Backyard Wisdom

Correcting Poor Drainage in The Landscape

This summer has been dry, but yet I have noticed one or two places in my yard that have stayed moist. If we had gotten normal rainfall this spring and summer, these places would probably be waterlogged. I think the spots developed because we removed some plants and changed some beds’ actual layout. Clearly, these places are poorly drained what ever the cause, and that is an issue I need to address.

Dealing with poorly drained soils can be a challenge to gardeners. While plants certainly need moisture, they also need some air in the soil. In poorly drained soils, water fills the tiny spaces between the soil particles, pushing air out of the soil. Plants die because they can't draw oxygen from the soil. Poor drainage is often the culprit in the death of landscape plants such as azaleas, dogwoods and junipers.

So, how can you correct the situation if you have areas that are poorly drained? Amend the soil by adding compost or other organic material such as peat moss. Apply a layer four inches thick in the problem area and then till it into the soil. This procedure works well in some heavy clay soils. The organic materials help separate the tiny clay particles and allow water to pass through the soil more easily.

You can raise the level of the bed by adding soil and organic material. This is called a berm. Berms increase the height of the water column. That allows gravity to do the work of pulling excess water away from plant roots.

Finally, you may have to install some type of mechanical correction, such as a dry well. A dry well is a hole dug to below the plants' root level filled with gravel and topped with soil. It gives excess water some place to drain. Or you might find it necessary to channel water out of the bed using underground drain pipes, called French drains.

Remember, most landscape plants do not flourish in poorly drained soils. Improving drainage in your yard is one key to successful landscaping.

Time to Rev Up the Compost Pile

Thanks to recent rains the grass is growing rapidly at my house. We normally leave the clippings in place to return nutrients back to the soil. But I’ve decided after my husband mows the next time that I’ll rake up the clippings to rev up my compost pile.

It’s been hard to keep it moist this summer with the long spells of very dry weather and a compost pile needs moisture for effective decomposition to occur. By adding the grass clippings to my pile, I’ll give it a boost of nitrogen. I will also give it a good turning and water it thoroughly.

The microorganisms that do the composting need water to function. The moisture content of a compost pile should be ideally between 40 and 60 percent. The compost should feel moist when you squeeze a handful.

Nitrogen is important as well. If there is too little nitrogen, the microbial population will not grow to an optimum size and decomposition slows down.

By doing this, my compost pile should begin to heat up again and the decomposition process will speed up.

For more information on composting contact your local Extension office or visit our online publication Backyard Composting.

Time to Mow the Lawn

Recently, the weather at our house has been in a more normal summer pattern with afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Our drought parched landscape has really bounced back with the rain---especially our lawn. The grass seemed to grow more than an inch over night.

That means it’s time for us to get back in our regular mowing routines. Remember that different turf grasses have different mowing heights. We have zoysia, and my husband tries to keep it about two inches tall.

You will need to mow your grass frequently enough so that you only reduce the grass’ height by one-third. At our house, this means it’s time to mow the grass when it’s three inches high. Check out this publication from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System for more on mowing heights and frequency.

This past weekend before my husband began to mow, he did some simple maintenance tasks. He installed a new air filter, checked the tires’ inflation and inspected the blades to ensure they were sharp. Colorado State Extension offers this information on lawn mower maintenance.

Finally, he and our daughter did a quick tour of the lawn removing sticks, rocks, toys and any other potential hazard. Only then, did he crank our riding lawn mower and begin his Saturday afternoon of riding the mower.

A lawn mower is a useful but potentially dangerous piece of equipment. Check out this publication from Mississippi State Extension on using lawn mowers safely.

Recent Rains Welcome Sight

Last night, something unusual happened at my house. It rained. It rained for the better part of three hours. It rained more than an inch and a half.

This the first time we have had that much rain fall in at least a month and a half—perhaps two months.

While it won’t break the drought, every drop was welcome.

This morning, everything seemed a brighter shade of green. The lawn was no longer crunchy.

The rain also brought lower temperatures. Today’s high in the 80s is a relief after several days of mid-90s.

But with the welcome rain will come the unwelcome weeds. I expect that I will have serious weeding to do in the next week. Weed seeds that have been laying dormant will sprout after the soaking rain.

But even weed pulling will be a welcome chore after so many days of parched, wilted flowers and turf gone dormant.