Trees near septic field bed?

Question

I have read in several places not to plant trees close to a septic field bed as roots can damage the pipes. My bed is raised by several feet and there are a few apple trees beside it that are full grown and were there long before the field bed was built should I worry about this. My septic guy didn't seem concerned at all. Also my husband wants to put some of our wood for heating on the field bed but I think this is a bad idea as the weight could compact the soil and damage pipes. Am I right?

Answer 1

Matured apple trees do not have the aggressive root system and shouldn't cause worry; keep trees watered for added security so their roots don't seek other moisture solutions. There are septic tank treatments that need to be flushed periodically anyway whether you have root problems or not. Putting stuff on top would not hurt anything if it is NOT too heavy or too much. That area really should be left for patio, flower bed, garden, or anything else that would not require lot of weight and still be useful.

Answer 2

Even though the trees were there before the septic, roots go towards any water source. This is why you see roots above ground in some dry areas. The septic guy doesn't care because he will probably get the work of repairing any lines that get clogged. The wood should not hurt as long as it is supported over a large area. Driving over it is not a good idea.

Answer 3

Roots could cause a problem over time, but there are products that you can add to your septic system that will help get rid of any encroaching roots. Just flush them down and they'll go to work. Use them on some kind of regular schedule and they'll help a lot.

And don't worry about crushing the pipes. If the pipes are covered with a couple feet of dirt, you'll have no trouble.

Answer 4

The apple tree roots arent in your leechbed. They were there before th leechbed was installed and their root system was already done. Piling wood on top shouldnt hurt thr pipes either. The pipes are laid in trenches with the outlet holes down into gravel. You are correct about soil compaction but it wont hurt to store some firewood un this area.

Answer 5

yes you will have problems with roots entering the bed and possibly the drain lines. As far as placing fire wood on the bed itself, it may not hurt as long as you use a large base to place your firewood on. Keep in mind not to place too much weight in one area. This could cause the ground and gravel to compress and not allow a proper flow of the fluids.

Answer 6

1 tree can take up to 200 gal. of water out of the ground in 1 day so if you use 6000 gal of water a month then the 1 tree would use all the water that you put into your leaching field. yes, it could compact your ground!