I’m sure you’ve thought, “Why Big Muddy?”
Picture it: Sicily, 1922. Just kidding! Spring of 2016 was rainy, as most springs are in this region. Since I moved into the Big Muddy the previous December, I had no idea that my yard was full of clay.
So, what’s wrong with that? Clay soil holds onto water. We estimate our clay content to be in the region of 60-65%. Soil is a mix of clay particles, sand particles, and silt particles. Ideally, your soil would be 40% each silt and sand and 20% clay. Too much clay (over 40%) can result in the following soil problems: poor drainage, compaction, and sticky when wet or hard as concrete when dry. We have all of those soil problems, but they tend to be the worst in the lowest regions of the yard. The areas where the garden and orchard are sit at a higher grade than the lower part of the property. See the yellow “lake?”
That entire section of the lawn takes months to dry out. We usually have to wait for the heat of mid-July before we can walk on that portion without sinking to our ankles.
Oddly, we’ve never had water problems IN the house or basement. Just that section of yard. There is a French drain that was installed by a previous owner, but in order for French drains to work, they have to be graded to a lower point. I’m guessing this one is perfectly level given the amount of mud we have, though.
So, what do we do? We add compost. We add sand and vermiculite. We’re slowly improving the quality of our soil but that is a long, long road.
Occasionally, toads will lay eggs in the lawn puddles and birds will bathe. We’ll all put our muck boots on and slog to the compost bin. I do occasionally take the “dry route” across the front yard, into the orchard, and back toward the garden.
But really, a little dirt never killed anyone and life is much more fun with a mud puddle to squish around in.
bigmuddyorchard.com 