Yard drainage - what's best?

Question

I have about 6" of topsoil over clay in my whole yard. This results in soggy lawn all winter and most of Spring, plus un-usable yard for at least a week after every rain. Chicago area. What is the best way to drain off the water trapped on top of the clay? Will doing so mean the grass will suffer from lack of moisture?

Answer 1

You have a very common problem for clay soils. I see this in my neighborhood all the time. Most people just lay down a thin layer of topsoil on top of the crappy clay. Problem is, the water, and roots, will only penetrate to the top of the clay soil and goes down no further.

To truely correct the problem, it will take a lot of work. This is what I did for my yard (seriously crappy clay soil that didn't drain for several days after raining), but first you will need to remove the layer of topsoil and stockpile it until you need it. Once you've exposed the clay, add a 2" layer of topsoil and a 2" layer of composted organic material. Rototill this into the clay as deep as you can (the deeper the better) to intermingle the different soil types and add organic material to help hold water. Add another 2" of topsoil and 1" of organics. Rototill this in as deep as you can. Finally lay the top 2" of soil and 2" more organics. Rototill this in too. You're soil is now well mixed with materials that will retain water in the soil and improve drainage as well as fertility. Remember that you've just added about 5" of compost, so your lawn's elevation will raise just a little.

Level the soil out with a landscape rake and rough grade it so that it drains away from any buildings. You will probably raise the elevation of the soil by a few inches next to the buildings due to the added material. Then use a water roller that is half full of water and run it all the way across the entire lawn going back and forth in one direction only. Then run it all the way across perpendicular to the first run. Now you can re-level and fine grade your lawn. Make sure that it is graded to drain away from any buildings, and that it will sheet drain towards the street. Now you can lay sod.

I used a newer variety of turf grass called RTF. It is a dwarf tall fescue that has rhizomes like a bluegrass, so it spreads and fills in. The roots will go down up to 6 feet, and it does great in my crappy clay soil. The roots of mine were 3.5" deep just 10 days after laying the sod. It needs less water in the summer, and drinks up the excess water in the spring and after rains. I only mow mine every 4-6 weeks. I actually let it go 9 weeks before cutting it once and it had only grown about 1.5" in that 9 weeks. It is soft like a bluegrass, but the blade is a little wider. The following website gives more information about it, and where you can get it from. http://www.aboutrtf.com/

Add gypsum to the soil twice a year for the first 3 years. A 40 lbs. bag worth per 1000 square feet of area. Water it in really good once you spread it.

Answer 2

You need to put agricultural pipe under the lawn to gather the water (it is a slotted pipe used on farms and for drainage). It runs along this to a central drainage pit and is taken away by storm water drains.

Clay soil is a problem, which takes time to fix. I often see people recommending question askers just put top soil over the top and this is the result. While you have this impervious barrier of clay you just won't get the drainage. If I where in your position, I would go back to basics. If you are digging a bed apply gypsum (the recommended remedy for clay improvement), it only needs to be applied 3 times and it stays in the soil. this provides drainage passage for water and air penetration permanently.

For the lawn if you had the money I would re turf after digging in gypsum, organic matter etc. Put some gradient on the yard leading back to a drainage system. Shouldn't kill the grass not to have these over wet conditions, I'm surprised it hasn't been effected by too much water.

Answer 3

Soggy is actually bad for your lawn. The roots can rot and they tend not to go as deep as they would in better draining soil.

Your problem is not unique. I assume your yard is flat. You need to create opportunities for the water to run off. Raising the level of the yard is a thought.. maybe not very practical, though...

If one side of the lawn is lower than the other, you night be able to install perforated tile under the turf and drain it that way.. it's a big job.

You could also consider re-doing your lawn with a better draining soil blend. Something high in sand and organic content.. trouble here is, again, big job, expensive and you have no yard until the new one comes in.

Another thought would be to core aerate your lawn and topdress with Turface. Turface is a soil conditioner that is used in athletic fields to help them dry more quickly. It's like a kitty litter.. you would need to cut the grass very short and then aerate, picking up all of the plugs from the soil, then spread the turface into the holes. Eventually, the grass will grow in and the surface will begin to dry out more quickly after rains.. You could also consider blending sphagnum peat and coarse sand (one part peat, 2 parts sand) and doing the same treatment.

Bear in mind that this only drains the top part of the soil, not the areas under ... for that.. you're talking about tiling (pipes) under the surface.

Answer 4

No, if you drain the water off it won't make it suffer. The best way to drain it would be to use drainage tiles if you can. Too much water can rot or stunt the roots, causing the grass to be more vulnerable to the summer heat instead of less vulnerable to it. What's going to be the most important is how deep you place the drainage tiles. Soil has what is called a capillary effect. You want to place your drainage tile to the depth you want your water table at. From that water table level the water should travel up in a capillary action to about 4-6" from the soil surface. This way the water gets to the roots of the grass through capillary action but doesn't flood them. The drainage tile will need about about a 2 degree slope to gently drain away the water. It may take a while for the ground to develop a good drainage path in the soil to the piping. And you may see where holes develop in the ground due to the ground settling or a leak in the pipe. If you find a leak, dig up the pipe at that spot and wrap pete moss sheeting around the pipe. A good way to prevent leaks is to wrap pete moss around any connections of the pipe.

Answer 5

I'd keep adding topsoil to build a grade that gently slopes away from the house. At the lowest points I'd have a drainage ditch to carry away the water-not unlike the gutter system on a house.If you can't direct the water into the street,you might consider installing a cistearn.

Answer 6

Get a opinion of a professional. My father was in construction for 30 years and he put in a pipe with holes in it that drained the water and left the top soil alone.

Answer 7

in case you have a low spot the superb way that i got here up with is you get the pipe lay on the tip of it.you place the black over it.you recognize make the form of the pipe and as quickly because it incredibly is performed you could placed some mash over the black that nicely shop out the trash out of it.that way it nicely drain.all which you talk approximately nicely artwork reliable. all that i see is which you forgot the tip and that i've got been on condition that for you. i'm hoping that i teach you a thank you to out.your pal fred