How to Drain Landscapes

Evaluate your yard after a heavy rainfall and note the areas where puddles form. If water does not drain within one hour, the ground is over-saturated and requires a drainage system to carry water away.

Insert garden stakes in the center of saturated areas to mark the course for the drainage system.

Dig a trench along the course that is 24 inches deep and 10 inches wide. Begin at the end farthest from the outlet. Dig down an additional 2 inches for every 100 feet of length to slope the trench so water will flow toward the street.

Pour 12 inches of gravel into the bottom and rake it even.

Set perforated drainage pipes in the trench. Cover the front opening with a drainage grid to prevent sticks and dirt from entering.

Cover the pipe in 6 inches of gravel. The top layer of gravel will enable water to drain down to the pipe while blocking debris. Place lengths of agricultural fabric over the gravel, overlapping the ends by 3 inches.

Combine equal parts of dirt and sand in a wheelbarrow. Shovel the mixture into the remaining trench and rake it even. Adding sand to dirt makes it less dense, which will help water to drain through. If your dirt is already sandy, skip this step.

Seed the exposed dirt with grass seed and cover it with ½ inch of straw so the seed doesn't blow away. Grass will disguise the drainage pipes and slow the flow of water runoff so that the ground drains faster.