# raised garden on septic tank



## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

I THINK the drain field needs to percolate or breathe to get rid of the gasses being made. I could easily be wrong here. I would not compress the soil there with more soil, starving oxygen from it or retarding it in any way. My $0.02's. Did you do a search, above?

Be safe, Gary


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## Rae (Apr 27, 2010)

*Garden on septic field*

Hi Gary,
Thanks for your reply. I realize that the ground over the leach field shouldn't be compacted, but do you think a 4' X 4' (6') space would be too much? The leach field is about 20' X 25' as a guess. I had planned to put down a length of the poreous black weed prevention cloth then lay the 4' X 4' beams on top of that and fill with garden soil, compost and a mulch. I must admit I have no idea how much this would weigh..... It would be at the edge of the leach field if that would make a difference, since I realize it might have to be moved if repairs were necessary.
Rae


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

We have had a vegetable garden over our septic field for 20 years now, and I too live in New England, and it hasn't killed us or the field yet. "Breathing" of the field is not much of an issue, since the pipes carry air, however it is correct that you should not add much soil above the field, since compaction of the soil is not a good idea. However, the pipes are typically buried at least 14 inches below grade, so a few inches of topsoil will not make any difference, given that the field is always buried 14 inches anyhow.

As to your concerns about health, the vegetables are not going to pick up and retain any bacteria or viruses from your field. E-coli issues are almost always caused by spreading raw sewage on fields of vegetables, causing bacteria and/or viruses to be retained on the leaves. Either that or improper handling of the harvested produce, allowing pathogens to come into contact with the leaves or stem. 

You should not grow any trees or bushes on a septic field, since the roots could damage the pipes. However, normal garden vegetables such as melons, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, peppers etc., all of which we have been growing for years, work great on a septic system. Assuming of course it functions correctly. Totally different story if your system has failed due to overflow of sewage onto the ground. And once you start growing vegetables, make absolutely certain you do not allow toxic chemicals to get into the system, i.e. NEVER drain toxic chemicals down the drain, such as paint, solvents, petroleum products, bleach etc. You will literally eat what you dump in that case.


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## Rae (Apr 27, 2010)

*Gardening on septic tank*

Thanks, Daniel, for your informative reply. Our septic system is only 6 years old so I don't anticipate any problems/failure in the near future (famous last words!) so I think we'll go ahead and put in a small raised bed this spring. If it turns out well, we'll add to it next year. 
Good luck with your gardening!
Rae


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