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• Ground cover over septic fields
• Advice for planting over or near septic systems

This chapter discusses the types of plants that should or should not be planted over or near septic fields or other septic system components. Planting trees, shrubs, and even some ground covers over septic system components are causes of septic system failure in the drain field, leach field, seepage bed, or similar components.

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Planting Ground Cover Over Septic Fields

What Ground Cover Should Not Be Planted over Septic Systems?

Ivy, Pachysandra, Similar Ground Covers are NOT OK for use over a septic drainfield: these plants will reduce effluent evaporation from the drainfield, soil absorption system, soakaway system, or mound soils. A second reason to keep these plants away from septic system fields is because their roots often invade and clog effluent distribution piping.

The photographs above show pachysandra as a dense ground cover (at left) and typical ground cover north of the arctic circle in Norway (at right). Thick dense vegetation of any sort will conserve moisture to itself and will preven soil transpiration.

Over a septic system this means that the portion of effluent disposal that is supposed to be occurring due to evaporation will be reduced and the liquid load on surrounding soils increased - you've cut the effectivness and shortened the life of the drainfield by such plantings. These plants are OK, however, for planting over the septic tank itself.

What Ground Cover is Acceptable for Planting over Septic Systems?

Wildflowers and ordinary grasses are just fine for planting over a septic system and any of its components. These are shallow-root plants that do not invade the system piping, they stabilize the soil surface, and they do not interfere with soil transpiration, the movement of needed oxygen into the upper soil layers (needed by the soil biomat below the drainfield) and the evaporation of a portion of septic effluent that enters the drainfield. The photograph shows a field of wildflowers in northern Vermont.

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SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME
SEPTIC SYSTEM ARTICLES
HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS
HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC INSPECT
SEPTIC AUTHORITIES
SEPTIC BOOKS
SEPTIC CONSULTANTS
SEPTIC DRAINFIELD INSPECTION & TEST
  SEPTIC FIELD FAILURE CAUSES
  DISPOSAL CLOGGING FAILURES
  DISPOSAL vs TREATMENT
  SEPTIC DRAINFIELD LIFE
  SEPTIC FAILURE CRITERIA
  SOIL CONDITIONS
  PLANTS OVER SEPTICS
     Gardens Near Septics
     Grasses or Flowers
     Grazing, Animals
     Ground Cover, Ivy
     Trees or Shrubs
     Using Root Killers
     Using a Roto Rooter
  SEPTIC FAILURE LAWSUIT
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN BASICS
SEPTIC SYSTEM DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE
SEPTIC SYSTEMS ONLINE BOOK
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING SCHEDULE
SEPTIC TANK PUMPING PROCEDURE
SEPTIC TANK INSPECTION PROCEDURE
SEPTIC TREATMENTS & CHEMICALS
SEPTIC BOOKS REFERENCES CODES
SEWER LINE REPLACEMENT
TOILET ALTERNATIVES
VIDEO GUIDES: Septic Videos
VIDEO GUIDES - InspectAPedia.com
WASTEWATER TREATMENT BASICS
WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE
WHAT CAN GO INTO TOILETS & DRAINS?

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

• The Septic System Information Website home page for this topic
• Septic Systems Inspection, Testing, & Maintenance- online textbook. Detailed how to inspect, maintain, repair information
• The Home Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems
• Septic Tank Pumping Guide: When, Why, How to pump the septic tank
• Tank Location - How to Find the Septic Tank, how deep will the cover be, how to document its location
• Home & Outdoor Living Water Requirements
• Septic Tank Capacity vs Usage in Daily Gallons of Wastewater Flow, calculating required septic tank size, calculating septic tank volume from size measurements
• How Big Should the Leach Field Be? - table of soil percolation rate vs. field size
• Septic System Drainfield Absorption System Biomat Formation - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Table of Required Septic & Well Clearances: Distances Between Septic System & Wells, Streams, Trees, etc.

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