[daniel1212]

I’ve been having much the same problem. For most of the last 2 months, I can hit water in under 6” of digging, and after rains, for a day or two, the soil is completely saturated (esp. in my 2nd garden area). The water table is right at or maybe a couple inches down, those days, if I don’t have standing water. My potted plants are generally doing well, those in the ground are struggling or dying.

Since our major crop here in MA are rocks:), then drainage is not the problem. For me it is that of 4'' of rain plus a new roof and wind adding to that due to drainage onto the garden side.

[Paul R.]

Heh, rocks and rock-headed voters, but, I digress — this thread is supposed to be non-political!

We have a couple inches of half-decent topsoil (mostly long-broken down hickory leaves & debris), then orange-ish clay nearly impervious to water, then 18” - 24” down there is a few inch layer of smelly, grey, REALLY impervious to water, clay, then it’s back to the orange stuff until you hit gravel / sand / rock 20+ feet down.

The 1st garden area is ~100 ft. east of our house, the 2nd another ~20 ft. further. The entire part of the property 20 ft. to 200 ft. east of the house seems to be slowly subsiding, too...