@hummerbum i'm asking this just in case i'm getting the wrong end of the stick as the saying goes lol Is it dirt that's getting boggy or your lawn?
Gail, it's both...you are on the right path. The bog is the lawn...truthfully it is horrible. No rain yesterday and it is still holding water and spongy/boggy. I will take a pic of it tomorrow so you can see it. It's very clay-like. Water goes nowhere. Waretop...HOA would have a cow!!! LOL
Hi mate, I've been looking further for you the main option is doing drainage otherwise I found this link ….that could help also ...such a shame when lawns get bogged down. https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=204
Thanks Gail. I believe I will give the "stabbing of the yard" a try. I was able to get a few pics this morning..it rained last night...very light and look what happens. Oh sorry for the unfocused hand pic...it was cold and the wind was howling. This is what I have out here. Almost lost my shoes stepping in the middle of the yard.
Hi @hummerbum omg I see what you mean...so I've asked my husbands opinion on it because he's a retired builder and he said drainage pipes are always the first option but he would do it it this way along your pathway, as we have gravel ground on our front garden and gravel just takes the rain in with no bogging. He said along your path dig out dips (soak aways)...5ft long and 2ft wide and 2ft in depth. Then add 4 Inches of gravel at the very bottom, 8 inches of soil then 4 inches of gravel and 6 inches of soil and lay 2 inches of lawn back on top and do them at a light slant and in the main places where the water is bogged. Here's a pic of what it looks like
first, i'd try stabbing the ground all over the place and adding some loose soil into the holes. seems less expensive, and might improve drainage just enough to keep the boggyness down.
Adam I mentioned this to my hubby and he said it's a no go as it won't solve the problem just adds to it apparently
Well our front garden had a plush lawn and when it got to much it was double lined and 5 tone of gravel on top and my plants flourish
Whew Gail....I'm afraid that this is something that will have to be done. It's the entire half of the yard...hmm maybe make small trenches all over the yard and cover...lol. Something that hubby and I can handle ourselves (I hope) over the next few months. From all that you've sent me and I've seen so far....I still will have to add compost and other organic matter because of the clay. Definitely will have to let HOA know what is about to happen. I will have to do DIY to keep costs down, but I'm hoping a sense of pride will follow. Thank you both so much for all of the input and solutions. Oh I have questions, its just a matter of a trench and gravel right? Do i need any liner material?
Sorry it sounds a lot mate but you don't have to do loads, just do them in the main places the rains affecting your grass and my husband said use pea gravel and for that to keep happening you have either rock or clay as a base below your ground and also NO LINING....this video shows how one should be dug out and then it's gravel, soil, gravel, soil and also leave it a couple of weeks before adding grass to see if it does it's job.
holy moly this guy isn't Fing around with that "soak away" he's digging out! and I wonder what he is doing with the mountain of dirt he's moved! I bet @hummerbum wouldn't have to dig anywhere near that big of a hole. and digging more than 2-3 feet down is probably dangerous ( gas lines or something??? IDK) in the video posted above the guy uncovers a pipe at what seems to be the 4foot mark! if I was @hummerbum I'd dig a small hole like 2 feet deep 1 foot wide, fill that, and see how much of an effect it has, at that point it should be clear that the a) one more well placed 2foot hole will do the trick, or b) gana need a bigger hole!
dig carefully! over here all the tv wire + telephone + electricity is suspended in the air with poles. but maybe the electricity lines in your neck of the woods run underground. plus this is your front yard, so its likely there is a pipe that runs to the sewers in the street. https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/home/ct-home-0424-garden-qa-20150420-story.html digging 1 small hole 2 feet down is probably not very likely to hit anything, and you can dig it out slowly, but I'd think twice before going bananas and digging a serious trench.
LOL...Adam. He really is going at it. I would just throw it to the side and amend it before putting it back in the hole. No lord, that sized hole would be that entire side of the lawn...hehe. I do like what you've suggested though..dig a small hole and see how that works for me. You are correct that our lines are underground and I've already had the utilities companies come out to mark the lines 3 weeks ago. I would probably dig a foot deep, but will make sure how far down the wires are buried. It is really bad in the area where they marked. We had a light rain last night and yes, the whole circle of homes are slow draining..you can see it two days later. If i have to dig, you don't have to worry about me going fast and hard. Mess with me...there will be a series of holes dug all around that lawn...LOL.
Adam I added that not for the size but to give a rough idea on shaping Hi hummberbum...my hubby said what causes the water to keep rising is below your gound is rock or clay and because the water as no where to go it rises back up but if you add pea gravel at the base...the gravel makes the water spread out below ground so it slowly gets sucked away.
