Funny thing, I’ve seen people swear by French drains, but if the soil’s got too much clay, that water just sits there anyway. Ever tried aerating your lawn first, before messing with the drains? Sometimes it helps, sometimes not... depends on the yard, I guess. What kind of soil are you working with?
- Clay soil here, too, and yeah—French drains didn’t do much for me.
- Tried aerating last spring. It helped a tiny bit, but the soggy patches came right back after a heavy rain.
- I’ve wondered if adding sand or compost would break up the clay more than just poking holes. Anyone had luck with that?
- Also, does anyone’s lawn get worse after they try to “fix” it? Sometimes I swear my yard holds a grudge...
I’ve been down the “add sand” road before, and honestly, it made things worse for me—turned parts of my yard into something like concrete after a few months. Compost, though, seemed to help a bit with drainage over time, but it’s slow going. Ever tried double digging or just mixing in organic matter every fall? I’m curious if anyone’s had luck with gypsum, too... I keep hearing mixed reviews.
Tried gypsum last year after reading a bunch of conflicting stuff—honestly, didn’t notice much difference. Double digging, though, that’s a workout but it really loosened things up for me. Compost is slow, yeah, but I trust it more than sand for sure.
I get what you mean about compost being slow, but I’m a bit wary of double digging, honestly. Last time I tried it, I hit some old pipes I didn’t even know were there—ended up with a muddy mess and a call to the landlord. Ever since, I stick to surface stuff like topdressing and aerating. Maybe not as dramatic, but at least I’m not risking a busted water line. Sometimes the safest route is just patience, even if it takes longer.
