A Reddit user sought advice from an online community after a common lawn product flooded the lawn at their mom's house.
The user posted a photo of their predicament in the r/landscaping subreddit with the caption, "What would be the best way to fix this at my mom's house?" In the photo, the walkway in the yard was submerged under a pool of water because, as the OP explained in a comment, there is a tarp underneath the rocks and soil that is causing the flood.
While you might be wondering what a tarp is doing buried underneath the lawn, it was actually intended to be a beneficial addition to the yard. According to research from the South Dakota State University Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, "Soil tarping not only can reduce weeds to prepare a growing area for planting, but it can also protect against early-season soil erosion, as well as impact temperature and moisture levels in a plot."
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However, such tarps should be made of permeable material, which would prevent water from accumulating as it did in the OP's photo. Commenters explained the necessity for proper drainage to avoid similar situations in the future.
"The tarp is there to stop grass and weeds from growing into the gravel, it also [stops] water [from] reaching the dirt who would've thunk it. Whoever suggested or quoted the gravel idea should've mentioned drainage," one commenter wrote.
"Get a drill and drill some holes through the tarp," another commenter suggested. "It won't completely alleviate the issue but it will help it drain faster."
One commenter provided a list of actionable steps that could help drain the water, and a contractor co-signed their suggestions.
If you're facing a similar situation, there are multiple options to help prevent water from flooding in your yard. For example, a rain garden can absorb excess rainwater and improve drainage naturally because it uses native, deep-rooted plants that are designed to capture and filter rainwater runoff, which can help prevent erosion and reduce water pooling.
You can also consider rewilding your yard or switching to a natural lawn with native plants that thrive in wet conditions. Native plants can help manage excess water more effectively and also require less maintenance, saving you time and resources. Also, native plants can attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are essential for a healthy ecosystem.
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