What Can I Plant Over My Drain Field Area?

Did you know that your yard maintenance can make a difference with your septic system?  Your drain field needs to be maintained in a certain way to keep everything running smoothly.  We are often asked the question of what can be planted over a drain field area, and the answer to this one is rather simple.  Less is more when it comes to your drain field.

GROUND COVERS

The only thing that should be planted in your drain field is grass, like the rest of your lawn.  Also like the rest of your lawn, it needs to be properly maintained to help prevent any damage occurring to your drain field.  You should try to stay away from any grasses or plants that have deep penetrating roots that can cause problems with your system.  The same is true for woody, aggressive, and water-loving plants.  When it doubt, stick with grass as you know this is going to be a good ground cover that will help and not hinder your system.

LEAVE IT BARE

You may be thinking, “Why bother with planting if I can only plant things like grass that needs to be maintained as a lawn?”  The reason why it is good to plant grass in your drain field is because it can actually be beneficial to your septic system to plant grass in your drain field as the living grass will be taking nutrients and water out of the soil.  The grasses that you have planted in this area will make your drain field work better than if there was just bare soil.  You want a smoothly running drain field that handles your effluent efficiently and correctly, and grass will help with this goal.

OTHER PLANTS

Depending on your lawn, you may want to know where you can plant trees, shrubs, and other plants. The rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you should keep trees and other plants a minimum of 30 feet away from your drain field components.  This will prevent any roots from wreaking havoc in the lines of your septic system.  Be sure to ask where your drain field is located to ensure that you’re not planting too close.  This is especially true for vegetable gardens, which can lead to potential risks to your health if you plant food-bearing vegetation too close to the drain field.

Contact us today if you have questions that are specific to your home for your septic system to ensure that you are maintaining the drain field properly on your property.  No one wants to deal with the hassle of having a drain field dug up and fixed because of invasive roots, so be careful with what is planted on your drain field.