How to Grow Grass on a Steep Decline

Remove all weeds from the area in the weeks leading up to your desired planting time.

Till the top three inches of the soil and remove any sticks, stones or other debris that you encounter. Work in one pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of hillside.

Spread your desired grass seed over the area. You can use a spreader if your ground is flat enough, otherwise you will have to spread it by hand. Do your best to ensure an even distribution over the entire area. The amount of seed you need will depend on how big an area your have. The seed container should list how much to use over a given area.

Lay an erosion control mat over the entire area, and secure it to the ground with garden staples. Without the mat your seeds would simply fall down the slope at the first rainfall. Use a biodegradable mat so that eventually it will just disappear.

Water the slope until the soil is damp to a depth of around 4 inches. After that, water lightly each day and stop watering if you see puddles develop. Taper off your watering regimen as the seedlings develop.

Mow the lawn as frequently as you desire. If you chose a low-maintenance seed, you will likely only have to mow once each year. Mow the grass back down to about 4 inches tall in the spring, once the grass has developed seed heads. If your lawn mower can't handle the slope, you can use a weed whacker to mow the lawn. It is a much slower and more strenuous process without a mower, so you may just want to skip mowing altogether.