Hello,
we have a newly built house and are experiencing waterlogging issues in the garden.
There is about 50 cm (20 inches) of topsoil, which already contains some clay, followed by approximately 1.5 m (5 feet) of a thick clay layer.
The clay layer only allows water to pass through very slowly, so the garden remains waterlogged for about 1-2 days. Excess water can drain away through a French drain (soakaway) as long as there is a slope, but the soil also settles unevenly.
However, waterlogging still occurs in the soil itself, especially within the top 40 cm (16 inches), which plants do not tolerate well.
We cannot loosen the clay layer even with a rotary tiller. How can we improve the soil? Would it be sufficient to spread, for example, 10 tons of river sand over approximately 180 m² (1,940 sq ft) and incorporate a soil activator by tilling it in?
What else can we do?
Would it help to plant deep-rooted plants for one year, till the soil again next year, and then finally plant the lawn?
we have a newly built house and are experiencing waterlogging issues in the garden.
There is about 50 cm (20 inches) of topsoil, which already contains some clay, followed by approximately 1.5 m (5 feet) of a thick clay layer.
The clay layer only allows water to pass through very slowly, so the garden remains waterlogged for about 1-2 days. Excess water can drain away through a French drain (soakaway) as long as there is a slope, but the soil also settles unevenly.
However, waterlogging still occurs in the soil itself, especially within the top 40 cm (16 inches), which plants do not tolerate well.
We cannot loosen the clay layer even with a rotary tiller. How can we improve the soil? Would it be sufficient to spread, for example, 10 tons of river sand over approximately 180 m² (1,940 sq ft) and incorporate a soil activator by tilling it in?
What else can we do?
Would it help to plant deep-rooted plants for one year, till the soil again next year, and then finally plant the lawn?
S
Schorsch_baut11 Apr 2024 18:02haydee schrieb:
He has already added topsoil. The clay-rich soil is deeper down.
@FrankChief Make sure to loosen the soil with deep-rooting plants as a base and for soil organisms.
After construction, water also pooled here. In 2018, I had a pond on the play area after rain. It resolved on its own. I understood that the top layer is already very clay-rich and that no separate topsoil was brought in.
FrankChief schrieb:
Hello,
We have about 50cm (20 inches) of topsoil (which is already clay-rich) and underneath that is about a 1.5m (5 feet) thick layer of clay. F
FrankChief16 Apr 2024 20:48We worked approximately 10 tons of sand into about 180 square meters (1,937 square feet) of soil using a rotary tiller.
We have had heavy rain for two days now, and currently, there is no more waterlogging. The sand apparently loosened the soil and improved its drainage.
The new problem is that the soil level has risen quite a bit due to the 10 tons of sand.
The ground or lawn is now higher than the terrace, and water cannot drain properly.
Does anyone know a trick to remove about 3-5 cm (1-2 inches) of soil without removing the sand mixed in the topsoil?
I don’t want to have to remove half of the sand again.
Yes, I should have removed some soil beforehand, but I missed that. That’s why I’m now looking for a good tip to solve this issue.
We have had heavy rain for two days now, and currently, there is no more waterlogging. The sand apparently loosened the soil and improved its drainage.
The new problem is that the soil level has risen quite a bit due to the 10 tons of sand.
The ground or lawn is now higher than the terrace, and water cannot drain properly.
Does anyone know a trick to remove about 3-5 cm (1-2 inches) of soil without removing the sand mixed in the topsoil?
I don’t want to have to remove half of the sand again.
Yes, I should have removed some soil beforehand, but I missed that. That’s why I’m now looking for a good tip to solve this issue.
C
chand198616 Apr 2024 22:09FrankChief schrieb:
Does anyone know a trick to remove about 3-5cm (1-2 inches) of soil without removing the sand contained in the topsoil?? No. How would that be possible?
You could try recompacting it. It will still be more permeable with sand in it than without. Of course, not as good as it is right now.
F
FrankChief17 Apr 2024 08:03@chand1986 We have already compacted the soil and rolled over it with a lawn roller.
Would it be an option to wait now until the sand has settled into the deeper layers, and then use a soil cutter, for example, to remove only the top 3-4cm (1-1.5 inches) of soil?
This way, we wouldn't remove too much sand and would reach a deeper layer more directly.
Would it be an option to wait now until the sand has settled into the deeper layers, and then use a soil cutter, for example, to remove only the top 3-4cm (1-1.5 inches) of soil?
This way, we wouldn't remove too much sand and would reach a deeper layer more directly.
C
chand198617 Apr 2024 08:47FrankChief schrieb:
Would it be an option to wait until the sand has settled into the deeper layers, and then use a probe cutter to remove only the top 3-4cm (1-1.5 inches) of the ground?If the non-sandy part of the soil is clayey or silty, that can take years. Or is there a lot of gravel?Similar topics