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Drainage issues

andyhamilton2andyhamilton2 Posts: 11
in The potting shed
Any tips on how to improve drainage in heavy clay lawn that gets waterlogged? 
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Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Easy way,  Hire a spiking machine that takes out lots of little plugs. Fill the holes in afterwards with sharp sand/grit.
    The best way to do it is to take up the lawn. Rotovate a lot of compost (3 inch depth worth) into the top nine inches,then grit as well into the top three inches,  and then reseed or relay lawn.
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    You need to think about a number of things before you invest a lot of effort and money. First, just how waterlogged and for how long. If it is only a minor, brief problem, take fidgetbones' advice on the easy way. Then you need to consider where the water is coming from and where you want it to go to. If you are at the bottom of a slope and surface water runs down into your garden, raising the level will not help. If there are underground springs or a leaky water source, soil improvement will not help. If water pools in your garden, you need to find somewhere for it to go to and a means of directing it. So, a complex problem. Sometimes, heavy clay just need a bit of improvement, but the hundreds of threads on here about drainage will show you that you need investigation before action.
  • SydRoySydRoy Posts: 167
    How big is it & do you use it or is it just for show?
  • andyhamilton2andyhamilton2 Posts: 11
    The lawn is quite large, although the area affected isn't, but it happens in more than one spot. Would laying compost or well rotted manure onto of the grass help, or would it just become a mud bath? 
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Mud bath, I'm afraid. Does the grass die? You might be well to just keep off the wet bits, if they don't look too bad.
  • andyhamilton2andyhamilton2 Posts: 11
    Looks like forking it may be the only low cost solution! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    If it only happens after heavy rain, or in winter, that's different from it being there all year round too  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • andyhamilton2andyhamilton2 Posts: 11
    It is only when it rains. Problem is Fairygirl, I think the water table is so high, that it doesn't take much rainfall for it to appear on the surface. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's always going to be a problem then - so it's damage limitation, and spiking if you don't want to go to the expense and effort of digging it up  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    If the water table is high I'm afraid the only way to improve it is to raise the level of the lawn. Easier to learn to live with it!
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