A large amount of water interferes with farming and contributes to the destruction of structures. In addition, excess moisture washes out nutrients from the soil. The foundation, subject to the constant influence of water, collapses over time, so it is important for owners who are faced with such a problem to figure out how to drain the area from 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 the water from the 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 which direction is groundwater moving.
- The time it takes to complete the job.
- The number of buildings on the territory of the summer cottage.
Method 1
It is possible to organize the drainage of groundwater without using pipes. To do this, you need to dig deep trenches, which are subsequently filled with filter material. The best option for this purpose will be crushed stone, sand. They need to be covered with layers. In this case, it is advisable to use peat, which effectively protects the backfill from dirt.
Method 2
You can drain the site from groundwater using a pipe system. Experts recommend using perforated polymer pipes. The pipe must be laid below the level of freezing of the ground.
When using ordinary sewer pipes to drain the liquid, holes must be made in them.
How to complete the work in stages
Instructions for the device of soft drainage
You can use an economical method. But in the process of performing work, you need to be prepared for high labor costs. For the drainage device you will need:
- hacksaw;
- shovel;
- drainage pipes;
- manual ramming;
- building level and rail;
- wheelbarrow;
- geotextile;
- crushed stone;
- sand.
The order of work will be as follows:
- At the initial stage, you need to dig trenches, which should be parallel to each other. It is important to maintain a distance of 4 meters between the 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.
- Choose a place to install a drainage well.
- 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 the building level.
Closed drainage technology
- When arranging the system, the ends of the dug trenches are connected into one and taken out to a drainage well. It is worth remembering that the trench should be located at a slope. If it is not possible to do the work with this method, you need to make several drainage wells.
- A cushion of a mixture of gravel and sand is laid at the bottom of the trenches. The layer thickness can be up to 50 mm.
- Now you can start laying the drainage pipes. The most commonly used are perforated polymer products.
- Before laying pipes, it is important to wrap them with geotextiles. This is necessary to prevent clogging of the holes during their operation. The material is analogous to coconut fiber.
- Having laid the pipes in place, the trench is covered with gravel and sand. In the process of performing work, it is necessary to limit the contact of pipes with the soil as much as possible.
How to make point drainage
If you do not want to make a large-scale system, you can give preference to point drainage.
- For this purpose, holes are made around the perimeter of the site, the depth of which should be at least 2 m. Between the holes, you can maintain a distance of 5 m. The diameter of the holes depends on the size of the pipe, which will subsequently need to be inserted into them.
- A mixture of sand and gravel is poured into the bottom of the holes.
- The next step is to vertically insert pipe sections wrapped in coconut fiber. It is important to select a pipe diameter that is sufficient for the drain pump to pass through.
Using this method, it is necessary to regularly pump out water from the wells. On average, once a week is enough. It is easy to pump out water, the process does not take much time.
The above method for draining the site is applicable only if it is necessary to remove a small amount of water at a low level of groundwater.
Draining marshland
In order to drain the swampy area, you can resort to a not quite standard, but effective method.
- 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 shovel bayonets deep. The markings are carried out with a rope and pegs. The ditch system should be designed with a herringbone slope. Boundary ditches can merge into one main one.
- Before you start digging, you need to spread polyethylene on both sides of the future ditch. Sod is laid on one side, a layer of barren soil on the other side.
- After the ditch is ready, empty plastic bottles can be placed in two layers (pre-rolled). They are analogous to special drainage pipes. They are distinguished by their durability and perfectly fulfill their function.
- Lay the infertile soil over the bottles up to half of the ditch, ram.
- At the final stage, sod is laid.
The main function of this method is the flow of water through free spaces into the main ditch. Thus, after rain and snow, the soil will dry out faster.
Video
Watch a video on how to drain a site:
This video shows how the drainage work is performed on the site:
Photo
At one time, swampy areas caused genuine fear in humans, becoming the object of many legends and myths. But today everything is different. Now we consciously create decorative bogs on our sites, because this is the only way to grow charming representatives of bog flora on them.
We offer you simple instructions for creating and maintaining a decorative swamp.
What is an ornamental swamp?
A swamp is a piece of land on which the soil is waterlogged for some reason. In conditions when most of the mineral substances are washed out of the soil, not all plants are able to survive. Due to the development of a whole spectrum of mosses, sedges, cattails, reeds and other bog plants, the soil environment is in the range of pH 4.5-6 - it has a pronounced acidic character.
Do not confuse a wetland and a swamp. In the first case, the mirror of the reservoir is clearly visible, and the peat is either absent or its thickness is less than 30 cm.
