How to Change a Swampy Back Yard

Inadequate drainage on your back yard can result in swampy areas and muddy patches which kill grass or otherwise damage your lawn. Sometimes poor drainage is simply the result of oversaturation from heavy rains. If, nevertheless, you always have swampy areas in your back yard, then an underlying problem has to be fixed. Even though the reason for swampy areas depends upon the yard’s design and soil composition, you could have the ability to take care of the problem on your own.

Determine the reason for your swampy back yard if at all possible. Some causes of poor drainage are reduced spots in the lawn, packed soil, higher clay content in the soil and water runoff from gutters. Identifying the reason makes correcting the problem much easier.

Break up the dirt in the swampy area using a rototiller. Apply mulch, compost or other organic material to protect the dirt you broke, and utilize the rototiller on it again. This procedure allows air to the dirt, ensures it isn’t packed and adds water-absorbing natural material that will assist water drainage.

Cover the tilled area with topsoil, and then level the entire area with a lawn roller. Check the angle of the lawn. If a minimal place still exists, then add more topsoil, and level the region again.

Install or repair gutters on your house if necessary, and divert their water drainage from the swampy areas on your back yard. Attach drainage pipes to the downspouts if necessary to make sure the water gutters collect drains elsewhere, ideally onto a downhill slope from the house.

Dig out a part of your lawn that normally drains well and is close to your downspouts. Divert water from the downspouts to the small depression if your back yard continues to have drainage issues. Tilling the small depression’s dirt and adding sand or natural material could be necessary to encourage drainage.

Employ grass seed or put in sod in the areas you tilled and leveled. The grass will prevent erosion and dirt from packing while consuming water from the soil. Keep heavy foot traffic away from the seeded areas until grass begins to grow.

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