How to get rid of water pooling near fence?

[rahulupadhyay]

In our backyard we have noticed water is not draining properly from corner of the fence to parallel of fence for approx 390cm. I even dug approx 35 cm and remove soil & tried pouring little bit of water to see if it starts draining. However, water still sit on the layer. Because of this I can not plant any shrub or flowers or herbs. Please advised me the solution for it as for long run the water may damage the fence. For the reference, I have attached the photos for easy understanding. 

Look forward to get answers to fix the problem. 

Thanks.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @rahulupadhyay, 

It looks like that corner is staying far wetter than it should, so it may be worth having a quick chat with your neighbour to see whether they have the same issue on their side of the fence. If both sides are holding water, working on a joint solution would be far more effective than trying to fix only one side. From the photos, it does seem clear that this spot will need proper drainage installed. You could use a small pit drain to collect the surface water, or run an agricultural line along the length of that garden bed so it gathers the excess moisture and moves it away. Either option would need to connect into your stormwater system, which means bringing in a drainage professional. Given how much water is pooling and how persistently it is sitting there, adding a dedicated drainage point is almost certainly going to be the long-term fix.

Here's a helpful guide: How to install garden drainage.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[rahulupadhyay]

Thanks for your response Mitchell. I have tried calling professionals to get cheaper quote to connect drain to stormwater Pipe but they are very expensive to deal with. I was thinking to drain that excess water & run it along the garden bed as you mentioned. however, what if the diverted water along the garden bed will not absorb properly in the soil & will again accumulate to other areas of garden bed? 

[JacobZ]

Hi @rahulupadhyay,

The problem is that this corner appears to be the lowest point in your yard, so water is going to naturally accumulate there. If you distribute it along the garden bed, it will more than likely just come right back to that low point.

When you dug down, what was the soil like? Is there a lot of clay?

I see two options. The first is to install the drainage that @MitchellMc mentioned, and have it connected to a stormwater pipe.

The second is to see if you can improve the soils ability to drain. Unfortunately, if it is a heavy clay layer, then this might be impractical, but soil's draining properties can sometimes be improved by adding things like gypsum, sand and compost.

Ultimately, having a plumber install the drainage line would be the simplest and quickest option, but improving the soils drainage capabilities could also be considered.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[rahulupadhyay]

Thanks for your suggestion. I have dig almost 40 to 45 cm & make a slop so water can distribute to the other side. Even after digging what stays on top due to heavy clay. I am thinking to filled with new soil mixed with organic materials & gypsum to improve soil. Also thinking raised garden bed. Do you think it will fix the problem rather opting for drainage as it is very expensive. 

[EricL]

Hello @rahulupadhyay 

I'm afraid adding soil will not fix the problem. Covering the surface with more soil will only hide the water, it will still be there underground and will not be ideal for gardening as the roots will be soaked in water and cause your plants to wilt and ide. A better alternative is to redirect the water out of your fence corner as the clay soil will not absorb the water and you will keep getting a small river in that corner.

Eric