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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
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  SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LIFE
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  PLANTS OVER SEPTICS
     Gardens Near Septics
     Grasses or Flowers
     Grazing, Animals
     Ground Cover, Ivy
     Trees or Shrubs
     Using Root Killers
     Using a Roto Rooter
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WHAT CAN GO INTO TOILETS & DRAINS?

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PHOTO of an Edmonton British Columbia septic field in a low wet area, close to a small lake, and with trees in the field area - all bad ideas Guide to Planting Over Septic System Components - photo illustrated
SepticAPedia ©

  • Advice for planting over or near septic systems
  • Grasses, flowers, ground cover near septic systems
  • Trees or shrubs planting near septic systems
  • Gardening over or near septic system components
  • Ground cover over septic fields
  • Using root killers or roto-rooters for septic systems
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at inspect-ny.com/appointment.htm.

Planting Guidelines for Septic Drainfields, Mounds, Raised Beds, Septic Tanks and other Septic Components

This chapter discusses the types of plants that should or should not be planted over or near septic fields or other septic system components. Planting trees, shrubs, and even some ground covers over septic system components are causes of septic system failure in the drain field, leach field, seepage bed, or similar components.

This is a guide for homeowners who are planting trees, shrubs, gardens, ground cover, or other plants near a septic system and who need to know that can be planted near or over septic system components like the septic tank, distribution box, and drain field or soil absorption system. Planting the wrong things or in the wrong places can lead to the need for expensive septic system repairs.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Guide to planting grasses or flowers over septic drain fields or leaching beds

Photo of flower planting over a septic tank cover.

Many people have written to ask what can be planted over a septic field. Grasses, weeds, flower are OK: The best answer is grass or native grasses and weeds.

Flowers are ok so long as they are not varieties which send down deep roots. In the photograph above these relatively shallow-rooted flowers were set around a septic tank cleanout cover.

They won't cause any damage to the system. But when planning your planting arrangement for flowers over a septic tank, remember that if you plant valuable flowers too close to the access cover to a septic tank or distribution box, those plants may be damaged or destroyed when you have to excavate to open the tank or D-box cover.

Basically, any shallow-rooting planting will be fine to plant over the surface of or near septic tanks, distribution boxes, or septic drainfields.

Photo of typical grass (needing mowing) over a septic system.

The photograph shows typical grass and a few native wildflowers and dandelions growing in a lawn over a septic system drainfield.

These plants are not likely to be harmful to the system, they stabilize the soils in the area, and they do not interfere with soil transpiration or evaporation.

Their roots are relatively shallow so these plants are not likely to invade the septic drainfield piping. Grass and native wildflowers are fine over the septic tank or drainfield, and also they are fine over septic mound systems.

Using a Roto Rooter to Remove Roots from Sewer Lines and Septic Systems

Power augers or Roto Rooters™ for plumbing drains can be an effective way to remove a blockage or clog in a drain line.

But if your plumber shows you a tangle of roots when s/he pulls the augur back up the drain line, you should expect that additional repairs will be needed soon.

Even if you pull roots out of the blocked pipe section, the fact that they were in there means a tree, shrub, or other plant has invaded the area and its roots remain outside the just-un-clogged pipe. You can count on the roots re-invading the pipe (and getting at those nutrients) soon. So de-rooting a clogged drain line is a temporary fix.

...

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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEPTIC SYSTEM ARTICLES
HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS
HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC INSPECT
SEPTIC AUTHORITIES
SEPTIC BOOKS
SEPTIC CONSULTANTS
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD INSPECTION & TEST
  SEPTIC FIELD FAILURE CAUSES
  DISPOSAL CLOGGING FAILURES
  DISPOSAL vs TREATMENT
  SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LIFE
  SEPTIC FAILURE CRITERIA
  SOIL CONDITIONS
  PLANTS OVER SEPTICS
     Gardens Near Septics
     Grasses or Flowers
     Grazing, Animals
     Ground Cover, Ivy
     Trees or Shrubs
     Using Root Killers
     Using a Roto Rooter
  SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE
SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
SEPTIC TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS
SEPTIC BOOKS REFERENCES CODES
SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
TOILET ALTERNATIVES
VIDEO GUIDES: Septic Videos
VIDEO GUIDES - InspectAPedia.com
WASTEWATER TREATMENT BASICS
WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE
WHAT CAN GO INTO TOILETS & DRAINS?

 

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03/26/2009 - 01/10/1995 - InspectAPedia.com/septic/fieldplants.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark