Not every wet meadow is a wet meadow biotope - in many garden meadows at home the water simply accumulates, so that the plants are literally drowned. In such a case it is often necessary to effectively drain the meadow. This is particularly important if the wet meadow is close to buildings - in such a case there is a risk that moisture will penetrate the walls and cause mold.
How can I drain my meadow?
To drain a meadow, you should make the soil more permeable by digging out solid layers of earth, filling in coarse gravel as drainage and laying slit drainage pipes in narrow trenches to drain away excess water.
Soil conditions ensure moisture
Damp or wet meadows are usually caused by compacted soil that does not allow water (e.g. in the form of precipitation) to seep in. Instead, the moisture accumulates on the surface, which is clearly visible in the formation of puddles. Loamy and clayey soils are particularly susceptible. If you don't want to drain the meadow, you can also transform it into a typical wet meadow. In this case, however, you should ensure the right planting, because the herbs typical of rich or poor meadows do not thrive on moist subsoil. Typical wet meadow flowers are, for example,
- Troll Flowers
- Checkerboard flowers
- Siberian Iris
- Butterbur
- and the cuckoo carnation, to name just a few. Beech and alder trees also thrive on moist soils.
Draining the meadow
To drain the meadow, it is first of all important to make the soil more permeable. This is done by first mowing the meadow as short as possible and then digging out the upper, solid layers of earth. Fill the resulting pit with coarse gravel, which acts as a type of drainage. You can also mix the excavation itself with sand and put it back into the pit. Once this is achieved, another drainage is placed. Proceed as follows:
- Dig a narrow trench along the edge of the meadow.
- More narrow trenches are dug at regular intervals. However, these extend into the meadow.
- Put slit drainage pipes into these pits (€99.00 on Amazon).
The excess water from the meadow is channeled into these pipes by entering through the numerous slots. From there it flows through the pipes into the drainage pit running along the edge and is thus drained out of the meadow. In some cases it is enough to just dig the pits. Instead of pipes, they are filled at the bottom with a layer of gravel on which a fleece is placed. The fleece is intended to prevent the gravel layer from becoming clogged and thus becoming ineffective. Finally, at the very top there is a layer of soil.
Tips & Tricks
Since drainage is not technically easy and many mistakes can be made, it is better to let professionals handle this task - unless you are a craftsman yourself.
