How to Increase Drainage in a Flower Bed

Less Work, More Time

• 1

  Cultivate the soil to a depth of 12 to 16 inches. Crush large dirt clumps. If the soil clumps excessively, lay the clods on top of the soil for a day to dry them out completely.

• 2

  Till 6 inches of coarse sand – also known as builder's sand – and 3 inches of compost into the soil. Do not use fine sand as it may turn the clay soil into a cement-hard mass.

• 3

  Spread 8 inches of wood chips over the amended flower garden soil. Water the area to a depth of 20 inches.

• 4

  Allow the wood chips to remain on the soil over fall and winter. Either till it into the soil in spring or leave it as a mulch for spring flowers.

Quick, But Labor Intensive

• 5

  Use a mattock or rototiller to break up the top 10 inches of soil.

• 6

  Spread 1 inch of compost over the area and rototill it into the soil. Spread another inch and rototill again. Repeat the procedure with 1 more inch of compost.

• 7

  Plant grasses or legumes, or both, in the flower garden. Rye, oats, crimson clover or hairy vetch work well.

• 8

  Cut the cover crop to the soil in spring when you are ready to plant. Use pruning shears, loppers or a machete, depending upon how heavy the crop is. Rototill the plants and cuttings into the soil.

• 9

  Repeat the process each fall.