Released Jan. 3, 2008
MANHATTAN, Kan. - A sizable ice or snow melt can provide clear evidence of landscape and garden areas that don´t drain well.
"Of course, you won´t be able to do anything about those areas until the ground thaws. But, identifying the places that drain poorly or slowly can be a lot easier now than in a spring downpour," said Ward Upham, Master Gardener coordinator for Kansas State University Research and Extension.
Poor drainage can result from an array of factors - clay content, hardpan, slope and the like. Despite the cause, however, it always leads to the same thing: poor oxygen levels in the soil.
"Plants suffer when moisture fills the tiny cavities where well- drained soil would have air. Roots may just drown, but often they develop diseases that bring a more lingering kind of death," Upham said.
Drainage is the biggest problem in yards that don´t provide suitable outlets for unabsorbed rain or irrigation. Lack of outlets can damage more than plants if excess water only drains toward the house.
"Solving that kind of situation can be a massive undertaking. Generally, it requires hiring a professional and plunking down hard cash or doing lots of homework and investing hard labor," he said.
If improving the soil is all that´s needed, however, several approaches are possible:
- Add good topsoil so water can´t just sit. Till or spade, mixing it with the underlying soil.
- Add a 2-inch layer of organic matter (e.g., peat moss, compost) and till or spade it in deeply.
- For beds that grow annuals each year, mow fall´s dead leaves and garden refuse. Layer about 4 inches of the "chipped" output on the soil and incorporate deeply, so the debris can compost over winter.
"Any of additives will improve drainage, but don´t skip mixing them into the existing soil. Roots don´t like to cross the kinds of barriers created by one type of soil sitting on top of another," Upham said.
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http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/
Contact: Mary Lou Peter-Blecha, mlpeter@ksu.edu
