A swampy backyard is a cause for concern for many homeowners. Not only is it unattractive in many cases and hard to mow, but stagnant water is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other disease-spreading insects. In addition, poor drainage renders your yard unusable during rainy periods of time.
There are several drainage fixes you can implement in order to turn your backyard into a place where your friends and family can spend quality time during the summer.
Determine the cause for poor drainage
You need to first determine what is causing water to accumulate in your yard before looking into potential solutions. It could be excess roof water improperly draining, highly compacted soil that retains water on the surface, or your yard may be located near the bottom of a slope.
Your property could also be situated near the drainage of other surrounding properties, leading to a constant accumulation of water.
Till the soil
If your soil is compacted in a small area and has a tendency to hold water, you can aerate it to improve drainage. One way is to add compost to the soil when tilling. If you have grass in your yard, till it into the rest of the soil in order to break up the hard compacted areas.
Install a dry well
If the positioning of your yard makes it difficult to redirect excess water, you can install a dry well to help with draining your backyard. A dry well acts as a holding tank for excess water run off.
Incoming water from a storm or rainy period is held in the well, and it eventually slips into the soil beneath. You can disguise a dry well by filling it up with gravel and covering it with soil and grass.
Grow trees and shrubs
Trees and shrubs absorb a lot of water from the soil and can help solve drainage issues. Plant shrubs that are water-thirsty, and weave in-ground plants, such as ivy to make the absorption even more effective. Within a season or two of the trees and shrubs growing, you are likely to see a difference.
Use drainage pipe
If your property is slightly elevated above other surrounding lands, you can install a perforated-pipe as part of your yard drainage fixes. A perforated pipe laid into the ground with proper gravel can draw water by gravity and carry it away from the yard.
Slope the yard away from your home
Water can accumulate from roof runoff and other areas around the property if your backyard tilts inward towards the home. Till the surrounding areas of your home and create a gentle slope pointing away from the house. This will enable runoff to drain away from the property.
The steps above can enable you to improve the drainage of your backyard and avoid constant water-accumulation. Remember a landscaping company has access to solutions and the equipment needed to tailor your yard-drainage fixes and to help determine the likely cause of the problem.
