Drainage is the Lawn Care Issue You’re Not Thinking About

During this loveliest of seasons, it’s easy to get caught up in the beauty of the world around us. The temperate weather and the sweet smell of blooming flowers practically beg you to go outside and enjoy the fresh air, allergies notwithstanding. And while we encourage you to take in the joy of the Spring, don’t forget what your yard needs to maintain that beauty. One lawn care needs to remember is drainage solutions. We don’t necessarily immediately think of drainage when discussing lawn care, but drainage problems quickly become lawn problems if left unsolved. So, Fair Outdoor is breaking down proper drainage for your Tulsa property maintenance today. What Do We Mean By Drainage? As always, defining the issue is the best place to start when discussing landscaping or anything complex. So what does Fair mean when we say drainage? When discussing drainage in terms of landscaping, we refer to water management. Of course, all your plants need a certain amount of water to survive. But too much can be as dangerous as too little. The slope of your property, plant installations, weather, soil health, and more all affect how your property drains or doesn’t. How Do You Spot A Drainage Problem? There are many signs of drainage issues that you can spot before they become a disaster. Like most issues, spotting a drainage problem early can provide the difference between a minor annoyance and a catastrophe. The earliest sign of a potential water management issue is dense soil. But, unfortunately, that’s also one of the harder ones to notice. So the next thing you may see is a yellowing or loss of grass. The problem with yellow or dead grass is that it can be a symptom of many things! So it’s always best to get a professional diagnosis. The following signs of poor drainage are wet, swampy spots that squish as you walk through them and standing water. At this point, you can be confident you need to work on a drainage solution, but if you wait, you may see the final sign: flooding. What Causes Drainage Problems? Here’s the millions dollar question: what causes drainage problems? As you likely expected, there’s more than one answer and many feed into each other. Over Watering The easy water management problem to correct is you. Sometimes you have drainage issues because you’re watering too much. If that’s all there is, you must learn the correct amount of water and adjust accordingly. Dense Soil Most causes of poor drainage are more complex. One of those is soil that has become too dense. We’ve discussed aeration here before and how it’s necessary to prevent compact soil. When your soil is too compact, water can’t seep down. That causes plant death, erosion, and even denser soil! That’s a circular problem that will get worse without a drainage solution. Construction If you have never had poor drainage before and suddenly start to see signs of it after construction, chances are the two are connected. Construction of a new home, drain pipe, or hardscaping can all change your water trajectory leading to swampy conditions or flooding. What’s the Big Deal? You may wonder why you should care about drainage, especially if you don’t care about how your lawn looks. While poor drainage can be very detrimental to your lawn and other vegetation, that’s only the begging of your drainage problems if left uncorrected. Poor water management can also lead to other property damage. For example, if the water gets to your home, your foundation may be destroyed, and you also can get mold. Mold can damage human health, especially for individuals with breathing issues like asthma. Mold remediation is an expensive but necessary protocol if you allow mold to grow in your home. Dealing with your water management early is more prudent. Drainage Solutions Anyone can talk about problems, but you come to Fair Outdoor for solutions! And we offer many drainage solutions to improve your water management. For major flooding, we may begin by pumping out excess water before installing your new French drain to prevent it from happening again. However, we can also be proactive and avoid the issue in the first place. Regardless of your current situation, Fair is ready to help. Water Management Is Key to a Healthy Landscape If you’re a property owner who cares about making an excellent impression, you can’t stop mowing and edging! Water management and drainage solutions are vital to maintaining healthy, beautiful landscaping. Let Fair handle your landscaping needs with our simple but profound formula: Serve, Grow, Give, Repeat.