Setting Your Yard up for Success – Why Drainage Matters

Suncrest Landscape, Inc. • July 13, 2015

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Your yard’s drainage plays a vital role in the success of any and all landscaping, as well as the protection of your home. Through careful analysis and planning of your site, you can develop a solid plan for your yard’s drainage.

To ensure steady, even drainage for your yard, pay attention to the overall shape and where the water table lies. The exterior grading needs to keep water away you’re your home and any retaining walls or structures around the yard. This helps to prevent water from draining into a basement or settling near a foundation and causing rot and decay.

Most plants will die if planted in soil that leaves their roots either too wet or too dry. As was discussed in Top 5 Signs you have Drainage Issues , having a 50/50 ratio of solid soil to air/water is the ideal balance for good drainage and overall soil health. Poor drainage can be a result of the initial construction of a home. Construction tends to both remove the a good deal of top soil, as well as compacts the ground leading to slow water drainage and runoff. Poor soil drainage can also be a natural occurrence from wind, rain and usage.

There are several methods to improve drainage:

  • Altering the composition of the soil. Adding large amounts of compost or organic materials can help increase the porosity of the soil and correct slow or poor drainage.
  • Raising the height of the soil. By adding a foot or so of well-drained top soil, you can alter where the water table lies in relation to the planting zone.
  • Reshaping the landscape. This allows for more runoff by helping to move water away from places where the soil is overly saturated.

At Suncrest Landscape, Inc. we work to ensure that any new landscaping is critically assessed for the best drainage solution. We can also help to correct existing drainage problems in your yard in a timely and affordable manner. Yards can and do change over time. The good news is that poor drainage can be corrected.

Contact us for help with your drainage and landscaping. We’re always happy to come by and provide a free assessment.

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