gardening
Tips on how
gardeners can
revive their
waterlogged
lawns and bring
them back to their
former glory - plus,
find out what else
needs doing in the
garden this week.
After the flood
has gone…
by Hannah Stephenson
I
f the recent deluge of rain means your luscious, closely-cropped carpet of green is
now nothing but a soggy bog, you might be feeling a bit downhearted. But don’t
despair, say the experts, there is still hope for your languishing lawn.
Guy Jenkins, Johnsons lawn seed expert, firstly advises to just give it time. “Don’t rush
to work on your lawn as soon as the water has subsided,” he says. “Treading on wet,
saturated soil will easily result in compaction, reducing your lawn’s aeration and drainage
even further. Only sow seed after the ground has become workable again.”
“
Sometimes though, the only real option is to start again; if your lawn suffers from
consistent waterlogging, or is covered in moss or has bare, muddy patches. Jenkins says
sorting out a proper drainage system and sowing trusted grass seed will save you time and
money later. On a poorly drained site where water lies on the surface at times, land drains
are the only solution. If in doubt, seek professional advice.
In urban
areas, water
flows over
pavements
and patios,
with the extra
surface runoff resulting
in flooding.
Simply by
keeping
a wellmaintained
lawn and
providing
somewhere
for water to
drain away,
we can all
do our bit to
prevent flood
damage.
“
42
Life Begins
When water simply won’t drain away. The RHS advises that you may have to replace
the lawn with a new one, using turf laid on a 5cm (2in) bed of sharp sand, overlaid with
topsoil improved by generous manuring and thorough cultivation. Smaller lawns on heavy
clay soil can frequently be drained by raising them slightly above the adjoining ground
level. A gravel edging to the lawn will carry away excess moisture.
When a lawn lies wet for any length of time. Damp conditions encourage algae,
lichens and liverworts. This includes bubble-like Nostoc algae and dog lichen. They both
flourish in badly-drained lawns but can develop wherever the aeration is poor and may
even appear on well-drained turf if the surface has become compacted and is inclined to
remain damp after rain.
Algae also thrives in shaded conditions and where soil fertility is poor, so it’s frequently
found on turf beneath trees. Moss is a common sight where conditions are damp, but
particularly if there is shade and an acid soil.
Pricking or slitting the surface can improve a waterlogged lawn. The RHS adds.
Try making 2-3cm (1in) slits or holes, although deeper spiking is better, especially with a
tool designed to leave holes 10-15cm (4-6in) deep. These holes can be filled with a freedraining material, such as proprietary lawn top dressings or horticultural sand, which will
allow the water to flow from the surface to deeper, less compacted layers.
Hand spiking tools are available but an ordinary garden fork can be used too. Alternatively,
for larger lawns, use powered tools. Try a hollow tiner, which has hollow spikes and
removes plugs of soil that are then swept up and removed. Pricking and slitting are best
carried out once the excess water has drained away, especially where machinery is to be
used. In small areas where standing water persists, sweep it off the lawn and into the beds
before spiking with a hand spiking tool or garden fork.
Once you’ve cleared the latest mess. It is also important to consider the root of the
problem and hopefully prevent it happening again. For example, do you live in an urban
area, at the bottom of a valley or flood plain, or on top of heavy clay?
“All of these factors can affect how your lawn copes with excess rainfall,” says Jenkins.
“In urban areas, water flows over pavements and patios, with the extra surface run-off
resulting in flooding. Simply by keeping a well-maintained lawn and providing somewhere
for water to drain away, we can all do our bit to prevent flood damage.”
If you plan to sow a new lawn this spring, raking soil over to form a fairly fine tilth should
ensure optimum germination rates, but only do it when the soil is dry enough to work.
Heavy rain washes nutrients out of the soil. So to help encourage new grass, apply
a lawn fertiliser or buy grass seed which includes fertiliser or dressing, so that it can grow
more extensive root systems better able to withstand drought and flooding.
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