In nature, swamps are formed mainly as follows:
- the existing reservoir is gradually overgrown with marsh plants;
- a separate area is swamped artificially or for natural reasons.
Each of the above principles can be used as an approach when making an ornamental swamp.
Approaches to the device of the swamp at their summer cottage
Despite the stagnant nature of the water saturating the swampy soil, it should slowly decrease to the underlying layers. This compensates for the inflow of fluid during precipitation and irrigation. For this reason, building a swamp is different from building any other.
If your site has sandy soil, then it is best to refuse to create a decorative swamp, because in this case, the water will go too quickly to the lower layers of the soil.
In the picture above, we have given some options for the device of a decorative swamp:
- if there is a wetland... This is the simplest option, involving the ennobling of the allocated area with plants, as well as maintaining an increased moisture content in the soil due to periodic watering;
- if there is a pond... In this case, bogs serve as an intermediate transitional link, smoothing the coastline. The main difficulty lies in the design of the line connecting the reservoir and the site with waterlogged soil. Usually it is hidden with the help of plants or small architectural forms, for example, decorative bridges;
- if there is a stream... Artificially created floodplains look appropriate next to streams. As in the previous case, the area with waterlogged soil, planted with marsh plants, makes a man-made hydraulic structure more natural.
In the second and third cases, approaches to the arrangement of a wetland area are reduced to the following works ( fig. 2):
- Decide on the place and area... The specific conditions created in a swampy place can cause the active development of insects and reptiles. Therefore, choose a secluded place away from home. When planning the size of the reservoir, keep in mind that even a small swamp needs serious care.
- Peel off the sod layer... You won't need it for further work, so you can use it for composting.
- Dig a hole 50 cm deep... During the excavation process, preserve the fertile soil layer. It will be required for backfilling.
- Lay a drainage layer on the bottom... It can be gravel, crushed stone, broken brick. The main thing is that it ensures the spread of liquid under the entire spot of the structure.
- Cover the drain with sand... To prevent the waterproofing film from tearing, cover the sharp edges of the drainage layer with sand. Try to seal it.
- Waterproof the pit... Cover its bottom and walls with a special pond film. Calculate its size in such a way that a small margin (about 30 cm) remains for laying on the surface around the perimeter of the pit. Press down the edges with stones.
- Punch holes in the film... Water must not stagnate in an artificial swamp. Therefore, in the bottom for every square meter, make one hole with a diameter of about 1 cm.
- Install a water level control device... Place a piece of pipe (PVC, asbestos, metal) vertically on a soft waterproof substrate, and place a rod (stick, rail, etc.) inside it. The pipe, as a communicating vessel, will fill with water as the soil moisture rises.
- Fill the bottom with expanded clay... It serves as a kind of filter and prevents clogging of the holes in the film. In addition, expanded clay has good hygroscopic properties and will retain water, regulating the balance.
- Fill the hole with soil... To do this, use a mixture of fertile soil and peat in a 1: 2 ratio.
- Plant the plants... This is described in more detail below.
Which plants to choose
We have come close to the question for the sake of which several square meters of a summer cottage are being turned into a swamp. This is done mainly with the aim of creating specific conditions for the growth of beautiful plants.
The following plants will look appropriate along the banks of the decorative swamp:
- Willow... White willow or brittle willow can be planted, which will provide excellent shade for other marsh plants. They are undemanding to the composition of the soil, but during dry periods they need abundant watering.
- Derain... All types of turf are suitable for planting. Like willow, this plant is moisture-loving and does not require special care. Saplings with a well-developed root system are planted in spring.
- Elder... The common and Canadian elderberry fit perfectly into the composition. They grow on all types of soil, tolerate drought well. For planting, it is best to purchase biennial seedlings.
In order to avoid damage to the waterproofing of the swamp by growing roots, trees and shrubs are planted at a distance of 1-2 m from the coastline. An option is possible when a layer of geotextile is additionally laid under the film.
Plant a little closer to the swamp:
- Heather... Possesses excellent decorative qualities all season. At the same time, it is quite picky about leaving. It is planted in moist peaty soil to a depth of 30 cm.Every year in spring it must be fed with mineral fertilizers for heather (according to the instructions), sprayed with water in dry season, constantly monitor soil moisture (heather does not tolerate drought well).
- Cotoneaster... Creeping cotoneaster varieties look appropriate, which will reveal their decorative qualities in full force in autumn. Unpretentious, the seedlings are planted to a depth of 50 cm, after which they are immediately mulched. Additional watering is carried out only in dry season.
- Juniper... Dwarf juniper varieties are in perfect harmony with the environment. The plant does not require any special care. Planted to a depth of about 70 cm.
