Planting on Your Drain Field
Planting on your drain field
Thinking about planting on your drain field or leach field? Many varieties of
plants assist your septic drain system in functioning at optimal capacity by
continually removing water and organics found in the soils that encompass your
field. A lush bed of grass also assists in keeping the entire structure from
eroding and plants work the same way. Large drain fields can be somewhat of an
eyesore and many homeowners have learned to use that natural landscape as a
perfect setting for a landscape masterpiece. No matter what your situation is,
there are many options and solutions for beatifying your drain field or leach
field and most will hardly dent your budget.
As a rule of thumb, look to add shallow rooted plants and shrubs when designing
your drain field landscape. Some species of herbaceous plants have minimal root
depth and only require a moderate water supply to flourish. Most drain fields
and leach have perforated piping that run anywhere from 6 to 46 inches below the
surface and heavy thick roots from the wrong type of flora can greatly inhibit
or degrade the systems performance. Always consult an expert of what plants and
shrubs might work best for your situation and do a little research before taking
the plunge since digging up freshly planted shrubbery is not on the agenda.
Some plant recommendations might be shallow-rooted plants such as flowering
perennials and annuals, turf grass, and other short root additions most often
will not damage the lines and their root system is usually contained within a
few inches of the base stem or trunk. When working with your drain field or
leach field, remember to proceed with caution and carefully move the soil as you
prepare for the additional shrubbery. Small trees and medium to large shrubs are
possibly not the best choice for your drain field being their root systems might
wander too deep and therefore interrupt the function of your field through root
damage, soil shifting and excessive water absorption.
Keep trees to a minimum and stick to varieties that truly have a very shallow
root system and the same applies to shrubs. I you do have a requirement in your
design to add trees or heavy shrubs to the drain field or leach field system,
attempt to place the flora outside of the drain field perimeter thereby allowing
the root system to develop and thicken outside of your systems footprint. If you
currently have deep rooted shrubs or trees near your drain field, you may want
to consider relocating them to another are of your yard or removing them al
together.
The cost of a new drain field can run into the tens of thousands of dollars
range and can be a heavy hit to any ones budget when an unexpected collapse or
shutdown occurs. Large trees should be kept at least 30 feet from your drain
field system and regular checks for root invasion are an excellent precaution to
avoid problems. Root blockades and barriers are also an advanced method of
allowing specific varieties to be planted nearer the drain field than normally
would be suggested.
Consider the following as a “near drain field” shrubbery when making your
choices;
• Carpet Bugle
• Dogwood Hemlock
• Sourwood Crape myrtle
• Japanese Spurge
• Blue-silver fescue
• Periwinkle
• Sword Fern
• Irish Moss
• Blue Star Creeper
• Vaccinium
• Creeping Rubus
• Kinnikinnick
• Blue oat grass
• Vaccinium
• Flowering cherry Crabapple
• Black gum Goldenrain tree and the list goes on and on.
Keep in mind that your drain field and septic system are “alive” and need proper
care to function at peak performance. Always think ahead before altering your
leach field landscape and plan for the future when adding any flora to your yard
and surrounding areas.