What to do if the garden is in a swampy area. How to drain a swamp? Drainage channel

A large number of water interferes with farming and contributes to the destruction of structures. In addition, excess moisture is washed away nutrients from the ground. Foundation exposed permanent influence water deteriorates over time, so it is important for owners faced with such a problem to figure out how to drain the area of ​​water with their own hands.

Water drainage is necessary only on loamy and clayey soils. Sandstones do not need water drainage, since they themselves play the role of drainage.

Choosing a method

To drain water from a summer cottage, several methods are used. Before you start choosing the right one, you need to consider the following nuances:

• How permeable is the soil on the site?
• In what direction does groundwater move?
• The time in which the work needs to be completed.
• Number of buildings on the territory summer cottage.

Method 1

Diversion can be arranged groundwater without using pipes. To do this, you need to dig deep trenches, which are subsequently filled with filter material. The best option crushed stone and sand will be used for this purpose. They need to be covered in layers. In this case, it is advisable to use peat, which effectively protects the backfill from dirt.

Method 2

You can drain the area from groundwater using pipe system. Experts recommend using perforated polymer pipes. The pipe must be laid below the freezing level of the ground.

When using ordinary sewer pipes To drain liquid, holes must be made in them.

How to do the job step by step

Instructions for installing soft drainage

You can use the economical method. But in the process of performing work you need to be prepared for high labor costs. To install drainage you will need:

• hacksaw;
• shovel;
• drainage pipes;
• manual rammer;
• building level and lath;
• wheelbarrow;
• geotextiles;
• crushed stone;
• sand.

The order of work will be as follows:

1. On initial stage you need to dig trenches that should be parallel to each other. It is important to maintain a distance of 4 meters between ditches. It is worth noting that the step must be taken taking into account the density of the soil. On heavy soils take a smaller step.
2. Choose a place to install a drainage well.
3. When performing work, you need to make a system with a slope to drain water into the well. For this purpose it is worth using a building level.

Closed drainage technology

1. When installing the system, the ends of the dug trenches are connected into one and lead to a drainage well. It is worth remembering that the trench must be located on a slope. If it is not possible to complete the work using this method, you need to make several drainage wells.
2. A cushion of a mixture of gravel and sand is placed at the bottom of the trenches. The layer thickness can reach 50 mm.
3. Now you can begin laying the drainage pipes. The most commonly used are perforated polymer products.
4. Before laying the pipes, it is important to wrap them with geotextiles. This is necessary to prevent clogging of the holes during their operation. An analogue of the material is coconut fiber.
5. Having laid the pipes in place, the trench is covered with crushed stone and sand. During the work process, it is necessary to limit the contact of pipes with the soil as much as possible.

How to make point drainage

If you don’t want to make a large-scale system, you can give preference to point drainage.

1. For this purpose, holes are made around the perimeter of the site, the depth of which must be at least 2 m. A distance of 5 m can be maintained between the holes. The diameter of the holes depends on the size of the pipe that will subsequently need to be inserted into them.
2. A mixture of sand and gravel is poured into the bottom of the holes.
3. At the next stage, pipe sections wrapped in coconut fiber are inserted vertically. It is important to select a pipe diameter such that the drainage pump can fit into it.

Using this method, it is necessary to regularly pump out water from the holes. On average, once a week will be enough. Pumping out water is simple and the process does not take much time.

The above method of draining an area is applicable only if you need to remove a small amount of water when the groundwater level is low.

Draining swampy areas

In order to drain a swampy area, you can resort to a not entirely standard, but effective method.

1. Work should begin by marking the direction of the drainage trenches. There is no need for large wide trenches. The ditch should be up to 30 cm wide and two shovels deep. Marking is carried out using rope and pegs. The ditch system should be sloped in a herringbone pattern. Boundary ditches can merge into one main one.
2. Before you start digging, you need to lay out polyethylene on both sides of the future ditch. Sod is laid on one side and a layer of infertile soil on the other side.
3. Once the ditch is ready, you can place empty plastic bottles in two layers (pre-twisted). They are analogous to special drainage pipes. They are durable and perform their function perfectly.
4. Place infertile soil on top of the bottles up to half of the ditch and compact it.
5. At the final stage, turf is laid.

The main function of this method is the flow of water through the free spaces into the main ditch. Thus, after rains and snow, the soil will dry out faster.

