The UK is renowned for its unpredictable weather and frequent rain. In particular, the recent storm that swept through the South this autumn left a wave of floods and destruction across some areas meaning many of us have found our gardens under more water than usual.
Here at Lawntech, we’ve had numerous calls over recent weeks asking how we can drain waterlogged lawns. Unfortunately, whilst this isn’t a service that we can offer, restoring a waterlogged lawn is feasible with the right approach.
What Causes My Lawn To Be Waterlogged?
Heavy and excessive rainfall can leave your lawn waterlogged, turning your tidy, green space into a squishy, soggy mess. But why does this water sit there, leaving puddles in your lawn? This can simply be unavoidable depending on the amount of rainfall we see, but factors such as poor soil composition and inadequate lawn drainage systems often contribute to this issue.
Compacted soil, heavy clay content, and uneven ground can all worsen the problem leading to standing water and stressed grass. Whilst it is important to understand the causes as this can tell you more about your lawn’s condition and how this may be improved, we do find that most lawns are generally robust enough to recover without human intervention once the rain has abated.
Excessive or prolonged rain can saturate the soil, causing your lawn to become waterlogged.
So, What Do I Do With A Waterlogged Lawn?
If you do find your lawn waterlogged then the first thing to do is to avoid stepping on the lawn. This will keep compaction down and avoid the problem from getting any worse. If the waterlogging was caused by a flood, then wash down hard surfaces and collect up debris to avoid drains being blocked and allow a steady flow of water to remove pollutants.
Wait for the majority of the water to evaporate and allow time for the soil to dry out enough to assess for any damage. The Waterlogging page of our website’s Lawn Care Guide contains more helpful details in dealing with your waterlogged lawn.
Restoring A Waterlogged Lawn
We advise that you regularly check your lawn’s drainage and irrigation systems for blockages or inefficiencies. In severe cases, or for lawns prone to waterlogging, we would recommend that the lawn should be surveyed with land drainage in mind. Our sister company, Hewlett Turf & Landscapes specialises in this work. To find out more, visit their website here.
Once the soil is dry enough to be stepped on, we would recommend aerating your lawn using a garden fork or aerator to perforate the soil to enhance airflow and drainage.
If your lawn has suffered extensive damage, more thorough repair work may be required such as a lawn renovation, typically including mechanical aeration, overseeding, moss control, and fertiliser, finished with an application of top dressing to significantly improve your lawn’s condition.
Aeration can help alleviate compaction and promote drainage, aiding in the recovery of a waterlogged lawn.
Maintain Your Lawn’s Health For Better Recovery
Typically, lawns can tolerate some level of water and naturally, this water will dry out. We find that most lawns are unlikely to sustain any damage so waiting it out is often the most you can do. However, the grass may suffer if left underwater for a lengthy period.
Maintaining your lawn’s health with appropriate fertiliser, moss control, and regular aeration will help build strength and improve your lawn’s condition making your lawn more hardy and less prone to moss invasion, and lawn disease which can be the result of a damp lawn.
Fertiliser benefits your lawn by providing essential nutrients which support healthy plant growth.
If your lawn would benefit from our annual treatment programme, you can find out more on our website. Alternatively, if you would like more information regarding our renovation services Contact Us today. A free, instant, online quote can be obtained at our website here.
