In the red-soil hilly region, South China, severe soil erosion has made the region one of the zones of degraded ecosystem in China. To explore relationships between vegetation restoration models and amelioration of soil physical and chemical properties, and rational utilization of the land resources in the hilly region, effects of vegetation restoration models using different vegetations, such as grasses, orchard, fruit treess + grasses, fruit treess + grasses & crops and fruit treess + crops, on soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed with the gray incidence analysis method. Results show that the effects on soil properties varied from vegetation to vegetation and from model to model. The model that had Paspalum notatum flugge covering the whole plot was the optimal in integrated effect, and followed by the models that had fruit trees + crops, fruit treess + grasses & crops and fruit trees + grasses. And the models with vegetation interplanted horizontally were better than those vertically, and overall coverage than ribbon coverage. In restoring vegetation in severely eroded hilly areas, South China, it is advisable to take the model of overall coverage of Paspalum notatum flugge and the model of horizontal interplantation of fruit trees and crops into priority consideration for extension in the hilly regions, South China.