The Vitality in Proper Drainage for Plants

Rain, Rain, Go away!

The old man must of bumped his head, because we have been getting non-stop rain. The phone lines and emails have been flooded (pun intended) with accounts of water damage and the need for some realignment in the levels of our clients front yards  and backyards. The foreseen damage can be seen as water puddles, sink holes, and bath areas for your plant and tree material. The unseen damage is the worst. Continuous flooding and improper drainage can erode the foundation of your home. The frame and outer walls can begin to be slowly saturated causing permanent and irreversible damage. The damage is preventable, but definitely irreversible. One of the first signs that your home is being victimized by erosion is a noticeable space between sod lines and your driveway or your driveway presents one or more hairline cracks.

How do I assess the damage and protect my home you ask? If either of the symptoms listed above has become common practice within your outdoor living space, it is time to call Construction Landscape of Vero Beach and Melbourne, Fl. This dilemma would definitely entail a site visitation for proper assessment of your landscape. Most plants need proper drainage. Proper drainage for plants is key for their survival. Due to the severity of the issue, your issue may only be resolved by a professional custom landscape design because every case is different. Our solutions may include, but are not limited to:

1) Constructing a raised bed in areas that are likely to flood, or where drainage is slow.

2) Choosing a site for planting that is in full sun and with good air circulation.

3) Avoiding areas where automatic sprinklers are used for certain plant species included in your

custom landscape design, if proper drainage for plants is already an issue in the planting area.

4)Using a soil mix that drains freely.

When adding the construction of a raised bed, we often use crushed low maintenance river rock or

debris from holes dug for other plants to build up a

mound with a flat top, usually a foot or foot-and-a-half above the

surrounding area. We then cover with a layer of a

mixture of sand, then top soil, soak well with water, and allow

the mound to settle. Installation of the plants is specifically planted

no deeper than they were growing in their containers.

The backfill must drain freely. If we are installing a raised bed, it is wise to incorporate a

planting a ground cover of plants which also like

sunny, well-drained sites, like Crown of Thorns or Lantana, into the landscape design.

Other proper drainage for plants may need to include more significant solutions, such as a French drain, but there may be a simpler situation, like the raised beds. Again, each case is of different circumstances, so a site visitation by Construction Landscape of Vero Beach is vital for proper diagnosis. Call Construction Landscape today at (772)492-8382 to schedule your site visitation and assessment. This is the first step for your own custom landscape design. At Construction Landscape, we love what we do; and we look forward to hearing from you!