How to fix your water-logged lawn without digging a ditch and the Wikes buy that could be it’s saviour
IT feels like it’s been one of the wettest springs in a long time – and while it’s great for your flowers, the same can’t be said for your lawn.
In fact, too much water can leave your grass water-logged and can be tricky to treat.
Most people assume you have to dig out a ditch to get rid of it but The Sun’s gardening expert reveals it can be done with a savvy buy from B&M.
“There’s nothing more frustrating than a waterlogged lawn – and the weather so far this year has not helped at all,” says Veronica Lorraine.
“But luckily there’s some easy preventative steps you can take.”
The thicker and more luxurious the grass, the more water it will absorb.
Veronica Lorraine
Although not suitable for every garden, digging a ditch at the lowest point would allow water to run away and sit somewhere it won’t do any damage.
But one trick that can help is by simply collection rain water instead, and it’s perfect to do if you’ve just laid your grass.
Our gardening pro explains: “If you’re lucky enough to be starting to lay a lawn from scratch, in the same way that you lay a patio on a slight angle to encourage run off – it’s sensible to do the same with the lawn. I’m not talking about creating a ridiculous slope, but if there’s any way of creating a very slight downward angle, that would be helpful.”
If you’re lawn is already filled with water that won’t drain away – your best bet is to aerate it by stabbing small holes all over with a garden fork.
At the moment, Wikes has garden forks on sale for as little as £7 – so there’s no excuse to not prep your lawn for rainy days ahead.
You can also use an aeration machine to do the job and release the moisture to help your lawn recover quickly.
“If you’re treating a current lawn, one of the most important jobs is to aerate it, normally twice a year at the beginning and the end of the growing season – which is generally March to October,” explains Veronica.
“This, in its most basic form, means adding small holes to it – which will help the water drain away easily, and adds oxygen to the soil, improving it’s structure. It also encourages the grass to root properly – giving you a much better coverage – which will, in turn, stop waterlogging.
“Ideally you should use hollow tines, so you’re not squashing the soil down – and there are all sorts of fancy gadgets on sale that promise the world – from special machines, to shoes with spikes on.
“But at the end of the day, using a standard garden fork is absolutely fine. Just stand on the fork to puncture the holes in the soil.”
Another way to prevent water-logging in the first place is to collect rainwater before it gets stuck in your grass.
“You can get basic waterbutts for minimal cost nowadays – all you need to do is attach them to your downpipe,” says the gardening pro.
“But if you don’t have room for that, even artfully placed containers around the garden will do.”
You can buy a waterbutt from B&M which is offering a 100 litre tank for just £28.99.
“Also, if you’ve got paths through your garden – make them permeable – so the water runs straight through instead of spilling over onto the soil. Something like gravel or small stones work well. Or you could have stepping stones to minimise the amount of impenetrable paving. They look really good.
Veronica adds: “And finally, remember that there’s nothing wrong with overseeding your garden, especially if you have patches.
“The thicker and more luxurious the grass, the more water it will absorb and the less chance its got of getting through and flooding your garden.”
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