The Met Office has warned that the weather pattern that has caused so much flooding across parts of the UK may continue for the rest of February.
The recent storms have resulted in around 1700 homes being flooded and led to a series of dramatic rescues. With such severe damage, the health of your garden might not rank highly on your priority list, however with extreme and heavy rainfall expected to become more frequent, it’s advisable that gardeners take a few appropriate actions to vastly improve their gardens prospects for recovery.
Lawns are generally able to survive up to four days of submersion after flooding, although this could be affected by a number of other different factors.
If you can, then it is advisable to avoid walking on a waterlogged lawn, as they are very prone to compaction. After the water has receded, carefully remove any debris (glass, metal, stones etc.) that may have accumulated on the lawn.
Lawns will greatly benefit from the addition of nutrients following a flood, to help aid in their rapid regeneration. Calculate your lawn size and apply fertiliser or lawn feed evenly.
If floods are imminent:
- Turn off the water supply to the garden.
- Weigh down manhole covers with sandbags or heavy objects. If they lift up during a flood, the drain may be left open, which could create a hazard.
- Move freestanding items such as pots and dustbins to a sheltered location or weigh them down with sandbags.
- Move small containers to higher ground or onto strong, stable structures such as a brick-built barbecue.
- Tie in climbing plants and check tree ties are secure on newly planted trees.
- Move treasured border plants to raised beds, plant stands or heavy containers.
- Peg netting securely over ponds to save plants and fish from being swept away.
Of course the effects of flooding will be much more manageable if you had artificial grass.
If you install a suitable drainage base below the levelling layer before you install artificial grass, the rainwater will be able to run straight through it.
Even after long term flooding has drained, simply brush your lawn to remove the debris and the turf will appear as lush and green as you left it.
If you’d like to find out more about how Nomow artificial grass could benefit your garden, simply get in touch today.