Video

Watch a video on how to drain a site:

This video shows how drainage work is carried out on the site:

Photo

If the acquired area is found to be close to groundwater, drainage work will inevitably have to be carried out. This is a set of measures aimed at removing excess moisture from the site.

Why is groundwater dangerous?

In such areas, the volume of soil layer in which the root system of plants can develop is reduced. And cold groundwater at the beginning of their growing season weakens the vital activity of the roots. The roots do not penetrate deep into the soil, and if they do penetrate during a temporary drop in the water level, they die off during a subsequent rise. Often seedlings grow well in such areas in the first years after planting, but die with age. So if you want to create a real garden, and not just decorate the area with annuals, you need to work hard.

Drainage is the head of everything

The most effective tubular drainage system using perforated plastic pipes. They are placed in trenches at a depth of 60-75 cm at clay soil; 75-90 cm on loam; 90-100 cm - on sandy soil. The drains must have a slight slope so that the water collected in the pipes does not stagnate, but flows into a common absorption well (about 1 m deep), which is installed at the lowest point of the site. You can lay the pipes in a herringbone pattern - this is when side pipes (7.5 cm in diameter) branch off from the main drainage pipe (diameter 10 cm). The main pipe should again go into the well. In general, depending on the situation, the water outlet can be directed to a common bypass ditch (usually gardening companies with problem soil have one) or a nearby body of water.

If something doesn’t work out with the pipes, you can fill the drains with crushed stone, coarse gravel, or cover them with brushwood.

To remove water from the surface, you can dig open grooves (again, on a slope) and decorate them with the same gravel. True, on sandy soil It makes no sense to arrange open grooves - their walls crumble very quickly, and the grooves themselves are washed away.

If the area is low

Where should the water be directed if a plot of land on the site of former low-lying swamps (in the floodplain of the river) was given for use? You should select the lowest points on the site, dig deep drainage wells there (much deeper than the groundwater level) and fill them with coarse crushed stone or gravel. The entire drainage system will converge into these wells.

In addition to this, you can use imported soil to raise the level of your site. It's costly and time-consuming, but worth it. With the subsequent plowing of imported soil with the existing layer of organic matter “preserved” by the swamp, soil fertility increases. Areas on reclaimed lower peat bogs do not require the application of organic fertilizers for a long time.

Site next to raised bogs

The principle of “working” of a high bog differs from that of a low bog. Raised bog is formed under stagnant conditions surface waters on flat depressions of watersheds, underlain by waterproof rocks. Typically, a raised bog is not connected to groundwater and exists due to the supply of moisture from precipitation. The soil here is poor in mineral nutrition and highly acidic.

To deoxidize the soil, it is better to use dolomite flour (applied in the fall), which “works” for several years. In emergency cases and to quickly reduce acidity, you can use slaked lime and chalk. And you definitely need to bring meadow soil and compost. Then, over time, this area will become fertile.

On a note:

The drainage system (or drains) lowers the groundwater level, resulting in improved physical properties soil and are provided the necessary conditions for growing plants. The uppermost aquifer layer should be no closer than 1.5-2 m from the ground surface.

No one chooses a dacha in the lowlands of their own free will. But what if you inherited a swampy area, for example? Don’t rush to get rid of such an allotment - given today’s demand for land, you will always have time to do this. You can try to improve the garden in the swamp. And for this you need to know what to plant in the lowlands so that the plants do not experience discomfort from the close occurrence of groundwater.

A dacha plot in a swamp or located in a low, flooded place is usually considered not very successful. And yet, even these difficult conditions allow you to create an interesting and attractive landscape.

Naturally, a garden in a lowland does not cause much delight among gardeners, since it has quite a few disadvantages:

• firstly, the air stagnates in the lowlands, which means that for a site located in a swamp there are much fewer suitable fruit trees than for a plain or on a slope. Therefore, the choice of fruit and berry crops, like other plants, is limited for lowlands. When purchasing them, pay attention not only to their frost resistance, but also to their winter hardiness (frost resistance is the ability to withstand frost, and winter hardiness is to tolerate winter thaws);
• secondly, in the lowlands spring frosts are 3–5 degrees lower than on the plain. Therefore, when the weather forecast promises soil frosts of 2–3 degrees, then in your area it will be 5–8 degrees;
• thirdly, in the spring, in the lowlands, when the snow melts, water accumulates and stagnates, which leads to the soaking of the root system of crops growing there.

However, this does not mean at all that nothing can be grown in a low-lying area without large expenses for reclamation and soil filling. A special case is if your dacha is located in a swamp and water meadow along a floodplain, as well as next to a pond, ditches and in a ravine.

