How ridiculous is the British Weather so far this year? One month you have a drought warning, the next month you get the greatest rainfall since records began.
Recent heavy rains have soaked many gardens to the point of them becoming dangerously waterlogged. This excess water causes plants to become stressed, and it can soon lead to root rot and other conditions that can wipe out everything you’re trying to grow.
If you want to save your plants, here are the best ways to solve the problem.
Save anything in a pot
Very carefully, tip any surface water out of the pot, preferably into a drain if the rest of the garden is suffering too. If your pots are sitting in saucers, empty the saucers and put them aside until the weather improves.
Raise the pot up on bricks or ceramic legs with space underneath to increase drainage, and consider adding extra holes at the base if the pot material can handle it. Move individual pots away from neighbouring ones to increase the speed of surface evaporation too, and look for spots in the garden that are more sheltered from the rain.
If none of these measures are effective, consider re-potting the plant. Make sure there are large drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, and include plenty of gravel or small stones at the base to allow excess water to flow out. Be extra gentle though, your soggy plant will be more fragile than usual.
Work with gravity
Most gardens have a slope to them, even if this is very slight. Follow the water downhill and concentrate on the areas where it’s pooling. A simple temporary fix is to bail as much water as you can into a bucket, or use a small pump to remove it. If possible, stand on planks while you’re working to spread your weight out over the ground – this reduces the risk of soil becoming compacted, which can worsen drainage problems.
In extreme circumstances you can consider cutting a temporary drain at the lowest point of the garden. Dig out a trench of soil, and keep the sides of the trench open with bricks, slates, pieces of plastic or whatever else you have to hand. Empty the water from the drain daily if possible, to prevent stagnation and speed up the drying out process.
If you find that the water is pooling at the side of your house, or on a concreted or paved area, you may risk seriously expensive water damage to your property. It’s worth getting a few quotes for drainage solutions from builders.
Prevention is better than cure
All soil types drain more effectively when they contain large amounts of organic matter. The easiest way to achieve this is to add plenty of compost to your soil, and you can also use well-rotted manure in areas where you’re not planning on growing any root vegetables. Clay soils can also be helped by the addition of a generous amount of sharp sand, but other types of sand are not recommended (think quicksand).
As mentioned previously, compacted ground can also cause pooling of rainwater, and if you think that might be the problem then a good dig can improve drainage too.
Just go with it
If you can’t cut drainage channels or improve the soil, you can still use gravity to your advantage. Plant out this year’s seedlings higher up garden slopes, or plant them on the tops of mounds of soil.
You could also go with the flow by digging out a pond in the soggiest part of your garden, provided this does not pose any danger to children. You can also grow the few plants that love to be soggy in this area, such as rushes and marshland flowers.
Do you have any other tips for drying out a submerged plot? Please share them.
{Image: karoliina T}
