Water from winter rains can wash through your property like cash through a hole in your wallet. A swale’s job is to slow down the water and store some of it in your own soil. Swales are ditches or trenches built to direct and slow the flow of rainwater so that it’s a chance to sink in the soil. When many gardeners dig swales on hillsides, all that is required is the socket over the far end of the swale is lower compared to the swale itself. A swale can split into a river, pond or storm sewer.
Map out and mark the path your swale will journey. Identify the areas in your lawn that get boggy and an proper outlet, then graph the program. Be certain the outlet is lower in elevation than the problem areas and any component of the route.
Determine a suitable width for your swale. The width of a swale may vary from 1 foot to many feet, depending on the total amount of water that runs through your lawn. Pound stakes into the ground along your favorite path to mark the outlines of the swale.
Eliminate the grass sod in the outlined swale. Use a scoop or a sod remover. Operate carefully to keep the sod in massive pieces. Set the sod pieces in a cool, moist place after removal.
Dig a trench along the swale route. Use a scoop to make a 6- to 12-inch deep trench, shaping the bottom into a “V” and rounding out the sides. Smooth and compress the ground and walls of the trench.
Boost the sod pieces and replace them around the swale. Press each piece gently so that the roots touch the base of the trench and that all air pockets are eliminated. Water the sod after replacement and irrigate it consistently for another month.