| There is an area in my backyard that holds water below the surface. It is some sort of clay soil. What can I do to make it drain so my plants will live. |
| If it is a small area you can probably just dig it up, deeply enough to break up the layer of clay, then amend the soil with organic matter to help keep it loose and well draining. Or, you may be able to dig narrow holes directly through the layer of clay (a post hole digger is a good tool to use), then fill the holes with gravel so the excess water has a place to collect. You'll start by removing about a foot of soil in the entire bed, digging 12" deep holes, filling them with gravel, then replacing the foot of soil you originally removed from the bed. A third approach is to make a curtain drain adjacent to the bed so excess water has a place to go. You simply dig a deep trench, fill it almost to the top with gravel and then top it with soil and sod. If you can figure out which way the water is running into the bed you can strategically place your curtain drain on that side of the bed. Excess water will run into the gravel and help keep your flower bed a lot drier. Hope this information helps! |
