Whether it’s surface water draining into the garden or rainwater with nowhere else to go forming pools, you can end up with wet, undesirable soil for a host of reasons.

While harmless at first glance, constantly soggy soil makes it tough for even the hardiest of garden plants to survive. In addition, drainage issues in your yard may also undermine the foundation of your home.

Luckily, there are several DIY yard drainage methods that are not only cost-efficient but also easy enough to implement, even for inexperienced gardeners. Here are 10 tried-and-tested methods you can try today:

Use materials that encourage drainage

Poor yard drainage may be the result of choosing ill-fitting hardscape materials. Hardscape materials are those that are incorporated into the landscape to enhance outdoor space, such as concrete and asphalt.

While great for keeping outdoor furniture and cars above wet ground, hardscape materials can divert water in the wrong direction or even block proper drainage underneath.

To encourage even drainage across the lawn, replace hardscape materials with those that allow drainage, such as crushed gravel or pea gravel. Water drains faster through gravel than it does most kinds of soil.

Use downspout extensions

Downspouts are pipes that transport rainwater from the gutters. These pipes tend to run along the side of the house and extend down to ground level, stopping just above the ground.

In cases where a downspout is too short, rainwater moving through the pipe can spill too close to the house. This can not only flood the soil, but it can even weaken the house’s foundation in the long run.

This is where downspout extensions come in. By extending the downspout, you can direct water away from the house. Downspout extensions are also cheap and installing them is a fast and simple process.

Loosen up compact soil

In some cases, drainage solutions can be as simple as aerating compacted soil. This method requires forking over the surface of the compacted lawn to allow standing surface water to drain into the soil below.

Build a dry creek bed

A dry creek bed is great for collecting excess water flowing down a natural slope or low spot on the lawn, which would have otherwise led to the formation of pools. It also doubles as an attractive landscape feature when not in use.

A dry creek bed may be as large or as small as your yard permits. To build one, plan out the creek path. Do not include sharp bends or obstacles that could block water flow. Work with the natural slope of the ground where the creek bed will be. Dig the trench, then cover it with landscape fabric to prevent weed growth.

For finishing touches, decorate the creek path and the trench with rocks, small boulders and river stones.

Build a dry well

Even water from a gentle rain can generate force as it exits the downspouts. This is where a dry well comes in. It is an excellent way to divert water runoff from the gutters away from both the house and lawn. It also works well in conjunction with other yard drainage solutions.

Because this project involves digging deep underground, contact the appropriate authorities to avoid hitting underground utilities. You might also need to call in professional help for this labor-intensive project.

Install a yard drain

A yard drain acts a lot like shower or bathtub drains for the ground. It is built directly into the ground in areas prone to flooding or where surface water often accumulates.

Utilize rain barrels

You can put rainwater from downspouts to good use in the garden. Doing so requires collecting that water in the first place, which can be done with a simple rain barrel. Just place it beneath a downspout.

Install a catch basin

Some homeowners have catch basins instead of downspout extensions for their drainage. A catch basin, as the name implies, is a drain built into the ground below the downspout to catch rainwater and divert it away from the house.

Install a French drain

If surface water accumulation is too difficult to control, the situation might call for a more elaborate drainage solution in the form of a French drain.

French drains are gravel-filled trenches that direct water to an area where it cannot affect plants or structural foundations. Simple French drains consist solely of a trench. You can also use a perforated PVC pipe to better channel the water.

Install a channel drain

Channel drain, also called trench drain, is a strip of drain that stops water in its tracks, moving it underground instead through pipes. Channel drains are ideal for driveways and walkways, which tend to be angled a certain way.

Good yard drainage is crucial to keeping soil and plants healthy. It also protects the foundation of your home from integrity issues. Try these simple yard drainage solutions today!

Sources:

TheSpruce.com 1

TheSpruce.com 2

HomeGuides.SFGate.com