Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Soggy garden question  (Read 7252 times)

gstar9

  • Joined Jan 2010
  • east sussex
Soggy garden question
« on: January 06, 2011, 02:50:07 pm »
My soggy dilemma ....  My garden is south facing mainly lawn which slopes downwards towards the house, underneath the thin layer of soil is clay. My question is if I put a drainage ditch/pipe across the top of the slope (furthest from the house) will this stop the water coming down the slope to the door. I'm guessing it's not draining away because of the clay so any suggests would be appreciated  ??? :&>

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2011, 03:10:31 pm »
That should help a bit, but you'll have the stuff that hits the slope still running towards the house. A drain top and bottom is probably the easiest fix, but if you fancy a bit of hard work (and can forsake your lawn for a wee while) digging in lots of 'organic matter' think well rotted manure or compost into the clay sub-soil layer will improve the soil condition and general drainage too, but depending on how much clay there is it might be quite an undertaking.
HTH
Karen x

gstar9

  • Joined Jan 2010
  • east sussex
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2011, 03:40:06 pm »
Drainage top and bottom sounds good, digging the lawn up and digging in compost would be a huge undertaking for me (no one needs that much exercise in their life .. Or maybe that's just me  ;D ) thanks Karen, so a ditch running across, top and bottom infilled with gravel, any suggestions of how deep the ditch should be, spade depth, deeper?  :&>

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2011, 05:01:17 pm »
I'm not sure for certain, but certainly deep enough that it goes down to at least the depth where the clay is. Remember to have an outfall for your ditch (think that's the right term) basically somewhere for the water to go once it's run off the lawn - a channel to an open drain or piped connection to mains/septic tank.
Good luck !

Brucklay

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Perthshire
    • Brucklay Pygmy Goats
    • Facebook
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2011, 06:12:07 pm »
I'm pretty sure if you have a septic tank you've not to put your rainwater into it - it should got to a soakaway (big pit filled with gravel) - we have 2 one for the foul water from septic tank and one for rainwater.
Pygmy Goats, Shetland Sheep, Zip & Indie the Border Collies, BeeBee the cat and a wreak of a building to renovate!!

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2011, 07:32:59 pm »
Yes, that's right, brucklay, foul water and rainwater have to be separate.  I have a soggy garden too, also because of the clay underlay, but because it is also low lying there's no chance of digging deep enough to put anything in to change the soil type - and an acre of clay is very difficult to change.  So I usually have a couple of inches of water laying on top of the grass in heavy rainfall.  I've improved the front of the house by separating off a gravelled area with plants in pots, but at the back of the rear area there is hardcore and gravel about a foot lower than the rest of the garden - it often floods to about 8 or 9 inches.  I'd like to develop that area somehow and a pond has been suggested but I don't have a lot of cash left so not sure what to do.  So what I am saying gstar9 is that you could put down membrane and gravel near the house to make it more amenable.  One advantage for me is that the dogs no longer drag mud onto the cream hallway carpet (and no, before you all tell me off, I didn't lay it - it came with the house lol)
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

gstar9

  • Joined Jan 2010
  • east sussex
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2011, 05:25:34 pm »
thanks everyone for urs help/advice, doganjo my dogs are the same, they think that they have their own private paddling pool and what is it with installing cream carpets  ???  this house has them as well from the back door room to kitchen, oh so so practical and obviously fitted by people who never went into the garden when it is the slightest bit wet (or soggy as)  ;D  ;D
Looks like i've got some serious digging to be cracking on with  :)

OhLaLa

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2011, 08:48:19 pm »
My first thoughts are to 'mole' the grass at angle away from the house so water runs down and to one side, or put the ditch in as a soakaway so the soakaway pipe gathers the water under the soil and drains it to where ever you lead it to.

gstar9

  • Joined Jan 2010
  • east sussex
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2011, 08:43:08 am »
I've come to the conclusion that I can't do drainage pipes as I have no where for the water to end up, apart from flooding a neighbours field and as the soil is heavy clay a soak away is not a long term ansa tho I have dug a test hole to see what happens ( and that was clay all the way down ) . So I'm gonna have to roll with what is here and make the best of a bad area- so plan B  a bog garden. At least it will make some of the soggy area better to look at and useful for the wildlife. Wot do u reckon? Any thoughts?   ::)   :&>

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2011, 09:04:28 am »
I'm thinking exactly the same way for my back garden.  The new gravel garden at the front has certainly worked extremely well for me which is where the water comes down hill to the front of the house. The slope continues through to the back where it gathers in fairly deep and fairly large puddle - about 6 to 8 inches but not for very long - about 3 to 4 days is longest.  So not sure a pond would work unless the water was controlled in some way.  Hopefully bog plants would survive being flooded on the odd occasion.  Anyone know?
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

faith0504

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Cairngorms
  • take it easy and chill
    • blaemuir cottage
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2011, 04:14:16 pm »
could you ask the neighbour if they have any field drainage in the field next to your garden, if there is you could tap into that with your drainage pipes, if not a bog garden sounds a delightful idea, sure the wildlife would love it,  :bfly: :ladybug: :wave:

Blonde

  • Joined Mar 2011
Re: Soggy garden question
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2011, 01:03:14 pm »
Could you not dig up your grass and lay  river sand down ths course.   or make a well with tyres stacked  on to of each other and sink these into the ground with a layer of sand at the bottom to help the water geta way.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS