About Drainage

No matter how good a garden looks like, without proper drainage the plants may suffer and the soil saturates when the heavy rains come. Furthermore, many crops will not survive which can affect the livelihood of the farmers, as well as supply and demand, in the absence of drainage systems.

Function

Open drainage in a farm.

Drainage prevents soil saturation due to too much water resulting from heavy rains. In a farm, you need a good drainage to ensure that crops do not "drown" or die due to too much water in cases of flash floods and continuous rainy days. In a landscaped yard, drainage keeps the water from the foundation of the house. A good drainage takes the water away using natural or manufactured methods.

Features

Drainage should have a system where the water flows away from the areas you want to protect, such as the foundation of your home, planting beds and pathways. Excavation of land is necessary so that water will have a way to pass through. This can be done with or without pipes. Drainpipes help keep the water contained and avoid further soil erosion when a large amount of water passes through. Covering the drain pipes with muslin cloths that act as filters help prevent clogging from leaves, small rocks and other debris thereby keeping the drain pipes fully operational. In farms, using huge pipes in deeply excavated lands is necessary. The water flows down to the riverbanks or in the water dam.

Types

Concrete drainage pipes.

There are two major types of drainage systems: surface and subsurface. Surface drainage systems use shallow ditches made by excavating the soil using a shovel. For the water to flow and not just create a puddle the elevation of the excavation is adjusted to create a slope. The subsurface drain uses deeply situated pipes underneath the soil. A deep open drain also qualifies as a subsurface drainage. The location of the drainage should be at the same level at the root zone, which is deep under the soil or embankment. Pipes used for subsurface drainage systems are made of clay, plastics and concrete.

Considerations

Plastic Drainage Pipes

Make a drainage system that ensures that the water does not cause further erosion to the soil or landscape. Some homes with poor foundations and drainage system are subject to damages due to too much saturation that can lead to mudslides. Homes may fall off or wash away when heavy rain falls for several days and the water keeps saturating the soil underneath. Floods can happen in your own backyard without proper drainage; know where to put the drainage so that the water will stay out of your property.
Think of ways to collect water from the drainage systems. In farming, you can store water in the collection dam to water crops all year round. You can do the same thing in your own backyard by creating a small water-collecting drum and building an irrigation system to use the water collected for watering your plants.

Warning

Drainage cover.

Poorly installed draining system will not function well. Make sure that the drainage system is free from any blockage that can hamper its functionality. Bury the pipes deep enough so that mowers or future digging will not damage them. Make sure that they are not so shallow that people to trip over them. Make sure to put a fence or drainage covers to block the areas around the open drainage system, so that no one falls into the ditch.

Resources

• Drainage studies