Heavy rain causes a lot of damage. Above allBasements are often affected, especially when it comes to flooding. But other areas are also quickly flooded and are then under water for a long time. So does the garden. Is your garden flooded after a long period of heavy rain? Then you should act to protect all the plants from dying! But what can you actually do? We will explain to you how to protect your garden from flooding, what you can do if the garden is under water and how to care for it afterwards.
Just as your potted plants cannot tolerate waterlogging, neither do the garden plants. And although the...natural soil conditionsAlthough there is usually enough excess water to seep through outdoors to prevent such waterlogging, exceptional cases can occur if a particularly persistent period of rain has just arrived. Clayey or loamy soils also have a harder time absorbing water, so the garden can quickly become flooded. And sometimes it is the terrain itself that always causes problems and simply tends to accumulate water. However, flooded areas and puddles can lead to root rot, undoing all the loving effort and time you have devoted to the garden. So you have flooding in your garden – what’s the best thing to do? First of all, prevention is better than cure:
Garden under water – flood protection in the garden as a preventative measure
If you know your garden oftenis affected by standing water, you can prevent a major disaster by taking a few steps. You have to decide for yourself which ones are best implemented in your case. These are your options to prevent your garden from being underwater, or at least reduce the frequency of it:
Mix soil for heavy soils
Soils with a high proportion of loam or clay have the advantage that they store water for longer and thus protect your plants from drying out, especially in the hot summer months. However, during heavy rain, these are quickly saturated with water and waterlogging and flooding can occur in the garden. You can prevent a garden from being submerged by simply mixing compost and sand into the soil every spring when you prepare your beds and also occasionally. This makes the soil more permeable.
Prevent your garden from flooding with raised beds
Raised beds not only ensure that your plants are not standing in water in the first place, but are also elevated. You can also customize the soil according to your wishesmix yourself. This also keeps the plants away from heavy soils, if your garden is characterized by such soils. During heavy rain, the water can easily seep through the soil you have mixed (preferably with a drainage layer) and the roots of your plants are protected. Perfect for preventing the beds in the garden from being under water.
Lay a drainage system
Drainages are more suitable for soils that tend to become waterlogged in order to avoid a garden underwater. Here, pipes are laid in the ground through which excess water can drain away in a concentrated form. However, anyone who decides on such a solution should proceed with caution and consult an expert to be on the safe side. It is important to ensure that the groundwater is not removed from the soil and that it becomes too dry. A specialist is able to take samples from the soil and therefore assess the correct drainage.
Another option would be to lay a drainage layer of gravel and sand yourself - like in a raised bed. To do this, dig up the soil of the future bed, lay the gravel-sand layer and fill the bed back up. You can also take advantage of this by mixing the soil with compost and sand, as described above, to create a more permeable composition.
Loosen the soil regularly
Regular digging is also a good preventative measure against a flooded garden.Although this is not possible with lawns, you can protect your flower and vegetable beds this way. To do this, use a hoe or a so-called cultivator. The resulting airy soil condition makes it easier for water to seep into the earth.
Preventing Garden Underwater – Slopes, Ditches and Holes
Design beds with a slight slope, build drainage ditches and water holes (40 x 40 cm). How many of these shafts, pipes and drains you will need depends primarily on the amount of rain that regularly falls in your area.
Regular aeration of the lawn
All of the measures already mentioned are not suitable for lawns as they would ruin them either temporarily or permanently. But surely you have to be able to protect it somehow if it is constantly under water in the garden? You can ventilate it regularly by scarifying it. The lawn or soil is cut a few millimeters deep using a scarifying device. However, you should seek good advice as there are a few things to consider. You can then poke small holes in the lawn and then fill them with sand. This improves ventilation and makes the solid ground a little more permeable.
Replace lawn
Especially if the lawn is the biggest weak point in the garden, you could just have oneConsider lawn replacementor at least choose a type of grass that is not sensitive to moisture. Otherwise, alternatives are also suitablewalkable ground cover, although you should of course also make sure to choose varieties that can tolerate a lot of moisture.
How can you support expiration?
Do you already have flooding in your garden so it's too late to take preventative measures? Especially if puddles have formed, you should take action and do something about the garden being under water. Of course, please wait until the rain has stopped. You can also observe for a few days: if the water gradually withdraws, you can move on to the tips below. If the water is backing up, pushing against the wall of the house or even threatening to flow into the house, a pump that can pump out excess water is the first step. A basement or house renovation is an expensive thing. Therefore, the plants in the garden should take second place in this case.
Important for a garden under water: No matter what measures you decide to take or which ones are necessary, try to move around the garden as little as possible. Because your weight only compacts the soil more and your efforts are counterproductive. You should also be aware that even if you react quickly, you will most likely not be able to save some of your plants.
Poke holes
If the soil is just heavily waterlogged, it can simply be dug up to make it easier to absorb water. However, this is not possible on a lawn or if entire puddles have formed - after all, you don't want to ruin your lawn, you want to save it. In this case, you can use a metal rod to press deep holes in the soil. Of course, these are preferably located in the lowest parts of the area. You can make the holes wider by moving the rod back and forth a little. Then pull them out again. In this way, you create drainage holes, so to speak, through which the water can hopefully drain more easily.
Skim off water
If this doesn't work, you can also skim the water with a bucket. A laborious but effective measure when it comes to a smaller flooded area. After you have drained the water, the recessed areas in the garden may fill with water again. The waterlogged soil continues to release excess water. This means you may have to do the whole thing again a few hours later.
You can make this project easier with a pump, especially if it involves large garden areas. Of course, you have to decide for yourself which of the two options is more worthwhile for you or whether it is worth investing in a pump.
To avoid continually flattening your lawn or soil while skimming, you can simply make a small sacrifice and dig a pit in the deepest part of the lawn. This doesn't need to be too big either. The goal is for the water to flow into this pit and collect in it so you can easily skim it off. A relatively quick way to relieve pressure on the rest of the lawn if the garden is under water. You can fill the holes later and sow new lawn, which is better than a completely drowned lawn.
The garden after flooding
Getting rid of the water is, of course, one thing. But you probably need to do more to get the garden back in shape. There may be broken plant stems or fallen branches here and there. Cut off the stems with sharp pruning shears and discard them. If they remain wet, this can lead to mold formation.Also check the treeson broken branches and twigs.
The garden was probably under water after it was heavily flooded. The water currents often wash away soil and create hollows. The sensitive roots of the plants may also have been exposed. Of course, you should now fill up such places again.
