely.
A TRM like Futerra combines biodegradable fibers with a permanent, non-degradable synthetic matrix. The natural fibers provide the initial erosion control and help seeds germinate, just like a normal blanket. But as they decay, the permanent 3D synthetic structure remains, creating a web that intertwines with the plant roots. This creates a "bionic" turf that can withstand surprisingly high water flows without scouring. It’s a permanent solution for armoring your most vulnerable channels.
Seeded Erosion Blankets: A One-Step Solution
For small, straightforward projects, a seeded blanket can be a huge time-saver. These are all-in-one products where the seed, a starter fertilizer, and a mulch medium are already embedded between the layers of the blanket. You literally just roll it out on prepared soil, stake it down, and add water.
The convenience is undeniable, and it guarantees perfectly even seed distribution. However, you give up control. You’re limited to the seed mix the manufacturer provides, which might be a generic contractor’s mix of fescues and ryegrass. If you’re trying to establish a specific native plant community or a particular pasture blend, this isn’t the right choice. But for quickly greening up a small, disturbed area around a new fence post or septic tank lid, the simplicity is hard to argue with.
Installing Your Blanket for Best Results
The best blanket in the world will fail if it’s installed poorly. Success comes down to three key steps, and skipping any of them is a mistake. First, prepare the ground. Rake the soil smooth, removing any large rocks, sticks, or clumps of sod. This is the time to apply your seed and any soil amendments—do it before you lay the blanket.
Second, ensure good soil contact. Unroll the blanket so it lays flat and snug against the ground without being stretched tight. If you’re on a slope or in a channel, start at the top and unroll downhill, and always lay the blanket in the direction of water flow. Overlap any seams by at least four to six inches. The blanket must be touching the soil everywhere to prevent water from running underneath it.
Finally, anchor it properly. Use 6-inch metal sod staples or biodegradable stakes every three to five feet throughout the body of the blanket and every one to two feet along the edges and seams. You cannot use too many staples. This is the single most common point of failure. A loose blanket is just a mud-caked tarp waiting to be washed away in the first big storm.
Secure landscaping fabric, edging, and more with these durable, 6-inch galvanized steel garden staples. Their sharp ends ensure easy penetration into various soil types, keeping your yard neat and tidy.
Choosing the right erosion control blanket is about honestly assessing your site’s needs—the steepness of the slope, the amount of water it will see, and how long you need protection. By matching the product to the problem, you’re not just stopping erosion; you’re actively building healthy, stable soil. A little bit of thoughtful work now will transform a problem area into a lush, green, and permanent part of your landscape.
