A healthy lawn requires good water drainage.
Good water drainage is vital for lawn and garden health. Plants in areas with poor drainage may have trouble growing, may develop root rot and other root conditions, and may appear sickly or yellow. Drainage can be affected by soil quality, soil type and compaction. The ideal soil holds some water, but allows most of it to drain away. The two main ways to improve drainage are to raise the soil--effective in gardens and small patches of lawn--and to lower the water table.
Instructions
1. Determine the best method for improving drainage. In a small area that's not yet planted, it may be easiest to add soil and raise the garden. Larger lawns and gardens may require you to lower the water table. If raising the area is appropriate, add soil to your garden until it rises above the water table--just a few inches in most cases.
2. Make a map of the area that requires a change in drainage. Add trees and other obstacles which may interfere with digging. Sketch where you'll put the drain. Make sure it slopes away from the location where water most frequently collects. Use gravity to carry excess water away from wet areas.
3. Mark the drain path. Gently spray paint to mark the area of your lawn where you need to dig.
4. Dig a trench a foot deep and 6 inches wide along the marked path. Fill it with a 2-inch layer of pea gravel or other small stones.
5. Place a piece of corrugated pipe into the trench, with the holes turned down. This prevents the pipe from filling with dirt and other debris. Cover the pipe with gravel to a few inches from the top of the trench.
6. Fill the trench with a 2-inch layer of sand, and at least 1 inch of topsoil. Plant sod or garden plants over the drain. Plants should now grow more efficiently, and without drainage problems.
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