Farm Plastic Supply - American Excelsior QuickGrass Pro - Green Erosion Control Blanket Landscape Roll, Erosion Control Blanket

I’d been fighting washouts on a newly seeded slope behind my house, so I put the QuickGrass blanket to work as a simple, natural way to hold seed and soil in place. It’s an 8-foot-wide, 112.5-foot roll of aspen excelsior fibers with biodegradable netting, dyed green for an instant, tidy look. After a few weeks of weather and watering, here’s how it actually performed.

What it is and who it’s for

This is a classic excelsior erosion-control blanket: wood fibers crimped and curled to create a mat that hugs the ground, with netting to keep everything intact while vegetation establishes. It’s fully biodegradable, seed‑free, and meant to create the right microclimate for germination—think mulch-like moisture retention plus just enough shade at the surface. If you’re seeding a slope, protecting topsoil after grading, or stabilizing a swale with low-to-moderate flow, this fits the bill. It’s also a good choice if you prefer natural materials and don’t want synthetic plastic nets lingering on site.

Coverage is straightforward: one roll equals roughly 900 square feet (8' x 112.5'). For me, that spanned a modest backyard bank and a short section of a drainage path.

Installation and setup

Prep matters. I raked the area smooth, removed rocks and stubble that could lift the mat, seeded at the recommended rate, and firmed the seed into the soil with a roller. I then unrolled the blanket downslope so water would flow over seams rather than into them. Overlaps were 4–6 inches at the sides and ends. At the crest, I dug a 6-inch-deep anchor trench, tucked the top edge of the mat in, backfilled, and stapled through the compacted soil—this step keeps water from sneaking under the blanket and starting rills.

A few practical notes:
- Cutting: Regular scissors handled it fine; clean, easy cuts.
- Fasteners: Plan for a lot. On a slope, 2–3 landscape staples per square yard is a good rule. For a full roll, that’s roughly 200–300 staples. I started with 100 and had to run back for more.
- Handling: One person can carry and position it, but two people make unrolling and aligning overlaps quicker, especially in breezy conditions.

Performance in the field

The wood fibers do what they promise: once wet, they swell slightly and interlock, which helps the blanket sit tight against the ground. That close contact is crucial; it keeps seed in place and reduces underflow that can cause small gullies. Over several heavy rains, my seeded slope remained intact—no sheet erosion, no seed collecting at the bottom. The blanket created a sheltered layer that held moisture between waterings, and grass germinated up through the matrix as expected.

I was also impressed by how it tamed the small drainage path. While it’s not meant for high-velocity channels, in a lawn swale with moderate flow it slowed the water just enough to prevent scour. By the third week, I had a good stand of grass poking through.

As a side benefit, critter disturbance was minimal. With the fibers crisscrossing the soil surface, squirrels had little incentive to dig, and the netting discouraged casual scratching.

Durability and biodegradability

This blanket is designed to last long enough for vegetation to take over and then quietly break down. Through several storms and daily irrigation cycles, the netting and fiber mat held together well. The green dye gave immediate coverage and then softened to a more natural tone over time.

On biodegradability: the product I used had a biodegradable net, which I prefer. If you’re in a sensitive habitat or have pets and wildlife roaming through, that matters. You still want to remove any loose offcuts and keep an eye on edges, but I didn’t see frayed plastic snagging on anything—just a natural fiber mat gradually integrating into the soil profile as the lawn established.

Coverage, handling, and cutting

At 8 feet wide, it spans a slope quickly with fewer seams than narrower rolls, which reduces weak points. The roll size is manageable; I could shoulder it and move it around the yard without much trouble. Cutting and shaping around beds and obstacles was simple, and the fibers didn’t shed excessively.

I did run into one annoyance on a second roll: a section had been wound so tightly that layers had partially stuck together. It wasn’t impossible to work with, but it turned a 10-minute section into a half-hour of careful unwinding and, ultimately, trimming away a few feet that refused to separate cleanly. It seemed like a packaging quirk rather than a design flaw, but it’s worth noting in case you’re scheduling a tight install window—inspect the roll ends before you start.

Where it shines

• Seed protection on slopes: It excels at keeping seed where you put it, even in heavy rain.
• Soil contact: The curled aspen fibers grip the ground and behave like a gentle, breathable mulch.
• Quick, clean installs: The green surface looks tidy on day one and reduces dust and mud tracking immediately.
• Natural materials: The biodegradable build and wood fiber composition are better aligned with eco-minded sites than plastic-heavy blankets.

Where it could be better

• Quality consistency: The overly tight roll section I encountered made deployment frustrating and wasted a bit of material.
• Staple guidance in the box: The blanket benefits from heavy stapling, but the packaging doesn’t stress just how many you’ll need. A simple placement diagram and count per square yard would help DIY users avoid under-fastening.
• High-energy flow limits: This isn’t the blanket for steep channels or high-velocity water. If you’re managing serious flows or very steep slopes, you’ll want a heavier-duty ECB or a turf reinforcement mat.

Tips for best results

• Overdo fasteners, not underdo: Use 2–3 staples per square yard, more at seams and high points. Along edges, go every 12–18 inches.
• Anchor the top: Always trench and bury the upslope edge to prevent undermining.
• Lay with the flow: Run the blanket parallel with water flow and shingle overlaps downslope.
• Establish fast: Seed generously, fertilize if appropriate, and water to keep the seedbed consistently moist under the mat for the first couple of weeks.
• Inspect after big storms: Tap down any lifted edges and add staples where you see gaps.
• Keep trimmings tidy: Collect offcuts so they don’t blow into beds or drains.

The bottom line

The QuickGrass blanket did the core job I needed it to do: it kept my seedbed intact through pounding rain and helped grass establish evenly across a slope that previously scoured after every storm. It installs easily with basic tools, cuts cleanly, and, once in place, behaves like a smart mulch-and-net combo that breathes, buffers, and buys your seedlings time. The biodegradable construction is a practical plus; I’m not left chasing plastic net scraps months later.

It’s not a catch-all solution—you still need correct grading, good seed-to-soil contact, and plenty of staples. It’s also not the right choice for high-energy water or very steep, bare channels. And I’d love to see more consistent winding quality across rolls to avoid those stuck layers.

Recommendation: I recommend the QuickGrass blanket for homeowners, landscapers, and light-duty site work where the goal is to stabilize freshly seeded slopes and gentle swales quickly with a natural, biodegradable mat. It’s effective, easy to work with, and offers reliable erosion protection during establishment. Just plan your staple count generously, anchor the top edge, and inspect the roll before you start.