Rain Garden Problems - Ask Extension
Hi there,
We moved into a new home and our rain garden is doing terribly. Most of the plants have drowned and there is standing water 4+ days after a...
Knowledgebase
Rain Garden Problems #877906
Asked July 19, 2024, 11:42 AM EDT
Hi there,
We moved into a new home and our rain garden is doing terribly. Most of the plants have drowned and there is standing water 4+ days after a rain. I'm looking for some recommendations about the types of plants that we can put down that can handle lots of water and help drain the water effectively.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
The plants used in a rain garden should be able to withstand water inundation and still survive and thrive.
Questions to consider:
While you are at it, make sure that the mulch layer on your new tree and gardens is no deeper than 3 inches and kept pulled back from contact with the trunk/stems/crowns of plants.
The oak? tree looks like it is either planted or mulched too deeply which can stress a tree and cause it to decline and die over time. You should be able to see the root flare- a gentle widening where the root meets the trunk before it goes into the ground. Remove mulch or soil until you find it. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/trees-planted-too-deeply/
Watering your landscape plants well when needed is very important for the first 18-24 months the plants are in the ground. Here is our watering information:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/watering-trees-and-shrubs/
Christine
Questions to consider:
- When was it planted and by whom (warranty)?
- Was anyone watering it to help it get established? If not, given our very high heat and lack of rain they may have scorched/fried, not drowned.
- Any chance the whole yard was sprayed with a weed herbicide of some sort?
While you are at it, make sure that the mulch layer on your new tree and gardens is no deeper than 3 inches and kept pulled back from contact with the trunk/stems/crowns of plants.
The oak? tree looks like it is either planted or mulched too deeply which can stress a tree and cause it to decline and die over time. You should be able to see the root flare- a gentle widening where the root meets the trunk before it goes into the ground. Remove mulch or soil until you find it. https://extension.umd.edu/resource/trees-planted-too-deeply/
Watering your landscape plants well when needed is very important for the first 18-24 months the plants are in the ground. Here is our watering information:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/watering-trees-and-shrubs/
Christine