- Swimsuit... A herbaceous plant that is perfect for decorating the coastal area. Seeds are sown to a depth of 10 cm. Requires periodic weeding, loosening and watering.
- Iris marsh... A perennial herb with beautiful flowers that looks appropriate on the shore of a reservoir. Prefers fertile soil and does not really like growing in the shade. Seeds are sown to a depth of 10 cm in fertilized soil. Needs constant care: weeding, loosening the soil, watering and feeding.
If you don't know how to decorate your swamp, just visit the nearest swamp and look at the ready-made solutions from nature. Here you can also dig out individual specimens to plant them on your site.
Will grow directly in wet soil:
- Rogoz... Many people still confuse it with reeds. It has recognizable brown spike-shaped inflorescences. Looks good along the edges of a swampy area. Better to plant in containers, because cattail grows rapidly.
- Sedge... A peat-forming herb that grows quickly in waterlogged soil. Propagated by dividing the bush, planted to a depth of 20 cm. Does not require special care, but needs growth control.
- Reed... A plant without which no large decorative swamp can do. Propagated by dividing the bush, planted to a depth of 30 cm in autumn or spring. It grows rapidly, so you have to control its growth.
- Astilba... A beautifully flowering herb. Undemanding in care, hygrophilous. Needs periodic feeding. Propagated by dividing the rhizome and bush, planted in late spring to a depth of 30 cm.
- Ledum... An evergreen moisture-loving shrub that prefers places with medium illumination. They are planted in a mixture of peat, acidic soil and sand to a depth of 20 cm.
This is not a complete list of plants that can decorate your site. Keep in mind that many of them do not tolerate strong light, so they are placed in the shade of taller bog plants. Build the composition as follows: plant taller plants with powerful foliage at the edges, lower ones closer to the center, etc. - to a wetland. Examples of the correct combination of various representatives of the aquatic flora are considered in.
Caring for an ornamental swamp
Only in natural conditions, the swamp easily preserves the whole variety of aquatic flora. A decorative swamp of any size requires special attention. No wonder experts call it one of the most difficult elements of landscape design. Here is a list of the main operations that will have to be periodically performed when caring for a decorative swamp:
- Watering... Maintaining water balance is the most important condition for the development of bog flora. Control the water level with a pipe reaching the bottom of the swamp and a rod that is placed in it. Water should saturate the soil, but not form a mirror on its surface. The frequency of watering depends on the climatic conditions and the location of the swamp.
- Weeding... Despite the fact that the marshy soil is depleted in minerals, it can serve as an excellent environment for moisture-loving weeds. To prevent them from drowning out authentic bog plants, remove them periodically.
- Top dressing... The main task is to maintain the acidity of the soil. Use acidic fertilizers for this purpose, such as ammonium chloride and sulfate. Carry out acidity control using a litmus indicator or electronic pH meter, making sure that the pH value is in the range of 4.5-5.5.
- Thinning... In nature, in wetlands, there is a constant competition between various aquatic plants. To prevent one of the plants from suppressing all the others, you will have to act as a regulator. Remove some of those plants that you think are suppressing their neighbors.
Other decor elements
Be careful when trying to decorate a decorative swamp with small architectural forms. Such reservoirs look advantageous only with a minimalist approach, when a limited number of items are used as decorative elements. For example, a small wooden bridge thrown over the border of the reservoir and the adjacent swamp will look good. In this case, the bridge design will mask the most difficult part of the formation of such a hydraulic engineering hybrid - the line of their division.
Moss-covered driftwood of an original shape looks good on a swampy area. Several large stones can be placed around the perimeter of the decorative swamp.
The installation of a variety of lighting fixtures must be approached selectively. We recommend using them only in cases where they are needed from a practical point of view. Paths lined with natural stone look good next to such a reservoir. Terrace designs will also be appropriate.
If you are not afraid of difficulties and you are full of desire to turn part of your site into a swamp, we suggest that you additionally familiarize yourself with some.
If the fact of a close occurrence of groundwater was discovered on the acquired site, then inevitably it will be necessary to carry out drainage work. This is a set of measures aimed at removing excess moisture from the site.
Why groundwater is terrible
In such areas, the volume of the 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 penetrate with a temporary decrease in the water level, they die off during the subsequent rise. Often seedlings grow well in the first years after planting in such areas, but die with age. So if you want to create a real garden, and not just decorate the site with annuals, you need to work hard.
