If you wonder how to improve drainage in your lawn, you’ll be pleased to know there are some ways that you can help the squelchy yard under your feet! Many gardens have a problem with drainage, especially after heavy rain. It can be frustrating to see wet, muddy soil on your lawn, which can be a telltale sign of a drainage problem. Often, the ground underneath the grass wasn’t prepared properly, which has resulted in a soggy lawn.
Spiking your lawn
Sometimes also called pricking the lawn, it involved spiking holes into the property to allow better drainage. A garden fork can do this, but there are also tools specific for the job that will make deeper holes allowing even better drainage. Do your whole lawn and if any gaps are big, put in some sand. You can also buy shoes with spikes and stomp over your yard to aerate it.
Remodelling your garden
It’s a drastic measure, but if you have a lousy drainage problem, it could be easier to switch up your garden. Areas that are particularly prone to poor drainage could be replaced with raised beds, filled with soil and planted with plants of your choice. Consider it to be an opportunity for something new in the garden! Other ways are to consider removing the lawn and replacing it with a shingle or bark chip.
Improve drainage
If you are not pulling your hair out at waterlogged soil most of the year, you could make improvements by simply planting more plants in your garden and incorporating lots of well-rotted organic matter into your flower beds. This helps soil structure and drainage, which will mean some of the excess water will have somewhere to go.
Managing the issue
There are ways to make sure the water runs off to a place where you want it—for example, an area where there are bog plants which will love the rainwater to grow. You would need to make a gully, so the water runs from where it usually collects to where you want it to go. This can be tricky but doable.
Keeping your garden healthy
Not just keeping your lawn in good health and your whole garden will help improve drainage. Here are a few tips you can consider:
- Apply lots of mulch,
- Use an organic lawn feed,
- Plant water-friendly garden plants.
See if the lawn improves over time. If it doesn't, please ask for advice at our garden centre.
For lawn seed, tools and advice, come and visit us in store.
