Poor drainage...help?

[sylphanie]

My property seems to have a terrible clay-sand mixture that doesn't lend itself to very good drainage. For some of my plants, this isn't so much of a problem but others (my basil, lovage, sourgrass) are having a tough time of it. For a few days after each rain those bottom leaves start turning yellow.... Are there any inexpensive ways I can handle this?

Thanks for any suggestions,

Sylph

[Yvonne Belisle]

If you are having trouble getting the soil to drain you might try breaking foam peanuts into little tiny pieces and putting them in the soil when you till it. It's a way of recycling them and works well in pots too. You can also use styrofoam meat trays broken up into little pieces a blender on pulse works wonders just don't make this too fine on the size of the pieces.

[Methanespirit]

We had a similar problem here. What was done for correction was to dig a hole in the lowest part of the flood-prone area and let the run-off water fill that up. For the most part this worked. And then you may have to cut a shallow channel to allow the excess water run into the catch tank, if you decide to dig a hole in an unused or less accessable area for safety purposes. Also, we have found that cane-type bamboo is great for evaporating any excess water. It can be planted in the catch- tank. We have made some planter boxes out of scrap wood, (used fence planks), and the like, fill with dirt and plant small herbs in them. This will keep them out of the water during flood times.

[Greenthumb]

I truly agree with the others. You have got to improve the soil environment. Adding organic material to your sandy soil can only help you. I like leaves myself and composted kitchen waste. I'm also a huge fan of raised beds. Rarely will you get enough water to flood them out, they're easier to keep moist, and they add interest to your landscape.(that sounded pretty impressive didn't it?)
peace
greenthumb

[sylphanie]

Thanks, everybody. I'll try them each on different plots and see which works best with my soil. :)

Thanks again (from my plants, too ^_^)

Sylph