Two Easy Ways to Dry a Waterlogged Lawn
The standing water that remains on your lawn after a rainstorm not only limits the use of your yard; it also creates a breeding ground for insects, mold and algae, attracts rodents, and can kill your grass.
There are several possible explanations for why water accumulates in your lawn, and they all have to do with poor drainage. If you find puddles in certain places, you may have flat or low areas that will benefit from French drainage , which collects and redirects water from standing puddles along the slope. If you have a lot of rain runoff in an area, you can use that moisture to your advantage by planting a rain garden .
But if your entire lawn is waterlogged, you may be dealing with compacted soil that just can’t absorb the amount of moisture it receives. This could be if your lawn has a lot of foot traffic, has accumulated grass and debris, or has a high clay content in the soil (or all of the above). Here is the best way to fix it.
How to fix a waterlogged lawn
Unfortunately, you will have to wait until the sun comes out and your lawn is dry between thunderstorms before you can work on it. Wet soil will do, but soft dirt will not. Try not to walk on it just yet. If you have puddles left, Bob Vila recommends sweeping them up with a broom.
There are two main problems that can hinder the absorption of water by the lawn, and each of them requires a different solution. One is an excess layer of dead grass and debris (called straw) that prevents water and air from entering the soil underneath. If you can’t see dirt under your grass, or if you need to dig over 1/2 inch of straw to get to the soil underneath, straw removal is probably your best bet.
If straw buildup isn’t a problem, you may have compacted soil that doesn’t allow air and water to soak in, causing them to pool on the surface. Soil compaction can be the result of overuse and/or soil composition itself. In this case, you will probably need to air and fertilize the lawn to loosen the soil and improve its drainage.
How to clean the lawn
The easiest (and cheapest) way to remove straw is to use a rake with short teeth and curved blades. Vigorously loosen the matted material, but be careful not to pull out the grass and roots. This takes some effort but works well on smaller lawns. You can also rent an electric mower-like rake if you have a large yard.
Please note that your lawn may look a little rough after the straw is removed. The end of winter is the ideal time for this process, but it can be done any time if there are problems with drainage.
How to aerate and fertilize your lawn
If compaction is your problem and aeration is the solution, you can certainly hire a professional lawn care service to do it for you. Aeration essentially makes holes in the soil to increase drainage.
If you prefer to do it yourself, wait until your lawn is damp but not soaked and rent a hollow-tooth aerator from your local hardware store. When you roll the machine on the grass, the teeth are pressed into the soil. Do a few circles to make sure you cover the entire surface and leave what you dug up to soak into your yard. You should ventilate once a year or every two years, ideally in the spring or fall.
To further improve soil that may be low in organic matter due to compaction, add a layer of compost (or compost mixed 1:1 with garden sand) to your lawn after aeration. You can also reseed poor grass areas to improve the root structure.