Lawns and gardens need water to survive, but too much water can dampen your efforts. That's especially true if you have a downspout coming off the roof of your home. One heavy rain is all it takes to wash away your lawn or garden. Luckily, there's a very simple solution to fix this; and believe it or not, in most cases it will cost you less than $10.
If you have a small problem and simply need to divert the water, then a flexible plastic pipe may be the answer. These downspout extensions cost about $6 at most home and garden stores. You simply attach one to your downspout, bend it into place and the water washes away.
If you have a larger drainage problem, try the following steps.
Step 1: Before you begin
Assess the situation in your garden and choose the area where you want the water to drain. Then measure the distance from the downspout to where you want the water to drain to. This will determine the amount of drain tile you'll need. Now you can purchase the necessary materials.
Materials
drain tile (perforated for a flat area, or non-perforated for a sloping area)
shovel
connector attachment (connects drain tile to downspout)
small rocks (from your garden)
gloves
knife
Step 2: Dig the trench
A drain tile is a tube that comes in two types--perforated and non-perforated. Perforated drain tile has holes spaced along the tube and is designed to distribute the runoff evenly over a flat surface. If you have a sloping backyard, make sure to buy drain tile without the holes.
Place the drain tile on the ground where you want to dig the trench and use a shovel to mark along the edge of the plastic tube in the soil. (Don't forget to check for any buried power lines before digging.) Move the tube out of the way, and dig a trench about ten inches deep, taking into consideration what you want to plant on top of the pipe (six inches is plenty of room for grass to grow). Also, dig the trench a bit deeper at the far end of your yard to help drain the water naturally away from the house.
Step 3: Connect tube and lay it in trench
Drain tile comes in varying lengths, and the tubes simply snap together. Check the hose for any loose connections or leaks, lay it into the trench, and make sure it's a good fit.
Step 4: Attach drain tile to downspout
Now you're ready to attach the drain tile to the downspout. This is where the little connector comes in handy. Make sure that the thicker square-shaped end of the connector goes on the outside of the downspout. You may need to cut the connector down to size for a good fit so that the connector slides nicely over the downspout. Attach the drain tile tube to the other side of the connector.
Step 5: Bury the drain tile
Before you bury the pipe, make sure it's where you want it and that all connections are nice and secure. Then go ahead and dig in and cover it up with dirt, leaving the drainage end open.
Step 6: Add rock to the trench
For the final step, add rock into the drainage end of the trench. This will prevent little animals from getting inside the pipe. Also, by extending the rock out, it will allow the water to flow away from your problem area. Once it's covered, you're ready to plant grass. This year you might even be able to watch it grow.
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