Rain, rain go away, come again another day…
We all remember that song from when we were kids, but rain can sometimes be a good thing. In your garden, a little bit of extra water can help feed your plants and encourage them to grow. However, there are a few things to be worried about.
Rain can have a huge impact on the way your garden looks and behaves. If you’re not careful, it can lead to extra maintenance, safety concerns, and ruined plant life. In this guide, we’ll show you the five main things to be concerned about when it rains:
Waterlogged Soil
When it pours with rain in your garden, you may suffer from soil waterlogging. This happens when the rainwater pools in the soil and doesn’t drain away. As a result, it basically drowns and suffocates the plant roots. They’re unable to get the nutrients they need to survive, meaning they eventually die or contract water-related issues.
The problem is, waterlogged soil can last for a few days. Even when the rain stops, the water pools there and doesn’t drain away.
You can prevent this issue by improving soil drainage around your plants. There are plenty of online resources that’ll tell you how to do this. With a good drainage system in place, water will run away from your plants and avoid pooling. Don’t worry, they still take in some of the water and use it to gain nutrients. It just stops the rainwater from waterlogging the roots and suffocating your precious plants.
Overwatering
Another plant-related issue is the overwatering of things. You probably have a regular watering schedule for your garden. This could mean you’re out there with a hose or watering can every day, giving things a nice splash of moisture.
What happens when it rains consistently for a few hours a day? This could happen all week long as well.
It means your plants are getting watered by the rain. So, if you go out and keep watering them with your can, they’re getting way too much water. Again, it can drown them and cause many plants to die.
The best way to tell if a plant needs water is by looking at it. Does it look green and healthy? Does the soil seem overly dry? If so, water it. If not, don’t put any extra water on the plant as it’s perfectly fine!
Sometimes, during torrential rain, it helps to cover your plants where possible. This is one of the benefits of building a greenhouse in your garden as you take the rain out of the equation. Go out and inspect your plants after rainfall to see if they seem a bit worse for wear. If they look overly wet and soggy, try covering them with an umbrella or any other item that blocks off the rain for a bit.
Rotting Decking
If you have timber decking in your garden, it can come under threat from the rain. As water splashes down on it, there’s a chance it can be absorbed in the planks and lead to rotting. After all, if you leave any wood in the rain for extended periods, it is going to rot and see mold growth.
This is a common problem, though it mainly affects people who haven’t maintained their decking properly. The most critical tip is to waterproof your deck as soon as it is laid down. You’ll coat it in a special layer of sealant that stops water from seeping into the wood. This should be done at least once a year – particularly if you get a lot of rain where you live.
Additionally, you should think about protecting your deck from the rain as best as you can. Some people go to the extreme and buy decking covers. These look similar to the covers they use at tennis matches when it starts raining! You lay them over your deck so no rain falls on it and it remains in excellent condition. The problem with this is that you’ll need to remove everything from the deck to lay the cover down, which isn’t that practical.
Instead, consider getting an awning that extends from your house and covers as much of the deck as possible. It acts as a nice barrier to block lots of rain – while also providing great shading if it’s hot out.
Slippery Surfaces
This is a big safety concern when it rains – especially if you have kids.
We just talked about decking, but a patio is just as slippery when it rains. Either of these surfaces can become very hazardous and may lead to slip and fall injuries in the garden.
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot you can do about slippery surfaces. Other than trying to cover them from the rain, you’ll just have to be very careful when walking on them. Those of you with kids should stop them from going outside until the garden is dry – or keep them away from the slippery areas.
Flooding
Lastly, flooding is a genuine concern in most gardens when it rains excessively. It’s a bigger problem for people with really flat gardens in low-lying areas too.
If you notice the water levels in your garden seem to be rising, you’ve definitely got a flooding problem on your hands. It goes beyond waterlogging and starts being a genuine concern. But, like waterlogging, it is usually a signal of drainage issues.
For whatever reason, water doesn’t drain away accordingly, so it might be time to renovate your garden. Create more levels and try to incorporate a natural slope for water to drain away. This should do a good job of preventing future floods.
It’s important to keep a close eye on your garden when it rains as any of these problems can be present. Understanding how to maintain and look after your garden in wet weather is the key to avoiding accidents, stopping floods, and keeping your plants healthy. Hopefully, you’ve learned a few things here that’ll help you combat any torrential rain.
