Difference between revisions of "Fix Poor Soil Drainage"
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#*Your lawn’s slope should ideally lower by a couple inches (5 cm) every ten feet (3 m) from your house. | #*Your lawn’s slope should ideally lower by a couple inches (5 cm) every ten feet (3 m) from your house. | ||
#[[Install-Gutters|Install gutters and drains]]. If the roof of your house or shed is adding water to a certain spot in your hard, redirect the water by installing water gutters and drains. Definitely do this if water is pooling directly alongside your house, since it may get into the foundation and create mold and cracks. Make sure you place your drains where the ground slopes away from your house so you don’t create a new problem while solving the old one.<ref name="rf2" /> | #[[Install-Gutters|Install gutters and drains]]. If the roof of your house or shed is adding water to a certain spot in your hard, redirect the water by installing water gutters and drains. Definitely do this if water is pooling directly alongside your house, since it may get into the foundation and create mold and cracks. Make sure you place your drains where the ground slopes away from your house so you don’t create a new problem while solving the old one.<ref name="rf2" /> | ||
| − | #*[[Build | + | #*[[Build a Rainwater Collection System|Installing a rain barrel]] to collect water from your gutters is a great way to minimize the amount that your lawn has to absorb. |
#Create a drainage creek. Map out a creek bed that will carry water downhill from the affected area. Remove 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) of soil along this course. Compact the ground so the bed is flat and the sides are angled up and outward, away from the bed, so surrounding water flows in. Cover the bed and sides with landscape fabric to keep weeds and grass from growing. Then add a ½ inch (1.25 cm) layer of pea gravel over the bed.<ref name="rf5">http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/landscape-basics/how-to-create-a-dry-creek/</ref> | #Create a drainage creek. Map out a creek bed that will carry water downhill from the affected area. Remove 12 to 15 inches (30 to 38 cm) of soil along this course. Compact the ground so the bed is flat and the sides are angled up and outward, away from the bed, so surrounding water flows in. Cover the bed and sides with landscape fabric to keep weeds and grass from growing. Then add a ½ inch (1.25 cm) layer of pea gravel over the bed.<ref name="rf5">http://www.bhg.com/gardening/landscaping-projects/landscape-basics/how-to-create-a-dry-creek/</ref> | ||
#*Be mindful of neighbors when plotting your creek’s course. Diverting standing water might solve your drainage issues, but flooding their yard may create whole new problems. | #*Be mindful of neighbors when plotting your creek’s course. Diverting standing water might solve your drainage issues, but flooding their yard may create whole new problems. | ||
===Treating the Soil and Adding Plants=== | ===Treating the Soil and Adding Plants=== | ||
| − | #[[Aerate | + | #[[Aerate a Yard|Aerate your lawn]]. If the root structure of your grass or other vegetation is so thick that it’s preventing the soil from absorbing the water, use a lawn aerator to break through the barrier. Punch holes through the ground with the aerator’s spikes or tines so the water can reach deeper sooner. Choose from a variety of models (from aerators you can wear under your shoes while walking to others that you push like a lawn mower) based on the size of your affected area.<ref name="rf6">http://www.thesensiblegardener.com/lawn_aerator.html</ref> |
#*All models are generally divided into two classifications: spike and core aerators. Core aerators are widely considered the most effective. | #*All models are generally divided into two classifications: spike and core aerators. Core aerators are widely considered the most effective. | ||
#*Aerating your lawn will also attract more worm activity. Worms will create even more pathways for water to travel into and through the soil. | #*Aerating your lawn will also attract more worm activity. Worms will create even more pathways for water to travel into and through the soil. | ||
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#*A rain garden is a great endpoint for gutter drains and dry creek beds to get rid of runoff from roofs, driveways, and patios. | #*A rain garden is a great endpoint for gutter drains and dry creek beds to get rid of runoff from roofs, driveways, and patios. | ||
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== Warnings == | == Warnings == | ||
