How to Fix Poor Yard Drainage

Fixing Poor Soil Drainage

Poor yard drainage is a death sentence for most plants. The majority of plants need well draining soil in order to prevent a host of fungal and bacterial diseases from infecting their roots. According to the University of Tennessee, soil with adequate drainage broken up into 50 percent solid material and 50 percent pore space, which is filled with air and water. Soil that is compacted or has pore space filled with more water than air will not allow for enough drainage and must be amended.

Things You'll Need

• Garden hose
• Wheelbarrow
• Builder's sand
• Compost
• Tiller
• Shovel
• Soil pH testing kit

Instructions

1. Test the soil drainage in your yard. Dig a hole 1 foot deep and 6 inches wide. Fill the hole with water and allow to drain. Refill the hole and return to the hole in four hours. If there is water still remaining in the hole, you have poor draining soil.

2. Calculate how much organic material such as compost and builder's sand to use to aid in your yard's drainage. Measure the length and the width of the yard. Multiply the measurements together. For example, a yard that is 10 feet wide and 8 feet in length would be 80 square feet. Purchase enough material to spread 4 inches of both across the yard.

3. Remove the existing turf or gardening area with a shovel. Wet the grass with a gardening hose if the the ground is too hard to easily lift the grass from underneath the roots. Place the grass in a wheelbarrow.

4. Spread 4 inches of compost over the yard. Use a tiller to work the material into 6 inches of the top soil.

5. Spread 4 inches of builder's sand over the lawn area and work the sand into the compost and soil.

6. Check the pH range of the lawn area after a few weeks with a soil pH testing kit. Monitor the pH range, because the compost breaking down in the soil will change the range.

Tips & Warnings

• Amend the soil when it is dry for easy till of the top 6 inches.

• Avoid using fine sand to amend the soil, because the consistency will turn clay soil into a glue-like substance.

References

• University of Tennesee: Trees for Poorly Draining Soils in the Landscape
• Bachmans: Working with Clay Soil