an environmentally friendly vegetation growth - enhancing erosion control blanket is formed from an elongated rectangular excelsior / wood wool mat . the mat is held together with threads stitched therein . when the finished blanket is placed atop the ground , the blanket serves to shield the earth area from wind and water erosion forces , without the presence of the plastic netting often used in the prior art . as the ground vegetation grows , it ultimately replaces the blanket which decomposes and furnishes the ground vegetation with a nutritive mulch .