When
rainstorms come pouring through California each winter, think about
this: Where is all that water going when it lands in your backyard? Here
are some tips to protect your house, pool cover and prized outdoor
plants located in low lying areas:
• Enjoy
the rain...from indoors. Do as little as possible in the garden during a
downpour. Working in wet soil causes compaction.
•
Add gutter extensions to move water away from the house. These sections
of flexible pipe allow you to divert water several feet away from
plants that don't like wet feet. And, it may keep your house foundation
drier, too.
Be sure to slope the drain pipe, allowing at least a one foot drop for each 100 feet of length (one quarter-inch per foot). Dig backwards from where the water will exit the pipe, trenching back towards the source of flooding to help determine how deep to lay the drain pipe. Line the trench with a few inches of gravel, both above and below the pipe. For a lawn area, try to lay the pipe at least two feet below the surface.
• Get a submersible sump pump
to
move water in a hurry from pool covers and planted areas that flood.
Some models are water activated (they automatically come on when the
water level rises an inch or so). Place the sump pump on a board to keep
dirt from clogging the filtration screen.
•
Dig a hole. A hole (also called a sump) that is dug in the lowest
portion of your yard, a hole that penetrates through all the layers of
hardpan (usually 2-4 feet below the surface), can help drain away storm
water. Line the hole with a non-porous material (hard plastic sheeting,
for example) to keep the surrounding dirt from falling back into the
hole. Fill the hole with small rocks, about one inch in diameter.
•
Construct an underground hard drain or a French drain (perforated drain
pipe or gravel creek bed). If it's the lawn area that's flooding, dig a
trench and lay a drain line in the lowest area of the lawn. Don't do
any digging immediately after a heavy rain, though; wait until the soil
dries enough to avoid unnecessary soil compaction. Be sure to slope the
perforated drain pipe, allowing at least a one foot drop for each 100
feet of length (one quarter-inch per foot). Dig backwards from where the
water will exit the pipe, trenching back towards the source of flooding
to help determine how deep to lay the drain pipe. Line the trench with a
few inches of gravel, both above and below the pipe. For a lawn area,
try to lay the pipe at least two feet below the surface.
•
If it's the garden bed that's flooding, consider building raised beds
this fall, lining the bed with 2X8, 2X10 or 2X12 redwood planks. Capping
off the top of these boards with 2X6 redwood will give you a
comfortable place to sit while harvesting vegetables and pulling weeds.
•
If you haven't planted in a flooded area yet, consider creating mounds
first, planting trees and shrubs on the top of the mounds.
