When landscapes are designed and planned, drainage is often overlooked or downplayed. Unfortunately, this is what leads to many problems in landscape management and cultivation. If the landscape is constantly flooded and waterlogged and you are losing volumes of top soil due to water runoff, trying to correct the problem with out addressing the drainage system is going to be a losing battle. C&M Residential discusses the types of drainage we assess and the indicators of a drainage problem.
Types of Drainage
There are two types of drainage to consider for your landscaping: surface drainage and subsurface drainage. Surface drainage relates to erosion and the removal of excess water added to the landscape via rain or irrigation. Subsurface drainage directly affects the health of your plants and their root growth. With correct subsurface drainage, the soil maintains it’s structural capability, roots can grow deeper and stronger, and the damage due to freezing can be limited.
Indicators of Drainage Problems
Knowing whether or not you have a drainage problem is a matter of observing the behavior of your landscaping on a regular basis. Some of the things to look for are:
- Standing water 24 hours after a hard rain
- Thin areas of turf where there is plenty of sun and no disease
- Areas that you are constantly having to treat for fungus problems
- Yellowing plant life
98%, 98% Of the Time
Drainage systems are constructed to deal with the ‘normal’ amount of precipitation for the area. In Georgia, we typically average about 50″ of rain a year, but this year we have already seen 45.8″ by the end of July, and that leaves five more months of rainfall. We are getting many calls from customers that their landscape isn’t doing well and that they are concerned with their drainage systems. Here’s what we like for them to keep in mind: Drainage systems are constructed to deal with 98% of the water, 98% of the time. In a year like the one we’ve had, most drainage systems are not built to handle this volume of water because it’s not normal for our region. So, most of the time, we are going to advise just waiting until the skies stop dumping so much water on our landscapes.
If you would like a review of your landscape and drainage systems, give us a call at C&M Residential. We service areas all over metro Atlanta including Marietta, Roswell, Woodstock, Smyrna, and Kennesaw.
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