chickenchalupa
Leafing Out
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Is it safe to plant veggies or grains/grasses on a septic field?
Septic field planting?
- Thread starter chickenchalupa
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journey11
Garden Master
I've asked the same question some time ago.... Basically, you can't do anything that will crush the piping or have any roots that will infiltrate the piping, some plants being more shallow than others. So frustrating having limitations on that space! I have 3 rows of piping, about 10 feet apart, the piping is very shallow, like 6" of soil over it. I'm sure I could do raised beds and shallow rooted veggies/strawberries. Trees are pretty much out. Tilling would probably be unwise. And even driving over it (or pasturing large animals like cattle) would damage the piping. So expensive to replace, so you want to be very careful.
lupinfarm
Garden Ornament
I wouldn't plant on it, what you could do though is perhaps throw down some wildflower mix and mow pathways. I've seen this done a lot out here, and we do it on the hillside in one of the goat pastures in the summer. It explodes with wildflowers and we mow grass areas and pathways in goat pasture that isn't being used.
Our septic area is old, we know where the access is to drain it but thats 'bout it lol. I even mow the yard back there with a push mower to avoid damaging it with the ride on mower.
Our septic area is old, we know where the access is to drain it but thats 'bout it lol. I even mow the yard back there with a push mower to avoid damaging it with the ride on mower.
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
Veggies would not be a good choice, as you don't want to be disturbing the soil and also there are some questions about whether you want to be consuming (even accidentally) any of the leachfield dirt.
Flowers, maybe if you really really feel compelled to... the biggest problem will be clearing the area TO plant, as you mustn't till and shouldn't smother (the leachfield needs normal access to rainfall and air). I suppose you could Roundup, then add a *thin* mulch and plant in shallow holes dug thru the mulch and dead turf. But I wouldn't.
You have to ask yourself, how much do you REALLY want a garden there, compared to how much you want to spend $2,000-15,000 to fix the system if it gets messed up
If you are desperate for sunny space and the leachfield is the only place that gets sun, a modest number of large containers could be set there (i.e. do not blanket the ground entirely with containers).
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
Flowers, maybe if you really really feel compelled to... the biggest problem will be clearing the area TO plant, as you mustn't till and shouldn't smother (the leachfield needs normal access to rainfall and air). I suppose you could Roundup, then add a *thin* mulch and plant in shallow holes dug thru the mulch and dead turf. But I wouldn't.
You have to ask yourself, how much do you REALLY want a garden there, compared to how much you want to spend $2,000-15,000 to fix the system if it gets messed up
If you are desperate for sunny space and the leachfield is the only place that gets sun, a modest number of large containers could be set there (i.e. do not blanket the ground entirely with containers).
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
ducks4you
Garden Master
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May I suggest that you consider planting annual flowers right over your septic system? I have to dig down a few inches to the cement cover of mine, and it's no loss to throw away a few wildflowers (MY personal preference there).
lupinfarm
Garden Ornament
Thats what I was saying. You can purchase big boxes of wildflower seeds and just toss them down, covering the area with a bit of plastic to keep the birds off it of course. It'll look fantastic, and you can just mow pathways throw it, maybe put up a temporary arbor, and create something of a secret garden.ducks4you said:
ducks4you
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Great minds think alike.lupinfarm said:
mandieg4
Chillin' In The Garden
I was told you don't want to plant anything that requires a lot of watering. You don't want to add extra water to your drain field. Our drain field is between our big garden and our house so we put our raised beds on top of it. The main purpose was to keep people from driving over our drain field and septic tank, but added garden space is a huge plus.
Junkmanme
Leafing Out
My old leach field is MUCH DEEPER than what has been previously mentioned. It is perhaps 5 to 6 feet deep. (It is no longer used because we now have a "community" sewer system.)
It is where about 1/4 of my garden is and has been for about 8 years now. Because of the "depth", it has been no problem to roto-till the area. It has been the best of my veggie garden area....probably "unrelated" to the fact that it sits over the old leach field. It's just where I have added the most compost, I believe.
I get GREAT VEGGIES from that area.....MOST of the soil in my area and neighborhood is Hard-pan "Caliche" clay and is more alkaline than most garden soils. I've thought about adding sulfer to reduce the PH, but the compost seems to do fine ...Over time, the compost has brought my PH (in that area) down to 6.5, which is sufficient.
Although I may use the sulfer along one fence line where I would like to grow blueberries. Blueberries require an "acidic" soil.
Regarding the gardening OVER the leach field.....I think it depends Mostly on the DEPTH of the leach lines. (Another consideration, of course, is the adding of garden water to THAT AREA.....which may NOT be a good idea. It depends on your soil.)
THAT garden area of mine also has a LOT of earthworms. (GREAT garden tillers ! )
-Junkmanme-
It is where about 1/4 of my garden is and has been for about 8 years now. Because of the "depth", it has been no problem to roto-till the area. It has been the best of my veggie garden area....probably "unrelated" to the fact that it sits over the old leach field. It's just where I have added the most compost, I believe.
I get GREAT VEGGIES from that area.....MOST of the soil in my area and neighborhood is Hard-pan "Caliche" clay and is more alkaline than most garden soils. I've thought about adding sulfer to reduce the PH, but the compost seems to do fine ...Over time, the compost has brought my PH (in that area) down to 6.5, which is sufficient.
Although I may use the sulfer along one fence line where I would like to grow blueberries. Blueberries require an "acidic" soil.
Regarding the gardening OVER the leach field.....I think it depends Mostly on the DEPTH of the leach lines. (Another consideration, of course, is the adding of garden water to THAT AREA.....which may NOT be a good idea. It depends on your soil.)
THAT garden area of mine also has a LOT of earthworms. (GREAT garden tillers ! )
-Junkmanme-
Junkmanme
Leafing Out
Just for HUMOR....
At the rear-most part of my yard, beyond the garden, I decided to put up a Greenhouse (hoophouse) years ago.
To provide a solid base and even out the soil, I dug quite a lot of dirt out of that area. (My house was built in 1928 and moved here in the 50s) While digging in that area, I must have dug up about 1/4 th of a 1957 Chevy car.
I guess that area was some sort of "dump" once upon a time. After a while, it seemed like every other shovel full had an old rusted car-part in it.
Ha-Ha !!!
-Junkmanme-
At the rear-most part of my yard, beyond the garden, I decided to put up a Greenhouse (hoophouse) years ago.
To provide a solid base and even out the soil, I dug quite a lot of dirt out of that area. (My house was built in 1928 and moved here in the 50s) While digging in that area, I must have dug up about 1/4 th of a 1957 Chevy car.
I guess that area was some sort of "dump" once upon a time. After a while, it seemed like every other shovel full had an old rusted car-part in it.
Ha-Ha !!!
-Junkmanme-
