The duration of the rain is the first aspect that impacts how quickly the ground will dry. If the rain was brief, such as 15 minutes, the ground may dry up in 6 hours and you may be able to work on it afterward. However, if there is continuous rain for 4 days, the ground may take longer than 4 days to dry up.
A soggy spot can be improved by replanting with water-tolerant plants. Plants will aesthetically improve the soggy spot, soak up the remaining water, attract beneficial pollinators, and they can also slowly improve drainage by loosening the soil with their roots and organic matter.
1 Excess water can even lead to problems with your home's foundation. Standing water is usually caused by two common problems: poorly draining soil and low spots in the yard. Lawn thatch, the layer of thick dead leaves, roots, and stems between soil and grass, is another culprit.
Plant Cover Crops
Cover crops are an excellent way to use excess water. They're great for soil health and keeping your garden from turning into a giant mud puddle. Plant a winter cover crop throughout your garden next fall or in places you're not immediately trying to plant in this spring.
Spike the lawn with a garden fork, creating large holes in the lawn. After the initial spiking and draining, using a hollow tine aerator on the lawn will remove further plugs of soil. This should allow the majority of the water to drain through.
– Use Plants To Absorb The Water
Another method how to soak up water in backyard spaces is to use plants, especially when the soil is bare. One of the best ways to fix waterlogged spots is to use grass turf, sod, and grass seeds.
To dry out soil quickly, you can apply hydrated lime to the soil, add compost and then turn the soil thoroughly to aerate it. Adding hydrated lime and compost will help absorb the water in your soil, and turning it all will help distribute the water in the waterlogged soil throughout your garden.
Some of those reasons include problems such as one's lawn not receiving enough sun, grading problems, and improper filtration. Sometimes a lawn's moisture persists because the soil of someone's lawn contains smaller particles that hold in more water than other types of soil.
SATURATED SOIL can lead to problems with roots of trees and shrubs, and ultimately contribute to death or uprooting of trees. When soil becomes saturated through over-watering or heavy rains, plants cannot develop new fine feeder roots that are responsible for uptake of nutrients.
Saturated conditions occur when all of the voids, spaces, and cracks are filled with water. Unsaturated conditions occur when the voids, spaces, and cracks between soil, sand, gravel, or rock are filled with a combination of air and water.
The main ways to make soil dry faster are to increase light, heat, and ventilation for your plant, ensure the soil and pot are draining well, and choose an appropriately sized pot for your plant. Consider moving to a pot made of a porous material such as terracotta, and make sure to drain the pot well after watering.
Sand drains water very well, while clay does not. However, that does not mean that adding sand will help your lawn drainage.
Ferns. Most ferns can tolerate excessively moist ground and are commonly grown in damp conditions, they would easily soak up all the water that you would provide. Ferns have a dense root system with the unique ability of water-absorbing foliage. The extensive root systems draw water and transport the foliage.
Loam Soil is best. A combination of sand, silt, and clay particles, this soil absorbs water readily and is able to store it for use by plants.
The water-absorbing materials in this way are Cotton, Toilet paper, Sponge, and Activated carbon.
Spongy lawns are the result of excess buildup of old and dead grass material. Some types of grass don't produce thatch but others with thick stolens will trap their own leaves and stems. Overly thick thatch not only makes the lawn spongy but can interfere with the plant's ability to gather air, water, and fertilizer.
If your soil is no longer absorbing water, it's likely it has become hydrophobic. Hydrophobic soils repel water which will lead to many problems in your lawn and garden. You can check if your soil has developed hydrophobia by pouring water in a couple of places and watching to see whether it is absorbed quickly or not.
If water stands in your yard for hours or even days after a moderate rain, you have poor drainage, which can be caused by heavy, compacted soils or improper grading.