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Effective Fixes To Restore Your Muddy Lawn To Its Former Glory
By SAKSHI KHAITAN
Drainage
Ensure your drainage system empties water out of the gutters into the drain pipes and not onto your turf, and the downspouts extend at least 6 feet from your foundation.
The lawn must slope downward and away from the foundation; otherwise, move topsoil from the lower end to the slope's top while staying below the home's concrete structural support.
If the lawn is flat and you can’t move the soil, you might have "settling soil." Remove mulch, layer on clay-rich soil, and tamp it down with a rammer while maintaining a 4% slope.
Water Infiltration
Poor upkeep, overusing nitrogen fertilizers, growing aggressive grasses, and compacted soils can encourage thatch development, which impedes water permeation.
Remove this layer of dead roots, leaves, and stems with a dethatching rake, and core aerate the lawn to improve water and oxygen absorption and aid thatch-decomposing microbes.
Soil
Your lawn can become muddy because it can’t hold onto stormwater. This can happen if you mow it too low, killing the grass and leaving the soil bare so that water pools easily.
Alternatively, you might have added compacted clay soils that drain poorly. When you resod your lawn, test the soil and amend it with compost to improve its water-holding capacity.
To reduce surface runoff, top-dress the soil with biodegradable matter like coconut coir, organic mulch like hay, inorganic mulch like gravel, or plant flood-resistant turf.