If the acquired suburban area is located on a peat bog, its owners will have to perform a number of works to improve the soil on it. The land in such places, unfortunately, cannot be considered too suitable for growing various kinds of crops. Peatlands contain very little oxygen, which replaces methane. Also, such areas in spring and autumn, due to flooding, turn into a real swamp. How to drain a peat allotment if necessary - we will talk about this later in the article.
Ways to improve
In some cases, the problem of waterlogging in the allotment can be solved in a very simple way - by adding a certain amount of imported land. But to use such a technique, of course, it is possible only when the water in the area is collected due to the fact that it is located in a lowland and has a relatively small size. In all other cases, it is necessary to divert water from the allotment.
The answer to the question of how to drain the site, in this case, can be two technologies:
superficial;
with pipe laying.
The first method is considered the easiest. Do-it-yourself outdoor drainage on the wetland with your own hands will be absolutely easy. But when using pipes, you can equip a more efficient drainage system.
Ditching
This method is a good answer to the question of how to drain a swamp on a peat bog. The advantage of this method, among other things, is that when it is used, the owners will not have to spend a dime on water drainage from the site. For drainage, in this case, on the edge of the allotment, on its side, which is located below the others, a ditch about 50 cm wide and at least 1 m deep is dug.
If there is a slightly higher swampy neighboring area nearby, a trench should also be made on the border with it. This will close access to water from someone else's allotment.
Subsequently, in the process of performing various types of work on the site, the drainage channels will need to be filled with all kinds of construction and garden waste. It can be, for example, stones, broken brick, weeds, etc.
Benefits of Using Pipes
An open way to drain water through ditches is simple and cheap. However, such a technique is used only in not very swampy areas. In all other cases, it is advisable to equip complete drainage systems with perforated pipes on the plots.
The answer to the question of how to drain the swamp in the garden, in most cases, this technology is simply ideal. The advantages of such diverting networks include, among other things:
When using such a system, drainage hoses pass underground. Due to this, the useful area of the site is not reduced. The beds during the cultivation of garden crops on such an allotment can be made including directly above the pipes.
How to equip a closed system
In this case, preliminary ditches are also excavated at the site for water drainage. In this case, the main trench is located around the allotment. Then dig ditches over the area of the site.
At the bottom of dug trenches using this method of drainage, a waterproofing agent is laid - a thick film or roofing material. Next, a layer of medium-sized crushed stone or pebbles is poured into the ditches. Perforated pipes are laid on top. In order for the holes of such drainage lines not to become clogged subsequently, they are pre-wrapped with geotextile.
Connect the pipes at the points of convergence or intersection of the ditches using tees or corner fittings. Inspection wells made of plastic or concrete are obligatory equipped above these network elements. If such additions are available in the system, it will subsequently be very easy to eliminate blockages that appear in the pipelines and clean them of accumulated sludge.
What you need to know
Of course, in order for the water to leave in the subsequent section through the pipes by gravity, they must be laid under a slope. Otherwise, it will not be possible to drain the allotment. Unfortunately, it is not possible to mount the drainage pipelines at too large a slope. In this case, the pipes will subsequently be very rapidly silted. It is also not worth doing a very small slope of the drainage channels. Otherwise, the system will subsequently work inefficiently.
In most cases, pipes when arranging garden sewage networks are laid at an angle of 0.5 to 3 cm per linear meter. To step back from these parameters up or down is not worth it.
Receiving well
Thus, we found out how to drain the site using pipes. But where can you put the excess water itself? Drain it from the site, if it is located on the outskirts, you can just outside its aisles - in some kind of ravine, stream or pond. But if there are neighboring plots next to the swampy garden, you will need to equip a special well to receive the drains. If desired, such a container can also be built in the area located on the outskirts. After all, the water collected during drainage can subsequently be used to water the same beds.
Reception wells are equipped at the lowest point of a suburban area using this technology:
Of course, in concrete structures of the well, when pouring, holes should be provided for the pipe plant.
Instead of a concrete structure, when arranging a drainage system, you can use plastic. This capacity will be easy to purchase from companies specializing in the supply of equipment for drain systems.
Reception pond
In most cases, the owners of peat gardens to drain the water, of course, equip a well. But instead of it, if desired, you can make an artificial pond on the site - a beautiful decorative pond. In this case, a foundation pit is also excavated in the ground, but wider.
The bottom and walls of the pit for arrangement on the site of the artificial reservoir are thoroughly cleaned of roots and stones. Further, the pit is laid out with a durable waterproofing material - best of all with a thick film. Through the holes in the film, drainage pipes are discharged into the pond. You can mask them at the bottom, for example, with beautiful stones or some kind of aquatic plants. In summer, unpretentious fish from the aquarium can be released into this pond. Spectacular swamp plants are usually planted around the pond.
Main difficulty
In principle, as you can see, the answer to the question of how to drain the site from the water with your own hands is quite simple. The most difficult task in this case, most likely, will be physically difficult earthwork. Indeed, ditches in the area will have to be dug up in fact a lot. However, for such a system to work as efficiently as possible, trenching on the site, of course, should be done first of all in the right places.
To entrust the project to equip the drainage system of the wetland allotment is best, certainly, to a specialist. A professional will be able to take into account all the nuances of the relief of this particular area. However, there are projects of drainage systems in suburban areas, unfortunately, quite expensive. If there is no money to order a pipe laying plan, you can try to develop it yourself. In order to find out where it is best to dig drainage trenches, you will have to wait for the first heavy rain. Observing the streams flowing along the ground, it will be possible to accurately determine the optimal location of the trenches.
How to drain a swamp: the use of hygrophilous plants
Of course, in most cases it is possible to drain the wetland only by cardinal means - ditching or laying pipes. But as an additional measure, in such a garden it is also worth planting plants that draw a lot of water from the ground. It can be, for example, willow, birch or maple. Such trees, since they are significant in height, are planted, of course, usually on the north side of the allotment. Otherwise, in the future they will block the plantings, which, in turn, can easily lead to a decrease in the yield of horticultural crops.
High groundwater levels on the site can also be reduced with shrubs. For example, a lot of water from the soil can be taken by hawthorn, rosehip, vesicle, and shrimp. Such plants can be planted around the perimeter of the site to create a hedge.
Soil methane
Of course, after drainage by open drainage or by laying pipes, the land on the site will in any case be more suitable for growing garden and horticultural crops in composition. But in order to further improve its quality, the owners of the site will have to:
Of course, in addition to clay and sand, manure mixed with sawdust is also a very good solution to scatter around the site, in addition to clay and sand. This will not only improve the structure of the soil, but also make it more fertile and nutritious. The introduction of various kinds of mineral fertilizers into the soil will also make it more suitable for growing garden and garden plants.
The advantages of peat bogs
So, how to drain the site from the water with our own hands and improve the soil on it, we found out. Of course, a lot of trouble can cause such an allotment to its owner. However, peatlands, in comparison with other types of soils, have their own advantages. For example, in such areas, plants usually tolerate winters much better. The land on peat bogs freezes slowly, in thin layers. Moreover, the soil on such plots never freezes too deep. So on such an allotment, after draining it, you can plant, for example, heat-loving roses, apricots, etc.