Drainage all over the head
The most effective is a tubular drainage system using perforated plastic pipes. They are laid in trenches at a depth of 60-75 cm on clay soil; 75-90 cm on loam; 90-100 cm - on sandy soil. Drains must have a slight slope so that the water collected in the pipes does not stagnate, but flows into a common absorbing well (about 1 m deep), which is arranged at the lowest point of the site. You can lay pipes in a herringbone pattern - this is when side pipes (7.5 cm diameter) branch off from the main drain pipe (diameter 10 cm). The main pipe should again go into the well. In general, depending on the situation, the outlet can be directed into a common bypass ditch (usually in garden partnerships with problem soil there is one) or a nearby reservoir.
If something doesn't work out with the pipes, you can fill the drains with rubble, coarse gravel, or lay them with brushwood.
To remove water from the surface, you can dig open grooves (again under a slope) and decorate with the same gravel. True, it makes no sense to arrange open grooves on sandy soil - their walls crumble very quickly, and the grooves themselves are washed out.
If the site is in the low
Where is the water to be diverted, if the site on the site of the former lower bogs (in the river floodplain) got to be used? You should choose the lowest points on the site, dig deep drainage wells there (much deeper than the groundwater level) and fill them with large rubble or gravel. The entire drainage system will converge into these wells.
In addition, you can use imported soil to raise the level of your site. The business is costly and time consuming, but worth it. With the subsequent plowing of the imported land with the existing layer of organic matter "preserved" by the swamp, the fertility of the soil increases. Plots on reclaimed low-lying peatlands do not require organic fertilizers for a long time.
Plot near raised bogs
The principle of "work" of a raised bog differs from a low-lying one. A raised bog is formed under conditions of stagnation of surface water on flat depressions of watersheds, underlain by impermeable rocks. Usually a raised bog is not connected with groundwater and exists due to the intake of moisture from atmospheric precipitation. The soil here is poor in terms of mineral nutrition and highly acidic.
To deoxidize the soil, it is better to use dolomite flour (applied in autumn), which "works" for several years. In emergency cases and to quickly reduce acidity, you can use slaked lime, chalk. And you must definitely bring meadow soil and compost. Then over time, this area will become fertile.
On a note:
A drainage system (or drain) lowers the water table, thereby improving the physical properties of the soil and providing the necessary conditions for growing plants. The uppermost aquifer should be at least 1.5-2 m from the earth's surface.
It happens that a summer resident gets a wetland for use. There is little joy from this, but you should not despair, because many effective ways have been developed to combat this shortcoming. Even the territory of the world famous Versailles was once an impenetrable swamp, and many botanical gardens, for example, in Sukhumi, are located where it was impossible even a hundred or two years ago.
Swampy areas
Many people try to deal with excess moisture by filling the area with brought sand or earth - this is a gross mistake that will not bring results. The swamp is very tenacious, being the most stable hydraulic system, so in just a year or two the land will become swampy again. To fight effectively, you need to resort to other, longer, more complex and costly technologies, but all the efforts are worth it.
First you need to decide on the type of swamp, because they are lowland and upland, and the differences between them are very significant, therefore, the methods of struggle are different. Low-lying bogs are located in depressions of the relief, excessive moisture is observed due to the close occurrence of groundwater. In such areas, the soil itself is very fertile, contains a large amount of nutrients and even peat, but plants, and especially fruit and berry bushes and trees, grow poorly, disappearing after just a couple of years, so in order to grow a real garden and vegetable garden, and not a flower bed with unpretentious annuals, you will have to make a lot of effort.
Garden pond
Plants disappear due to the fact that moist soil does not allow enough oxygen to pass through, and the roots suffocate, and groundwater contributes to their decay. Also, toxic products (aluminum salt, nitrates, various types of gases, acids) are often formed in humid swampy soil, which impede plant growth.
Lowland bog drainage methods
Drainage of lowland bogs is possible using the following methods:
Professional help
You can invite a team of specialists who, with the help of pumps, will almost instantly pump out all the excess water from the site; significant drainage can be observed on the same day. But it is quite expensive, and sometimes the problem of waterlogging returns.
Sanding
The introduction of sand in equal proportion with the parent rock improves the quality of the soil, and air exchange is also enhanced. In order to improve the yield of the resulting soil, it is recommended to add humus to it, which will allow growing vegetables and herbs on the site.
Drainage
To effectively and permanently drain the swampy area, all experts recommend doing a drain or drainage. It is best done using a plastic pipe system with small holes in the walls. They should be laid in specially dug ditches about 60-70 cm deep for clay, 75-85 for loam and up to a meter for sandy areas. Drains need to be pulled out with a slope, so the water in them will not stagnate, but can drain into a drain, a well or a reservoir, this should be the lowest point of the site.
