Using gravel to control wateraccumulation
Do you experience consistent issues at yourhome or office with water accumulating after rains? Does the ground squish withevery step when you walk across the lawn? If this sounds familiar, you likelyhave drainage problems and they should be addressed as soon as possible. Even asmall puddle can grow into a big one, cause all manner of damage, and get veryexpensive very quickly.
Accumulated water often leads to costly property damage in the form of flooded gardens, ruined landscaping, sinking sidewalks, slippery pathways, drowned container plants, and much more. Savvy homeowners and property managers know the smart strategy is to be familiar with ways to prevent water damage before it’s too late.
Gravel to the rescue
Compared to most soils and virtually everyother natural material, water moves through gravel much faster, allowingtraditionally wet areas to quickly dry out instead of forming pools all overthe place. To help stabilize a surface, some landscapers recommend putting downlayers of sand and crushed rock underneath a gravel layer, but even a basictwo-inch layer of gravel works wonders to keep puddles at bay and the sand fromworking its way to daylight.
French drains for the tough stuff
Severe water accumulation problems call formore elaborate and strategic drainage systems. French drains are wildlyeffective in water diversion. Here’s how they work: A trench filled with graveldirects water away as it rises, and sends it to a more suitable area. SimpleFrench drains simply provide a pathway for water to follow and the gravelwithin keeps leaves and other debris from piling up and blocking the waterflow.
More complex French drains use perforated pipein the bottom of the trench to help channel it and a gravel layer over the pipekeeps out debris.
Raised bed gravelscaping
Raised beds are great for gardeners to planttheir favorites above the surface soil but sometimes a raised bed can havedrainage problems of its own, since natural water flow is impeded by the bedsides. A layer of gravel beneath the soil at the bottom of the bed allows waterto drain quickly and keep it from accumulating around fragile plant roots.
Container gravel
Similar to raised beds, container gardening ispopular for convenience and maintenance but water has a tendency to stay putand waterlog your plants. Use a good soil mix along with a layer of gravelunderneath the container itself. Water that evaporates from the damp graveldoes a dual service by boosting humidity to the plants.
