Hi Stewbies! I have an area I'm going to use for veges along a fence line, but that area really retains water to the point of resembling a small lake when there's a lot of rain. Besides actually draining the water to another place with drain tiles, is there something else I can do? Anything I can add to the soil? Any help would be appreciated. Thanx Muddy paws
You can either raise or lower the soil level(sounds dumb, doesn't it?) You can make a raised bed with a layer of gravel on the bottom to aid drainage, or you can install a French drain. A French drain is basically a ditch, filled with gravel, running from a wet area to a lower area. Cover the gravel with larger stones, making a path, or with landscape cloth and more gravel. The water will gravitate to the ditch and run off to a lower area. If a lower area is lacking, you can dig a deep hole, fill it with gravel, and make a "dry well" in the ground which will collect the water and let it gradually seep out to the surrounding area. I can't think of anything you could add to the soil to aid drainage.
Jane gave you some great ideas. Keep in mind if you haven't gardened in this spot before it will, most likely, be very compacted from all the previous "puddles". Putting a raised bed there will, most likely, be the best idea, if you can. If you can't put in the raised bed add lots of compost to the area after you get it drained and tilled, unless you are doing the lasagne method, then just keep piling on the layers.
Don't know how you would feel about tossing down some bark and planting blueberries, but sounds like you might have an ideal site for them. Love your name
