# Clay Yard staying Soggy



## LAlawnnut (Feb 11, 2019)

Hey guys,

My yard has been soggy since about September of last year. When I step on it I sunk in and water pushes up around my feet. There is standing water in a lot of places as well this whole time. I've had a soil test done and it is a very high clay content. I was wondering if there were any tips y'all could give me to help this so it will dry out.

I was thinking about running French drains in the areas that Always have standing water to help alleviate that. In the center of the yard where it doesn't have standing water but is boggy I was thinking of doing a 3-4 pass code aeration and taking away the cores. If I do this, what do you recommend I backfill with? I've heard compost, but I've also heard sand. On the flip side I've hear sand isn't good in clay. How would I calculate how much dirt I need to bring in to fill the aeration holes?

Centipede grass is unfortunately what I have, if that makes a difference.

Do you guys think this would fix my problem, or is there something else that I should be considering?


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## tneicna (May 6, 2019)

Have you considered a wetting agent like Penterra to see if it has any effect?

Clay is not as porous as some other material, so it's holding water /more/ often than it should.


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## mike_b (Mar 29, 2020)

I have the same problem and am working on it now. The only thing that is going to help immediately is to throw down an inch or more of compost/leaf mold/rice hulls and till it in. Short of that, there are a number of things you can do over time. Wetting agents like penterra are a good idea. You can also try yucca extract or a soap based surfactant. Those can be a short-medium term solution. Long term you need to aerate and get something growing in these areas then push the roots to grow. Roots grow and separate the soil and eventually die, breaking down into organic matter. Balance your nutrients and fertilizer and push the roots with kelp or other stimulants. French drains won't do very much, they clay is impermeable. A better idea is a catch basin in the low areas. That is my opinion on it.


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## Ridgerunner (May 16, 2017)

You could try a version of "vertical drains": Aerate with a plug aerator then topdress with sand filling in the aeration holes with the sand.


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