Nothing beats a beautiful backyard or garden. However, an often-overlooked aspect of a successful garden is good drainage. Neglecting this part of your garden plan can lead to costly problems down the track. Poor drainage can cause waterlogging, creating wood rot, killing plants, erosion, and soil loss. Drainage is like the foundation for your home. Without it, everything you create on top will fall apart. It is one of the most helpful things you can do to improve growing conditions.
With a well-thought-out drainage system, you can regulate the amount of water in your outdoor space, diverting excess away from areas where it can cause damage. When planting a garden, you will need to consider the topography or slope of your land and the soil type or permeability and design a suitable system for your conditions.
Consider where the water will go. Trenches, streams, or soak aways (deep holes filled with larger rocks or large aggregate) are all suitable. Local bylaws often prohibit adding drainage water from gardens to sewers or storm drains.
Growing in raised beds or creating a wetland garden are other alternatives where there is nowhere for the water to flow.
TYPES OF DRAINAGE
Simple drainage trenches
One solution is to dig a trench about 900mm deep with sloping sides across the lower end of the slope so that excess water can drain away. To do this efficiently, you will need a small trench digger machine, or narrow bucket on a small excavator.
French drain
When an open drain is unsuitable, a French ditch can be constructed by filling the drain with coarse gravel topped with a permeable membrane, such as filter fabric, to keep the soil from entering the gravel. Then, finish your French drain off with a layer of topsoil and turf.
Piped drainage
Piped drainage may be necessary for bigger projects and more significant wet areas. Lay a slotted plastic ag pipe in a trench on a firm 50mm bed of coarse gravel and another 100mm layer of coarse gravel. Designing and installing piped drainage on a large scale is skilled and heavy work, best accomplished by a contractor. However, you can certainly do this yourself at home with the help of great hire equipment.
If you are completing a smaller DIY project, first identify a water outlet. Then, lay slotted ag pipes - below the cultivation level, usually 400-600mm deep and 3-6m apart. The trenches must follow a natural slope or a constructed one with a fall of 1:40 towards the outlet you have identified for drainage water. A herringbone layout is usually used, with the feeders meeting a main line at an angle of 45 degrees.
Drainage is not glamorous, but it will go a long way towards ensuring the longevity and success of your landscape design. Investing in it upfront will save you headaches down the track.
Plateau Landscape Supplies is your landscape and garden superstore. We stock an extensive range of drainage solutions for big and small projects as well as bulk drainage aggregate to ensure the success of your drainage project. Speak to one of our friendly staff if you need advice.