Flooding

We may not need Noah just yet, but many areas are prone to winter and spring flooding.

​Years with El Nino events can bring severe rain and flash floods, wreaking havoc with homes, ​ drainage, and the garden. After making sure that your family and home are safe, it is important to protect your landscape and garden from the negative effects of flooding.

High water park bench (Hans Braxmeier) Pixabay

Rain and soil

Too much rain at one time can cause mountain creeks and streams to overrun their boundaries, carrying debris, mud, and even more water crashing down into already soggy bottom lands. Soil is an amazing structure, but the bedrock that holds it in place also creates a water barrier that can lead to pooling, flooding and more mud than your landscape can handle.

As we have discussed earlier, permeability refers to the ability of water to drain. Our heavy clay soil does not drain well, which makes it great at holding on to water during the dry months, but creates significant problems when rainfall rates overrun carrying capacity.

Flooding and standing water can drown your plants. Roots need air space to breath and to conduct photosynthesis. Standing water and poor drainage also encourages the development of fungal infestations, mosquito breeding grounds, and disease-carrying pests such as fungus gnats.

Just as over-watering causes leaching of nutrients, salts, and chemicals, flooding can wash away valuable topsoil and pollute local groundwater. When you notice standing water in your garden, it is time to take action.

​How to reduce the negative impact of flooding in the garden:

• As soon as the rain has stopped, get as much mud off the tops and bottoms of leaves as possible and move mud away from the base of your plants
• Monitor troublesome areas frequently
• Redirect water from rainwater downspouts to areas that are less vulnerable (Mine are attached to rain barrels with hose spigots at the base. I use a hose to redirect the water away from already soggy areas.)
• Install a rain garden or cut shallow trenches that pull water away from vulnerable plants
• Make sure that street drains and gutters are clear of debris
• Stay off the soil as much as possible to prevent compaction
• Do not eat produce that has been standing in flood waters
• Consider a soil test after everything has dried. The chemical composition of your soil will be changed after a severe flood
• Feed your plants a little extra after new growth begins

​Floods can be devastating, but you can reduce the negative impact with these simple steps. Keep yourself and your garden healthy and safe!