Can't plant in lowlands fruit trees and berry bushes in pits, just like on the plain in those places where groundwater is high. The roots of the plant in the lowland will end up in water, and gradually it will die. You can’t plant plants on clay either, but for a different reason. Clay swelling during autumn rains, does not allow moisture to pass through. Therefore, the soil in the hole freezes through, which causes the death of the root system. What should you do if the site is in a lowland, and what should you plant on swampy soil to make the plants in the lowland comfortable?

What to do if your summer cottage is in a swamp?

If you don't know what to do with a swampy area, start by determining the groundwater level. To do this, start digging a hole, and as soon as water appears in it, measure the distance from the surface of the water to top edge pits. This distance will be the groundwater level.

The root system of berry trees is located at a depth of 15–30 cm (strawberries, black currants, raspberries) to 40–50 cm (red currants, gooseberries, chokeberries, honeysuckle). The root system of stone fruit crops (plum, cherry, apricot, cherry plum, sloe) is located approximately at a depth of 70–80 cm. The deepest root system is that of the pear, it can go to a depth of 4 m; the apple tree usually has root system, lying at a depth of 1–1.5 m. But if there is clay, or granite, or pebble under a soil layer of 50–80 cm, then the roots, as a rule, grow not in depth, but in breadth.

Therefore, in a swamp and where groundwater lies closer than a meter mark, or in an area where instead of soil there is solid clay, fruit trees have to be planted on artificial hills made for each tree, 0.8–1.2 m high and with a diameter of at least 1.5 m, in the driest places of the site. For berry plantings, you will have to pour continuous ridges 50–60 cm high. In addition, in the swamp you will have to additionally lay drainage ditches along the plantings or lay drainage pipes to drain excess water into reservoirs, which should be located in the lowest parts of the site and further deepened.

Planting hills are located no closer than 3–4 m from each other. To prevent the soil from spreading on bulk hills, the hill should be immediately sown with bentgrass or white clover. These are low-growing plants; they should be cut or mowed only once a season, as soon as a spike appears on the grass, and clover - as soon as it blooms, so that their seeds do not scatter and dissipate. The roots of the bentgrass lie at a depth of only 2–4 cm, so they will not compete with the roots of the apple tree; the roots of white clover lie deeper, at a depth of 10–15 cm, which is also not much. In addition, nodule bacteria live on clover roots, which, absorbing nitrogen from the air, convert it into soil nitrogen, that is, saturate the soil with nitrogen fertilizer.

What to plant in swampy soil in a lowland?

Now that you know what to do if your site is located in a swamp, it’s time to think about choosing suitable plants for the lowland.

To create the actual lawn on swampy soils, you can use special lawn mixtures that can withstand high groundwater levels and even temporary flooding of the soil.

From the assortment ornamental plants you should choose moisture-loving ones that prefer an acidic or slightly acidic environment, since floodplain meadows and especially swamps are usually characterized by varying degrees of soil acidification.

For a summer cottage in a marshy area, the basis of a wet flower garden consists of tall perennials: Volzhanka (aruncus), Siberian and marsh irises, brunnera, valerian, buzulnik, basil, aquilegia (columbine). It is better to plant them either in the center of the lawn or against the background of a high solid fence.

Lower plants - swimworts, loosestrife, primroses, marigolds, as well as ground cover - mantle, tenacious, blackhead, can be used as a border. If there is a pond, the same plants in the lowlands can be planted around it, supplemented with ferns, sedges, and rushes. You can place water lilies and water lilies in the pond.

You can create a decorative swamp in a low-lying area. In the lowest place where water constantly stagnates, we plant it near a lake. different types willows that are beautiful all year round due to its spectacular appearance.

It would be nice to feel the turf in a swampy area (the ‘Sibirica’ turf is especially beautiful, the crimson bark of its branches stands out in contrast against the snow). In addition, cattail, yellow iris, reed, sedge, calamus, manna, canary grass, chastuha, and arrowhead will grow well in the swamp.

In drier areas of the lowlands, daylily, delphinium, Rogersia, rhubarb, bergenia, hosta and primrose will grow well.

For convenient passages in the lowlands, the easiest way is to make wooden walkways with railings, which, in addition, will decorate your area.

Flowers for a garden in a marshy area

The most suitable plants for marshy areas are:

There are many negative points, which a summer resident has to face. Either the land is not fertile and the plants do not want to grow, then the summer drought destroys the entire harvest, or pests and diseases give no rest.

