Planting on Septic Leach Field

[journey11]

That may make a difference then, where you are Nyboy. Our lines here are only inches below the soil. You hit solid, red clay at 10" here. Clay doesn't allow for filtration.

 

[Nyboy]

My soil is slow draining clay. Not going to take a chance will stick to containers. Kind of funny people will dump 100s of pounds of animal poop on their vegetable garden, but gross out at human waste.

 

[Lavender2]

Our lines are about 6' down also, and filled with truck after truck of rock and about 4' of top soil... I'm assuming they have to be below the freeze line here.

@journey11 , at least a traditional leach field is natural looking. Here, many people have had to replace their systems with mound or contained systems. Then you have this great big hill that has to be hand mowed, although I would make it a wildflower garden. The contained systems look like big brick above ground swimming pools with weeds growing in them. Our neighbor's is about 5' high, I don't know what you could do to make that thing look more appealing.

 

[journey11]

Our lines are about 6' down also, and filled with truck after truck of rock and about 4' of top soil... I'm assuming they have to be below the freeze line here.

@journey11 , at least a traditional leach field is natural looking. Here, many people have had to replace their systems with mound or contained systems. Then you have this great big hill that has to be hand mowed, although I would make it a wildflower garden. The contained systems look like big brick above ground swimming pools with weeds growing in them. Our neighbor's is about 5' high, I don't know what you could do to make that thing look more appealing.

Like an Indian burial mound, I'm sure! Maybe you could pretend it was a historical site.

 

[thistlebloom]

My soil is slow draining clay. Not going to take a chance will stick to containers. Kind of funny people will dump 100s of pounds of animal poop on their vegetable garden, but gross out at human waste.

Human waste is used in this country as fertilizer. It's treated and referred to as biosolids. It's generally only recommended as being used on ornamentals and not food gardens, but I guess there is a growing use of it in agriculture these days.
We have a local source of biosolids available that's mixed into a mulch called Coeur d' Green that a lot of landscapers swear by.
I admit to being squeamish about it, although i have worked in a lot of landscapes that used it. There are said to be a lot of heavy metals in biosolids, and that's the reason people are advised not to use it on food crops.
Other countries have used it for years, China being the one that comes to mind first.
There is a pathogen problem related to human waste (and animal waste too probably which is why we compost it first) and it's a source of parasites, hepatitis, giardiia, cholera and typhoid to just name a few.

Like cat and dog poo, I think I'll pass on the biosolids in my yard.

 

[seedcorn]

My soil is slow draining clay. Not going to take a chance will stick to containers. Kind of funny people will dump 100s of pounds of animal poop on their vegetable garden, but gross out at human waste.

Don't confuse us with logic.
@thistlebloom you are correct on pathogens which is why it needs to be processed first. Why so many vegetables coming from non-USA countries carry the pathogens on them and people get sick and some die. Usage of human waste is very heavily regulated for that reason.

 

[VA_LongBean]

I've always wondered if something shallow rooted like a strawberry would be permitted. It's not like the E.coli in our waste would come up through the roots into the plants and fruits, and the roots themselves are hardly competitive.

 

[seedcorn]

My garden was over my leach bed for decades, and I'm fine..... Except for those voices that keep calling my name. Now if they would just stop!!!!

 

[Smart Red]

As I first said, growing flowers over a leach bed is not a problem. Shrubs and trees, yes, but not flowers or grass. I know of people gardening over their leach bed with no problems, and I would probably eat their produce, but personally I prefer flowers. Grass is a pain to mow and flowers are such good multi-taskers -- humming birds, bees and butterfly attractors, easier to mulch the bed and keep weeds down, fragrance, seeds for birds. Yup! I'd be having a flower bed over my septic system.

As it is, mine is in the woods. Soon we will get to planting shade lovers, but right now it is all garlic-mustard and leaf refuse.

 

[grow_my_own]

I have been wanting to scatter wildflower seeds over our leach fields. I think it'll make it look pretty. That area is in a little meadow area between a couple of trees and gets a lot of sunlight, and I think a patch of wildflowers would bring color and brightness to that side of the property. (BTW, we just got this property and haven't even moved in yet, but I've already been over there measuring and plotting and planning the gardens Bwahahaha).