Landscaping around your drainfield can beautify your lawn and increase the value of your property. It is very important,
however, to landscape safely so as not to damage your drainfield. Take our advice!
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Dress Up Your Drainfield
- Why should I landscape around my drainfield?
- Not only does landscaping around a drainfield make your lawn look better, it can also be healthy for your
drainfield.
- Shallow rooted plants or at least a dense cover of
grass help reduce soil erosion, remove moisture and take part in nutrient exchange.
- Landscaping
on your drainfield is also beneficial as it designates the field's location so it won't be damaged by vehicle parking
or paving over.
- What kind of plants are safe to plant?
- The best plants are those with shallow roots, as your drainfield pipes may be only six inches under
ground. It is, therefore, recommended that you do not plant trees within 30 feet of your drainfield.
- Do not plant vegetables on your drainfield, as you risk bacterial and viral contamination from the
effluent.
- 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, Flowering cherry crabapple, Black gum Goldenrain tree and other plants of this nature.
- When it comes to planting directly on the field, ornamental grasses (spider grass, etc.) and shallow-rooted
herbaceous plants that are not excessively water-loving are best.
- Landscaping
around the septic tank riser.
- It is natural to want to cover dress up the
risers, as they can be a bit of an eyesore. There are several products such as fake rocks, fake wells and birdhouses
which camouflage these risers.
- It is important to remember that these risers
must remain accessible to service inspectors. Therefore, you should never bury the riser and always keep the area around
the riser and pretreatment tank manicured.
- Furthermore,
keeping these areas trimmed up is the best way to keep away snakes and rodents who often make their homes in these areas.
- Although the tank risers appear quite durable, it is not a good
idea to plant trees near them as the roots can still cause damage.
- Final
tips:
- Be careful digging near your field. Because the drainfield pipes are
so near the ground's surface, it would be easy to break them with a shovel. Furthermore, any plants that would need to
be buried with a shovel are probably to invasive to be planted in on the drainfield.
- Always
wear gloves when working near your drainfield and wash your hands when you finish to prevent illness.
- Do not run water irrigation (sprinkler lines) within 10 feet of your drainfield.
- Excess water to your drainfield is uncessary and unhealthy for your field.
Ask our service professionals for advice about landscaping when you sign up for our complete service program. Get in touch with us today!
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