Have you noticed flooding in your lawn or garden? If you find your landscaping is constantly saturated with water, chances are you have a drainage issue. You may be tempted to put it off, but by addressing the problem immediately, you can avoid expensive repairs to your property.
Aerate flooded areas
Take a manual aerator, which you can buy at a home improvement story or gardening center, and plunge it into different areas of your lawn. Doing so will add air pockets into the dirt and help aid in drainage.
Compost soil
Add a compost and sand mixture to the top layer of the soil. This will hold water and allow for better drainage throughout your lawn. It will also reintroduce organic materials that may have gotten flushed out by flooding/oversaturation.
Build a French drain
If your landscape is angled, you may want to consider building a French drain. This is a sloped ditch lined with gravel, pebbles or rocks that moves water from one area of the property to another.
Because this kind of project is fairly involved, you may want to contact a landscape maintenance professional.
Please note: this article is information for do-it-yourselfers. South Austin Irrigation does not deal with drainage issues, only irrigation equipment repair.