Trees in a swampy area
It is most effective to use a system in the form of a herringbone, in which small pipes collect excess moisture from the entire site and carry it to the main pipe, which removes water from the site. In swampy orchards, as a rule, there is already a common drainage ditch, in case of its absence, water can be diverted to the nearest reservoir. You can also dig a well, the lower boundary of which will be below the groundwater level, fill it with rubble, water will drain into it. With such an integrated approach, the drainage of the site will be noticeable in a couple of days - a week. The drains themselves can be covered with earth, but for easier maintenance, you can fill them with gravel or rubble.
Open ditches
To remove excess moisture directly from the surface of the earth, you can make open ditches, the edges of which should be chamfered by about 20 degrees to avoid shedding, but this method is not used in sandy areas, since the ditches quickly collapse and the sand is washed out. This drainage method is very common and can be seen in almost every gardening facility. The disadvantage of this method is the gradual sprinkling, clogging of the watercourse with plant particles and debris and the blooming of water, therefore, these structures must be regularly cleaned with an ordinary shovel.
French ditches
In France, the drainage of wetland areas is carried out using deep ditches filled with rubble. For the system to be effective, you must either dig trenches and bring them into a well, or dig ditches down to a layer of sand that will allow water to pass through. Such ditches are more aesthetic, they do not clog and do not bloom, but when they are clogged with soil, cleaning becomes very difficult. But the ditch can be disguised as a path, strewn with pebbles, rubble, or laid out on top of wooden cuts.
Wells
The technology of their work is similar to ditches, for this it is necessary to dig holes a meter deep, about half a meter in diameter at the bottom point and up to two on top. They should be dug at the lowest points of the site, and then covered with rubble. All excess water will drain into such wells.
Dig a pond
After the construction of a decorative reservoir, excess water will drain into it and evaporate, and soon a significant drainage of the site is observed. For these purposes, the Cross Channel was built a long time ago in the French residence of the monarchs of Versailles - the effectiveness of the method is evident.
Draining swampy areas
Planting trees
Some tree species are able to save a wetland from waterlogging. Most useful for these purposes are willows and birches, which can evaporate large amounts of moisture through leaf plates. These trees dry out nearby areas of the soil with high quality, however, it may take several years to completely drain the site. You can think over the design of the site in advance, initially planting only moisture-loving crops, and when the trees fulfill their task, go to the desired plant species.
Highly raised beds
To be able to grow vegetables and greens, wetland owners must make high beds, so excess moisture will collect in the ditches between the beds, and the areas themselves will become noticeably drier. Moreover, there is such a pattern: the higher the site is raised, the more diverse crops can be grown on it. Many people think that it is impossible to farm in waterlogged areas, but it is enough just to look at photographs of a Dutch or Finnish vegetable garden surrounded by a complex system of canals to be convinced of the effectiveness of the method. Indeed, in these countries, with the help of technology and labor, almost everything is grown, also earning good money on this.
Imported soil
It is possible to raise the level of the plot with the help of additionally imported land, which, after plowing, will mix with fertile, but heavy marshy soils, as a result, the site will become suitable for growing crops and very fertile, experts note that cultivated marshy lands do not require fertilization for several more years.
Come to terms
It is not necessary to deal with the marshland, it is interesting to beat the unusual moisture content of the summer cottage: dig a reservoir, plant it with moisture-loving plants, choosing the design of a traditional marsh corner. In such conditions, lingonberry, cranberry, iris, volzhanka, hydrangea, rhododendron, spirea, thuja, chokeberry and cotoneaster feel great. Fern and maiden grapes will complement the beauty of the bog garden. Perhaps you will like such beauty so much that you no longer want to change anything.
Arrangement of a reservoir
A raised bog is formed on watersheds, that is, hills, and does not depend on the level of groundwater. The excess moisture in such areas is formed due to the fact that the incoming atmospheric precipitation is delayed, without being able to seep below due to the waterproof horizon, most often it is clay. The soil of the raised bogs is not fertile and is rather acidic. To use such sites, it is necessary to reduce the acidity of the soil; for this, dolomite flour, slaked lime and chalk are suitable. Also, it is necessary to constantly bring fertile land and manure to such places in order to get a plot suitable for growing vegetables in a couple of years.
Having become the owner of a swampy area, you should not despair, because if you know what and how to do it right, you can not only make this piece of land suitable for growing vegetables, berries and fruits, but also build a country house on it. You just need to approach this important matter comprehensively, responsibly and wisely. From all of the above, we can conclude that there are a huge number of ways to deal with a wetland area, but it may turn out that even these effective methods will not help, and then all that remains is to reconcile and equip such a site in the country. To do this, there are a huge number of different effective ways that can even help decorate such a site.