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Drainage

United Kingdom Gb

We have a fairly new house and have discovered that it is built on an old quarry. The problem being we have dug down deep into the lawn so that we can plant some trees to add definition to our garden, HOWEVER the trees have died because they are waterlogged and all we have now achieved are pools of water where we dug the holes. How can we remedy this - ideally we would still like to grow trees there.




Answers

 

I once lived in a quarry and in my experience there was too much drainage. However, the best, and in the longer term, the cheapest solution to any drainage problem is to dig deep and lay land drains. That's what they do.

Quarries tend in the main to be limey and alkaline if you've not already discovered this. Consequently Buddleja grow beserk and will often reach 20ft quickly. They too will help both to drain your ground and provide some rapid structure, though they're not happy in a 'bog' for long. So back to those land drains . . . . . They are really the only way.

18 Jan, 2009

 

Hello Mansfield, Welcome to GOY,
I agree with Muddywellies, land drains in a herring bone pattern is the best.
As it seems your garden is made up ground with a mixture of heavy soil, you must have a low spot in which you can drain to.
Do other properties near you have the same problem?, it may be a joint project.

18 Jan, 2009

 

You could plant tree's that need a lot of water, for example willows.

Maybe you could buy a really big pot or a big strong bag and fill that with good soil and put it inside the hole and put the tree in the bag or pot. Poke some holes in the bag to give you a constant supply of water :)

18 Jan, 2009

How do I say thanks?

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