I hear you on the trenching—it’s a workout, especially in clay. In my experience, you want at least 18 inches deep, sometimes more if your yard’s really soggy. I tried with just a shovel once... never again. Rented a mini trencher the next time and it saved my back. As for the lawn, yeah, it’ll look rough for a bit, but grass bounces back faster than you’d think, especially if you reseed after. Just brace yourself for some mud.
Trenching in clay is no joke—been there, done that, and my shoulders still remember. I’ll admit, I was skeptical about the mini trencher at first, but after wrestling with a shovel for half a day, I caved and rented one too. Worth every penny. As for the lawn looking rough, you’re right—grass is surprisingly forgiving. Just don’t expect miracles overnight if you’ve got heavy clay; sometimes it takes a season or two to really fill in. Still beats slogging through a swampy mess every time it rains.
I get what you’re saying about grass bouncing back, but in my experience with heavy clay, sometimes it just never really looks the same. I’ve patched and overseeded for two years now and still have weird bare spots. Maybe it’s just my luck, but I’m starting to think some yards just don’t want to be lawns...
