septic tank damage-ideas for planting

[likeitorlumpit]

I have customers who have had laurel damage their septic tank and want something that will not be too invasive yet they would like the tank screened

It is below ground so all you can see is the plastic top(about 12sq. metres.) in a bit of a hollow

Soil is quite poor- a lot of flint and a bit of clay- dries out badly in summer.

Yet a walnut is growing nearby

Pyracantha survives- they wouldn't want that

Laurel is a no no as that caused the damage earlier.

I'm wanting to put in a tree but don't want anything too invasive.

My thoughts are birch

I would love to put in paulonia- I like the tree but have never planted it

Maybe underplant with spireas/bay/french stoechas lavender/phlomis

even an olive tree (smallish)

Anyone have any other thoughts?

Oh.. its a fairly sunny site with a tall (20ft) high wall behind(about 20ft from the tank

[easy-lift guy]

I have customers who have had laurel damage their septic tank and want something that will not be too invasive yet they would like the tank screened

It is below ground so all you can see is the plastic top(about 12sq. metres.) in a bit of a hollow

Soil is quite poor- a lot of flint and a bit of clay- dries out badly in summer.

Yet a walnut is growing nearby

Pyracantha survives- they wouldn't want that

Laurel is a no no as that caused the damage earlier.

I'm wanting to put in a tree but don't want anything too invasive.

My thoughts are birch

I would love to put in paulonia- I like the tree but have never planted it

Maybe underplant with spireas/bay/french stoechas lavender/phlomis

even an olive tree (smallish)

Anyone have any other thoughts?

Oh.. its a fairly sunny site with a tall (20ft) high wall behind(about 20ft from the tank

 

The natural inclination of a tree or any other type of planted material is to seek food and water to survive. That is a fact. Now your customer:001_rolleyes: who have had a laurel tree that has damage the Septic tank want another type of tree that will not be to invasive:lol:

Tell you what, try to explain to your customer how much more important it is not to have their Septic system further destroyed by planting additional trees. It sound's like you will have a tough sell, however when the Septic system is completely compromised and needs to be replaced the cost and inconvenience of this expense will hit their budget pretty hard. I would suggest a Gazebo with some nice hanging baskets of flowers or some potted plants.

easy-lift guy

[Pedroski]

I'm with Easyliftguy. I wouldn't plant a tree near it at all. When we did my mother's house we "landscaped" the septic tank cover and pump wiring by building a removable cover made from decking, banking soil around and some nice stone and planting up with decent ground cover stuff like lavender and heathers etc. It actually looks really nice. Trees have been planted several metres away.

[agg221]

Some of the smaller trees/large shrubs might be a good choice. They have weaker root systems and many are non-invasive. Although not evergreen, so less good for screening, some of the smaller pear, plum and apple varieties could be suitable. Slightly more unusual would be quince, mulberry or medlar, all of which make attractive small trees with non-invasive root systems. Alternatively, you could try sea buckthorn, which looks rather like an olive in leaf form, but not as dense. If you get both male and female you also get bright orange berries which are attractive in autumn/winter.

 

Alec

[easy-lift guy]

Some of the smaller trees/large shrubs might be a good choice. They have weaker root systems and many are non-invasive. Although not evergreen, so less good for screening, some of the smaller pear, plum and apple varieties could be suitable. Slightly more unusual would be quince, mulberry or medlar, all of which make attractive small trees with non-invasive root systems. Alternatively, you could try sea buckthorn, which looks rather like an olive in leaf form, but not as dense. If you get both male and female you also get bright orange berries which are attractive in autumn/winter.

 

Alec

 

Please define "weaker root system", "non-invasive", perhaps things are different here in the States when it comes to planting material over top of a Septic System or Drain field?. If some one was to try something like that here lets say in Florida, the results if the material surivied would be disasterous for the home owner is short order:thumbdown: The Septic tank and drain field have a specific purpose to collect and disperse sludge. Why would anyone wish to plant anything over top of or near a Septic system is

Please try to convince me of another point of view concerning this serious problem maker.

easy-lift guy

[agg221]

For me - definition of a non-invasive root system is one which won't penetrate masonry, plastic etc. and will have a spread of structural roots of less than a few feet. If you've ever winched out an apple on MM106 then even a fully mature specimen won't have any roots over about a quarter of an inch diameter beyond about 2ft of the trunk. They were commonly planted against the walls of walled gardens in Victorian/Edwardian times, with no sign of subsequent movement or penetration of the structure, and that was with soft red brick and lime mortar, which are very easy to penetrate. There was a series on the BBC in the late 1980s where they restored one and they showed replanting an apple, which turned out to be on an originally planted site. No damage to the brickwork when they dug the planting pit.

 

In our current place I'm just in the process of building an extension. We had to replace the drains to do it. This meant replacing a manhole within about 2ft of a pear tree, the trunk of which is about 3ft from the new extension foundations. It's on Quince A stock and is about 50yrs old I would guess. When we dug out the old manhole we didn't find any roots associated with it - the root system is predominantly fibrous and the roots within range of the manhole were no more than 1/8in thick. Same with the foundations. We did have to make the trench slightly deeper to meet building regulations, but only because we're on clay.

 

I wouldn't suggest planting anything with a significant root system, or anything with a root system that was anything other than fibrous - i.e. anything tap rooting, or with big structural roots, but the above don't do this - one of the reasons they blow over so easily!

 

Not sure whether you'll be convinced by the above, but I am happy enough with these non-invasive root systems to put them near structures, based on the evidence of the last 150yrs.

 

Alec

[easy-lift guy]

Thanks Alek that explanation works for me.

easy-lift guy

[likeitorlumpit]

Thanks all

Interesting stuff about medlars/fruit roots

I'm going to find out exactly what sort of tank it is