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Bristol R.I. USA

Hello all. I need some input and passible expirienced people with the flooding issue in my patch. Here in R.I. we had a huge ain't storm that dumped about 2 inches of rain here nit to mention the rain water seems to make a pathway in the middle of the patch. Its been a few day since the last rainfall however the patch is a big mud bucket. I've tilled the patch already and waiting for the soul test before adding final ammendments. The hoops are set and in place. Does anyone have issues like this. The water table in this area is just tomuch for a patch to be here but you got what you got. Anyone else got this issue of wicked bad flooding. The only good thing is the hoophouses are in a fairly dry spot. Thanks everyone and hope all is well.

4/19/2014 6:23:48 PM

grade dirt high in center like roof

4/19/2014 7:36:58 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

get out of there and buy a piece of land off the wallaces.lol.or else buy a gradirt and put a roof on it

4/19/2014 8:14:15 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

Can you dig drainage ditches and throw the soil on the patch to raise it up? That helped me. I had 5.9" a week ago and was able to dig up some planting spots with a fork today. It might help to know what kind of soil/subsoil you have. Mine is silt over sand so it drains OK as long as my planting sites aren't in depressions

4/19/2014 8:55:19 PM

So. Maine

One thing you can do is dig one or more holes in the lowest area of the patch deep enough and big enough to fit a 5 gallon plastic pail standing up and drill 15 or 20 holes in the bottom of the pails about 3/8 of an inch in size .

Insert the pails so the tops of the pails are level or a little below the ground level and let the water seep into the pails .

IF you have a small DC or AC pump you can insert it when water is high enough or do it the old fashion way and bail it out by using a container to transfer water to pails and haul them away .

4/19/2014 8:57:17 PM

Upa Creek, MO

Kenny, water will flow always in the place of least resistance - get the bed up or at least the start. Just like Don said.

4/19/2014 10:59:36 PM

Ky

I am building raised beds for my garden, solves the flooding problem plus warms up the roots faster.

Each bed is 16x16 foot

I use 8 rail road ties per bed and then I put 8 inches of compost to bring the level up.

Otis :)

4/20/2014 12:22:21 AM

Alberta

I once was paid an absurd amount of coin to build a green where golfers could play within 20 minutes of a typhoon,the cure was what one would call "proper drainage" depending on the amount of rainfall one would get...you could bury big O or weeping tile "depending on rainfall" you can add as much drainage as is required. so long as elevation allows for drainage of the area,,your good to go...bury weeping tile...you can water evry 1/2 hr if budget allows

4/20/2014 5:05:03 AM

Alberta

I guess what I'm saying is...if you don't have a big hole for water to drain into "dig one"

4/20/2014 5:08:11 AM

Farming- a bunch of catastrophies that result in a lifestyle

Where I am in NC is flat, clay based, and it rains all the frigging time. I dug DEEP drainage ditches around the patch and had them at the lowest point I have on land. It was ALOT of digging- but my patches now drain nicely. We had 3" of rain the other day and while my soil is wet, the ditches are deep enough that the patch 'seeps' into the ditches. We (farmers) in my area also dig ditches in the fields leading to outer deep ditches. I put them between each plant, and the water seeps from the patch into these and runs into the deeper outer ditches. All the dirt I dug up to form ditches got thrown onto low spots in patch. it took a lot of work- but here we are only 1' above the water table. I have a deep 'sump' hole that I put a sump pump in when mother nature goes real crazy.

4/20/2014 6:12:56 AM

Glosta

Dig a trench around patch and have a hole for a pump then pump it out. You can get a 1 hp pump with a flat switch for about 75$. Also you can use a pitch fork or broad fork to break up soil, this will help air get in to dry it out. I flood every year and have found this to be the best way, until I can raise my patch enuff.

4/20/2014 9:32:19 AM

Rhode Island

kenny the heatster
lots of great suggestions have been noted kenny.if you have no where else to grow? and you really want to eliminate the problem?you may want to consider this.

1. backhoe the top two and one half ft to three ft of soil off the patch
(like a foundation being dug for a house only not as deep)
2. lay down three inch drainage pipe one ft apart across the bottom.grade to run off outside of patch.
3. spread a layer of one inch stone around six inches deep to cover the drainage pipe
4. put the soil back over the area.

if you cant do this then possibly mounding the patch higher will help.if your high water table is the problem then mounding may not be as much help

covering the patch in spring with a large tarp could also help keep water levels down.

ps--if all else fails? as mike oliver if he can get a back hoe for you?

pap

4/20/2014 10:05:36 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

Thanks all for the suggestions. The water table at my parents house is way high. My house has a small area about the size to grow field pumpkins that's all. With the rain and lower temps its getting harder to dry the patch. I've been tilling around the plants and understand that the soul around the outer edge of the patch doesn't really matter. You gotta use what works.

Pap....the good news is the amount of crap that Mike Oliver gives me I wont have to get any cow manure on the patch..lol

4/20/2014 11:09:59 AM

Muddy Waters

I rented a trencher about 15 years ago & ran a couple trenches across my patch & layed plastic drain & backfilled with sand.It really helped during the muddy times.

4/20/2014 8:01:26 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

Last year I had a dumptruck dump half a truck of sand. It helped s little

4/20/2014 8:10:57 PM

Muddy Waters

If adding sand to hard clay make sure you add a lot like 5 yds at a time.Then till in to make sure it doesnt wash.Sand is a cheap way to get better drainage in your soil.But add lots of it.This may not work for all soils,(hard clay cant hurt)It has worked good for me.I may not be growing records .But I am keeping them free of disease & hitting some decent numbers.

4/21/2014 7:42:35 AM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

The Amish down here make row mounds& cover in black plastic.inbetween rows were it dips down they poke holes so water can leak threw.it will only hold enough water& rest spills off into a ditch.then if they need water they just fill the dips up& it slowly leaks threw.

4/21/2014 8:49:33 AM