Some people have a plot of land with a steep slope and turning it into a convenient and a nice place it takes a lot of effort and time. An equally important problem is flooding.

Only by taking measures aimed at draining the summer cottage can you get rid of this trouble. Today we will look at what needs to be done for this in order to forget about excess hydration for a long time.

How to drain an area with your own hands? Basic methods

The degree of swampiness of an area varies and may be determined by various factors. For example, there is a case when excessive moisture in to a greater extent determined by the relief and type of soil. Those. water cannot leave the site natural slope. Then this slope must be created artificially by planning the territory. If necessary, bring in soil and fill in the excavations.

It happens that the water stands still only because you have heavy clay soil. In this case, if it is not possible to make a bedding, you need to arrange drainage. With its help, you can drain the swamp on the site. To get the job done laying the drainage system, you will need some knowledge, competent calculation, precise planning.

There are many companies that, for a fee, will perform not only calculations, but also all excavation and installation work. An alternative option is to do everything yourself, having first studied all the necessary information.

Moreover, water from the drainage system can flow into a reservoir, which is located at the lowest point of the dacha. The purpose of the reservoir can be any: for irrigation, decorative structure with plants, etc.

Almost all drying methods garden plot consist of draining water from the territory. It’s just great if the water has somewhere to go from the site, but it happens that the dacha is located lower in relation to the surrounding area, or there are some structures (buildings, fences, etc.) in the path of the flowing water. In this case, water needs to be collected centrally. This can usually be done by installing a system of canals and ditches.

It is worth understanding that water must also leave the ditch, which is determined on site, depending on the location of neighboring areas. They dig it up in the lowest place.

If the area is more or less flat and has a clearly directed slope, then the ditch is placed along the fence in a low place, and it should have a width of about 50 cm and a depth of at least 1 m, and a length of 2-3 m. Under no circumstances should the excavated soil be removed; it is better to distribute it at the dacha in the lowest places.

Then, over the course of a year, the ditch must be gradually filled with various construction and other solid waste (broken bricks, stones, broken glass). It is laid quite tightly, and when the ditch is filled to the lower limit fertile land, a similar ditch is being dug nearby, which will be a continuation of the old one.

Filmed vegetable soil from the new ditch they are laid into the old one. By doing this you will get good drainage system along the perimeter of the site. You may have a question, why make a ditch (drainage) in the highest place? You don’t have to do this, but if your site is adjacent to this side of another one, located higher, then there is a point in such a closed ditch, because it will intercept water from the neighbors, not allowing it to flow through the entire dacha.

As you can see, in order to properly drain a wetland, you need to combine several methods. This includes bedding, drainage, and construction of ditches and canals. Another additional method, which is called biological, is to use moisture-loving plants that will absorb some of the moisture.

What plants can be used to drain the area?

Since the water level in wetlands is high, most plants will do poorly, especially those with tap root systems. The roots of such plants are located deep in the ground and under the influence of excess moisture and lack of oxygen they begin to rot.

You can plant such moisture-loving and well-known trees as willow, birch, maple. There are many beautiful shapes and varieties of these plants, so they will not only absorb excess moisture, but will also become beautiful decoration your garden.

Spruce can be planted from conifers, whose roots are located close to the surface, however, it is better to play it safe and plant them on small mounds. A device around the perimeter of a hedge made of rose hips, hawthorn, spirea, serviceberry, and bladderwort will help to drain the area.

Alder and poplar also grow well “in water”, but you are unlikely to want to have them on your site due to their low decorative value. In addition, poplar fluff causes allergies.

You can also plant hydrangea and mock orange, but if the area is very swampy, it is better to abandon these plants. Amur lilac can also withstand temporary flooding.

Fruit trees grow very poorly on waterlogged soils. Therefore, when purchasing, choose varieties whose rootstock has a superficial root system. It is better to plant them on specially constructed mounds about 50 cm high (in some cases – 1 m). Among the berry bushes, black currant feels good. From herbaceous plants dehumidifiers are perennial asters, marsh iris, aquilegia and others.

Excessive moisture has a bad effect on the condition of the soil, it becomes acidic. Therefore, any drainage also includes liming, which will help increase soil fertility.

Overall, drain land plot It’s not easy to do it with your own hands, but anyone can do it. It will take a lot of time and effort, but the result is worth the effort, because in the end, you do everything only for yourself and your family.