"Drainage, Drainage and more Drainage"

by Troy McGregor, Markham Board Member

   You see it on plant labels all the time but what exactly does it mean? Roots need air just as much as water around their roots. If they don't get it, there are problems. If you live on a hillside (clay or not) you generally have good drainage as water is always pulled to the bottom. If you only garden in pots and use a soilless potting mixture, then you also have drainage. If you are like the majority of gardeners in the local area, you have heavy soils in a flat yard. So how do you succeed with plants that require drainage?

   Blank Slate - If you have a bare spot or are converting a lawn then the best way is to bring in soil and build berms. There are three main benefits to berms, they provide ample drainage for even the fussiest plants, are really easy to plant in and they add topographical interest to an otherwise flat space. Just be sure to mix the new with the old just a bit to allow water to flow through them both.

   If you have an existing garden and no room for a berm, then your best bet is to purchase the plants as small as possible. Large plants have lots of soilless potting soil attached, and the more of it there is the less willing your roots are to venture out into the native soil. Soilless media also dries out a lot quicker making watering a tricky business.

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