Soggy Soil: Plants That Like Wet Feet

Face it, it rains a lot here. Living in the Pacific Northwest, moist soil in our gardens is inevitable.   But sometimes it’s hard to create good drainage. There are many areas in the Willamette Valley that have heavy clay. You might have gone to dig a hole in your yard and found what probably felt like a cement pad.   It could have been red or grey clay. Either holds more nutrients than sandy loam, but it doesn’t drain well. It may cause water to build up under your topsoil. If your plants don’t like their roots sitting in water they could rot.

 

By mulching and amending your soil with compost or other soil amendments you can begin to breakdown the clay while keeping (and adding) to its nutrients. 

 

In the mean time, another tactic in dealing with poorly drained soil is to use plants that tolerate wet feet. Instead of putting plants that just die if they get too much water, choose plants from Al’s Garden Center’s List below. There are even plants listed for shallow, standing water.