Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Jul 07, 2011 8:20 pm Hi All, I have a two part question. 1) my backyard is flooding quite badly. I've built in Byford which is near Perth in WA. The soil is very clay so it doesn't drain very well. With the heavy rain's in the last couple of weeks it flooded up to about 3-4 inches in some parts. Is there anything i can do to help the soil drain better? And will putting plans and lawn down make a difference or will they just drown? 2) Secondly - can anyone give me an idea as to what these plants might be? http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84 ... 59131.jpg/ http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/82 ... 65913.jpg/ Cheers, Troy Re: Backyard Flooding and Plants 2Jul 08, 2011 11:58 pm Google "sand slitting" for draining clay soils. The taller plants are Cordylines (or possibly Yucca elephantipes - for their sake I hope not), the smaller ones look like Dianella or Lomandra varieties the red ones could be a flax (Phormium) or Cordyline variety as well. (See the McPlants range at your local mega-store) Re: Backyard Flooding and Plants 3Jul 09, 2011 9:16 am The more you improve the soil the better it will be. Adding gypsum can initially help with clay although the more organic material you dig in the better. In really bad cases some ag drains leading to a soakwell(see soakwell thread) may be needed The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: Backyard Flooding and Plants 4Jul 11, 2011 1:17 am Adding gypsum is not really going to cut it. It only works on a few clay types, not all generic clays and over all a better return on investment will be had from adding organic/humic content as well as dolomite of lime (provided the soil is not alkaline already) The gypsum even if it were going to be affective won't become so for around 3-4 years yet. Liquid composts are essential and the humic, amino, fulvic acids in them will act fast to begin to break clays. Absolutely critical is what I have crapped on about for years with Homeone'ers. Soil amendments. Zeolite and perlite and or spongoilite in clays and sands. So important. Use good amounts when building your landscapes. Until you find the cause of the flooding you need to take action to mitigate potential damage to your home. Get automatic float pump and dig a pit then connect to power… 2 4138 The bottom of the downpipe has been taped (see the black tape) to seal the necessary gap between the downpipe and the adaptor that would normally prevent the downpipe… 3 3327 Murraya could be a great option for you. It creates a great tall screening hedge but doesn't drop fruit like lily pilly. The flowers smell divine. 2 7964 |