Guidance on Landscaping Around Your Septic Tank: A Step-by-Step Guide
A well-designed garden can not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of your property but also support the health of your septic system. Here are some tips for creating a thriving, attractive, low-maintenance garden that will protect your septic tank and drain field from damage.
Choose the Right Plants
Optimal choices for a garden around your septic system include shallow-rooted plants with fibrous roots, such as turfgrasses (fescue, ryegrass), ornamental grasses, creeping thyme, clover, yarrow, bugleweed, carpet heathers, ground ivy, and native perennials. Mosses, ferns, and other shade-tolerant groundcovers are good for less sunny spots.
Avoid trees, deep-rooted shrubs, and edible plants near the drain field. Shrubs with less aggressive roots, such as azalea, boxwood, ornamental cherry, eastern redbud, dogwood, holly, and Japanese maple, may be planted 10 to 20 feet or further from the septic field.
Maintain Safe Distances
Maintain at least 10-15 feet away for small plants and 50 feet for trees or shrubs from the drain field to prevent root intrusion, which may cause pipe clogs and damage.
Avoid Edible Plants
Vegetable gardens, herb beds, fruit trees, and berry bushes should be located well away from the septic system. These plants can absorb contaminants and can be unsafe as well as harmful to the system.
Minimise Soil Disruption
Disrupt the soil as little as possible, keeping tilling and cultivation to a minimum. A thin layer of topsoil is okay, but refrain from adding more than a few inches.
Avoid Weed Barrier Fabric and Thick Bark Mulch
Do not lay down any weed barrier fabric, plastic sheeting, gravel, or thick bark mulch, as these can impede the drainage of water and harm the septic system.
Ponds and Heavy Foot Traffic Should Be Avoided
Ponds should not be installed near the septic system, as they can contaminate the water and affect the system's function. Minimise foot traffic over the area to prevent soil compaction and damage to the system.
Transform Your Septic Field
With these tips in mind, you can install a beautiful, low-maintenance garden where there used to be only an unsightly septic field and access hatch. Potted plants, small to medium, lightweight planters can be placed around and even on top of the access hatch to both mark and disguise it. A decorative cover designed to fit over the hatch can turn it into a pretty convincing boulder.
A raised bed garden can reduce evaporation, which is important for the septic system to work properly. By following these guidelines, you can create a garden that not only looks great but also supports the health of your septic system.
[1] Septic Tank Gardening Tips [2] Landscaping Around a Septic System [3] Plants for Septic Systems [4] Gardening with Native Plants [5] Septic System Landscaping
- For a garden around your septic system, consider planting shallow-rooted annuals like turfgrasses, ornamental grasses, creeping thyme, clover, yarrow, bugleweed, carpet heathers, ground ivy, and native perennials, or opt for shade-tolerant groundcovers like mosses and ferns in less sunny spots.
- When choosing plants, avoid trees, deep-rooted shrubs, and edible plants near the drain field, and consider planting shrubs with less aggressive roots, such as azalea, boxwood, ornamental cherry, eastern redbud, dogwood, holly, and Japanese maple, at a distance of 10 to 20 feet or further from the septic field.
- To prevent root intrusion, maintain at least 10-15 feet away for small plants and 50 feet for trees or shrubs from the drain field.
- Vegetable gardens, herb beds, fruit trees, and berry bushes should be located well away from the septic system to avoid absorbing contaminants and causing harm to the system.
- Minimize soil disruption, keeping tilling and cultivation to a minimum to protect the septic system.
- Avoid using weed barrier fabric, plastic sheeting, gravel, or thick bark mulch as these can impede the drainage of water and harm the septic system.
- Transform your septic field into a beautiful, low-maintenance garden by installing raised bed gardens to reduce evaporation, placing potted plants around and on top of the access hatch, and using a decorative cover designed to fit over the hatch to mask it. By following these guidelines, you can create a garden that not only looks great but also supports the health of your septic system, enhancing your home-and-garden lifestyle and adding to the aesthetic appeal of your property.
