With Dirt Locker®, you can get as creative as you want designing your system to fit the needs of your slope or your imagination! Click here for 12 common designs that accommodate several different slope types, but don't feel limited by these options as the Dirt Locker® system is incredibly versatile. You have the freedom to connect the units and rows to fit your individual needs.

Additionally, if you want easy access through out your Dirt Locker® garden, we recommend adding a zig-zag stepping path. Click here to watch the steps below.

• For extra support, consider adding landscaping material to designated units before filling with soil and stones/stone placer.
• You will need to add a J hook to each side of these designated units.
• Fill 3/4 with soil, then add 1/4 of stones on top, or fill units with soil and then add a stone placer on top.

If you've opted to add irrigation, we highly recommend the drip irrigation system to target the units growing plants to conserve water and save money on your water bill!

Share your unique designs with us on social media by tagging @dirtlocker_official, or email your photos to info@dirtlocker.com!

As of now, we do not provide installations as our product is meant to be DIY. Some customers opt to hire their own contractor and arrange their own installation. However, we are hoping to offer these services in the future so stay tuned. In the meantime, we are happy to talk with your contractor and ensure they have all the information to complete your project. We also recommend waiting until you have all the materials on site before scheduling or coordinating your installation date as estimated delivery times are not guaranteed by shipping carriers.

The cost will depend on a few different factors including location and terrain, as well as whether or not you or the contractor will be providing soil/ access to hillside, irrigation, and planting.

You do not need to clear any dead vegetation on your hillside prior to installation, but any alive, green weeds or grass will deplete the nitrogen in the soil. You can spot spray the weeds with straight white vinegar solution (1 gallon vinegar, 1 cup table salt, 1 tablespoon of dish detergent in a spray bottle) and wait until they are killed and completely dried out before install. You can also use the cardboard from the packaging to lay on top of any grass you wish to kill naturally. Then, feel free to compost the cardboard in your garden to add beneficial bacteria to the soil for increased microbial activity which in turn improves soil health, increases worm activity and promotes plant growth.

In order for the Dirt Locker® system to work effectively, the plants need to have the ability to grow their roots down into the hillside, therefore preventing future erosion. Any material besides the natural dirt on the hillside, will prevent the plants from rooting. However, for cells that you are designating for steps, you can use a landscaping fabric either on the bottom of the cell, or on top of the soil prior to filing your step with stones, gravel or a stepping stone.

‌

-->HOW DO I ACCOMMODATE FOR UNEVEN TERRAIN, BENDS AND SLOPES STEEPER THAN 36° ON MY HILLSIDE?

We recommend disconnecting the rows from the system to accommodate any uneven terrain, bends or steep slopes as to not add any extra pressure on the center slot causing a misshapen Dirt Locker® to form. You do not want a "V" or wavy shape. If this occurs during installation, be sure to review the chart via the Installation PDF to ensure you have the right Dirt Locker® size and width, then remove the row tab from the center slot, and secure it to the hillside with a j hook. This will allow you to transition around a corner or curve by disconnecting each "network", or row, from the row above it to prevent distortion. It is the roundness, or "C" shape that give Dirt Lockers their strength. Keep in mind, if you have a varying slope that requires both the medium and large Dirt Locker® sizes, they are interconnectable.

The same application applies to slopes over 36° as to eliminate the added force from the row above and secure the row with additional j hooks. That said, you might want to have a few extra j hooks on hand, and depending on the scale of your project, potentially 30-50% more.

Watch the separate rows application here.

‌

We recommend disconnecting the rows from the system to accommodate any uneven terrain, bends or steep slopes as to not add any extra pressure on the center slot causing a misshapen Dirt Locker® to form. You do not want a "V" or wavy shape. If this occurs during installation, be sure to review the chart via the Installation PDF to ensure you have the right Dirt Locker® size and width, then remove the row tab from the center slot, and secure it to the hillside with a j hook. This will allow you to transition around a corner or curve by disconnecting each "network", or row, from the row above it to prevent distortion. It is the roundness, or "C" shape that give Dirt Lockers their strength. Keep in mind, if you have a varying slope that requires both the medium and large Dirt Locker® sizes, they are interconnectable.

The same application applies to slopes over 36° as to eliminate the added force from the row above and secure the row with additional j hooks. That said, you might want to have a few extra j hooks on hand, and depending on the scale of your project, potentially 30-50% more.

Watch the separate rows application here.

The Dirt Locker® works in conjunction with any type of soil across the globe from condensed clay, to rocky, sandy, or silt, you name it! Therefore, the best soil for backfilling your Dirt Locker® system is going to be closest to the native soil that exists on the slope, and if possible, to mix in some compost matter at 25% compost 75% native soil. If that is not possible, we recommend 75% topsoil, and 25% compost or similar mixture. A nursery could give guidance if you are still unsure on what is best to use in your specific region. As your plants grow within the nurturing aid of the Dirt Locker®, it will start to change the composition of the soil underneath the system to much richer, nutrient dense soil. For rocky soil that may be difficult to install the J hooks, we recommend drilling into your soil using a 1/2” drill bit 16-24”L to get the depth you need to secure the system in place. Calculate fill in cubic feet by multiplying .375 by Small quantity, 1 by Medium quantity, and 1.5 by Large quantity. Divide total cubic feet by 27 to get total cubic yards.