Septic Beds

>
>> Diana, you would want to put your small trees(tiny or none would be better
>> for the septic system) centered between the drainlines and at the very far
>> end of them. This will at least help reduce the damage they will do.
>>  Your property sounds wonderful. Have you considered a pergola, or large
>> archways and 'tame' vines instead of trees?
>> Matt Trahan  <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
>> USDA zone 8, AHS heat zone 7, Sunset zone 31, northeastern N.C.
>
>Date: Tue, 11 Aug 1998 06:26:11 -0700
>From: "Diana L. Politika" <diana@olympus.net>
>Subject: Septic Beds Was: Lots Of Stuff
>
>Hmmmm....a pergola might be weighty enough.  And especially since I'm
>taking this college night class in Woodworking.  I'm pondering the
>notion of putting river rock over the trenches, and having the
>appearance of dry river bed, while using it as the pathways.  However, I
>was stymied with how to tie them in to the the junction of all 4 drain
>trenches.  If they (paths) all led to a large pergola, with a Styrax
>planted behind, it could pull it together. (I'm off to a 4 day Trade
>Show at the end of this month and am purchasing for our use, Aralia
>elata 'Variegata', Cercis 'Forest Pansy', Cornus alternifolia variegata,
>and a few others that I can't recall at 5:30 a.m.)
>Vines wouldn't work alone, although I will probably put a Vitus
>'Purpurea' (Purple Leaved Grape) over the top of the pergola.  I planted
>one yesterday on the north side of  the old barn, against which our
>current arbor, overplanted with vines, conceals our 'Powder Room'.  But,
>vines in itself don't carry a strong enough note to draw one into this
>bed I envision.  The display bed is probably going to be about 35 feet
>in depth, and about 50 to 75 feet in width.  The pergola, if it is
>built, will be at the far back corner, with the paths going to it.
>The more I think about this, the more I like it.
>Now, to kill all that grass that currently exists....
>

Hi Diana,
 Glad you liked the pergola idea. You might want to consider a small but
noisy fountain as well, if you want to draw people inside it.

 I really would skip the trees anywhere near the septic tank itself! I only
mentioned the small (10 feet or less) trees at the ends of the drainlines
because you seemed determined.
 I guess it depends on how huge your system is (you mentioned being able to
run a hotel off it) and how much of a problem your willing to tolerate
10-20 years down the road.
 One of my old clients had a beautiful weeping cherry tree in their front
yard. It was planted almost on top of their old septic tank (they are now
on sewer). It was supposed to top out at 10-15 feet. I kept it pruned to 20
feet, and the caliper was 8-9 inches. A constant supply of 'good'
fertilizer will make your trees grow huge, and their roots will be
guaranteed to do some amount of damage by stopping up the lines and holes
in the lines.
 When I mentioned 'tame' vines, I was thinking of annuals, or fairly wimpy
overbred clematis, not grapevines or sweet autumn clematis.
 Don't think it would do well in PNW, but if you lived in our hot area, I
was thinking mandavilla would be perfect. Tops out at about 20 feet max,
then dies back and whatever roots it had will rot away. A fresh start every
summer.
 Yeah, I know, hardly the statement you were trying to make. :-) sorry.

 I would prefer to plant shrubs that only *grow* to 5-6 feet (as opposed to
pruned to 5-6 feet) over the septic tank or anywhere near the beginning of
the drainage lines.

 You could use the triage approach for the sake of 10-15 years of the
beauty you originally envisioned, but plan and buggett for some horrendous
problems with the septic system later on down the road.
 OTOH, having to pump a clogged septic system a few times a year might well
be worth it if this large garden is the entrance to the property.

Can you send me (privately) an attached rough diagram of the area and it's
surroundings? I love tossing out ideas for big projects.

Matt Trahan  <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
USDA zone 8, AHS heat zone 7, Sunset zone 31, northeastern N.C.

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