{"id":5936,"date":"2021-07-14T13:20:20","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T17:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.earthworksjax.com\/?p=5936"},"modified":"2023-05-25T09:32:42","modified_gmt":"2023-05-25T09:32:42","slug":"lawn-and-garden-damage-from-heavy-rain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.earthworksjax.com\/lawncare\/lawn-and-garden-damage-from-heavy-rain\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawn and Garden Damage from Heavy Rain"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The signs of damage from heavy rain and over watering can take weeks to appear. Some damage in the form of fallen limbs and trees occurs quickly and is easy to see. In July 2021, Hurricane Elsa passed Jacksonville with tropical-storm-force wind and rain. It added to a week with more than 5 inches of rain that mostly fell on July 4th and 7th. While that amount of rain wouldn\u2019t stop fireworks and doesn\u2019t warrant alarm bells going off, it came during a month-long period of above-average rainfall that contributed to bringing down part of a tree that crushed one of our owner’s automobiles. We scurried about during the last week of September 2022 as Hurricane Hermine was approaching to hopefully avert similar damage from high winds and rain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Chad Lakin, Earth Works Lawn Care Operations Manager recommends that your lawn should receive a half-inch of water three times per week from rain and\/or irrigation. During weeks when it rains for three or more days dropping an accumulated weekly total of 1.5 inches of rain or more you should consider turning off the automatic timer on your sprinkler system and only water as needed. And be aware that irrigation regulations in Duval County<\/a> restrict sprinkler system operation to twice per week. Be sure to check and abide by your county guidelines.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

SEVEN FACTORS AFFECTING LAWN AND GARDEN DAMAGE<\/strong> FROM HEAVY RAIN<\/strong> include elevation, grade, soil composition, percentage of impervious area, drainage system, landscape design, and fungal pathogens.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Elevation:<\/strong> Much of Northeast Florida is at or slightly above sea level with a high water table. “Almost 25,000 kilometers of Florida\u2019s coast is below 3.5 meters in elevation,” according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.<\/a> “The northeastern region of Florida is one of varied natural, geographical, and topographical environments. The region is a part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and contains an assorted mix of land cover types that span from coastal marshes to upland hammocks and scrub areas.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Grading:<\/strong> Proper site grading requires a slope of the landscape away from home and other structures and into drainage systems that include swales and retention ponds. \u201cThe ground immediately adjacent to the foundation shall be sloped away from the building at a slope of not less than one unit vertical in 20 units horizontal (5-percent slope) for a minimum distance of 10 feet measured perpendicular to the face of the wall,\u201d according to Florida Building Code 1804.4 [Excavation, Grading and Fill] Site Grading<\/a>. \u201cIf physical obstructions or lot lines prohibit 10 feet of horizontal distance, a 5-percent slope shall be provided to an approved alternative method of diverting water away from the foundation. Swales used for this purpose shall be sloped a minimum of 2 percent where located within 10 feet of the building foundation. Impervious surfaces within 10 feet of the building foundation shall be sloped a minimum of 2 percent away from the building.\u201d These measures reduce the threat of flooding and erosion from rainwater that doesn\u2019t percolate into the soil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Soil Composition:<\/strong> Our Northeast Florida soils tend to be sandy, allowing better percolation of water than clay soils. Heavy rains can saturate soil that can\u2019t absorb additional water resulting in increased flooding, erosion, and runoff. \u201cWhen soils become saturated from heavy rainfall, loss of nitrogen (N) becomes a major concern,\u201d according to Kruger Seeds<\/a>. \u201cAfter soils are saturated, the two processes that can reduce the amount of available N are denitrification (microbial conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gases) and leaching.\u201d
Leaching of nutrients from the soil during heaving rains can change soil pH. \u201cRain leaches alkaline elements including calcium, magnesium and potassium from the soil into runoff water, leaving acidic elements like hydrogen, aluminum and manganese to replace the bases,” according to SFGATE<\/a>. \u201cThis means that areas with high annual rainfall amounts, such as parts of New England, generally have more acidic soil than the arid deserts of Arizona.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Impervious area:<\/strong> Impervious areas include driveways, walkways, decks, and patios. Municipalities in Northeast Florida have restrictions on the percentage of impervious surfaces allowed. Coastal communities have the most strenuous rules. Atlantic Beach<\/a> limits impervious area to 45% and requires onsite water retention storage. Hardscaping projects must take into consideration all sources of water conveyance to comply with the city code. \u201cThe downspouts from the house they are all connected underground and run to the swale,\u201d said John Cacchione, Earth Works landscape designer. \u201cSo all of the water from the roof is collected. Nothing is going out into the street.\u201d Make sure your landscaping company understands and readily complies with applicable regulations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Drainage system:<\/strong> The wide variety of drainage system designs available requires routine maintenance to work effectively. Clogged gutters, French drains, and storm drains won\u2019t function as designed. Standing water over time becomes lethal for turf and many varieties of plants.
\u201cDuring a flood, the greatest danger to your grass is suffocation,\u201d according to the Turfgrass Group<\/a>. \u201cGrass needs sunlight, water, air\u2014CO2, to be precise\u2014and nutrients to grow. When your turf is submerged, the grass cannot get the CO2 it needs. It can survive this way for a day or two, but after four of five days, the chances of survival drop significantly. Generally, cool water and cool temperatures are the least destructive. If the air temperature is above 80 degrees and the water is shallow enough to be warmed, even a day or two could kill the grass.\u201d<\/p>\r\n