Converting 1 acre old septic leach field. Should I leave it in place or remove it?

[Dadnatron]

Your field will do better with LESS tillage, or the least tillage you can get by with.

Read up on No-Till planting. I don't think the stone will cause you an issue either way, but there is NO REASON for you to be mixing your good topsoil with any soil below 4" much less 18". You will only dilute its benefit. Let the roots wander where they may.

IMO, don't go looking to trouble, just plant over the top and be happy.

 

[hawkeye08]

Go for it, if rocks start coming up from farming the area, get a rock picker (should be able to find a small one used for reasonable) if the rocks bother you. I doubt that your tiller is going to work the ground deeper than 8-10". Put some gauge wheels on it if needed to set the depth worked.

 

[tcreeley]

My leach field starts with the stone base, then the perforated pvc pipe and more stone, then tarpaper over that, and then soil. The stone is the least of your concerns. The pvc pipe and tarpaper is what I would worry about.

If you have the guy over who installed it - ask him what he lay down. Unless you need this for planting - I'd move on to something else.

 

[fishheadbob]

I also don't think it will migrate up. Since the guy who did the leach field is stopping by ask him how deep he normally goes and how deep his coverings are. He probably does them all about the same. Avoid the temptation to plow as deep as you can. Someone said why mix your good topsoil with the junk underneath. Heck, once the roots of whatever you're planting get down into your old leach field they're probably going to respond well to all that old manure down there. Big time farmers do a lot of no-till and barely work up the surface.

 

[ch1ch2]

Your field will do better with LESS tillage, or the least tillage you can get by with.

Read up on No-Till planting. I don't think the stone will cause you an issue either way, but there is NO REASON for you to be mixing your good topsoil with any soil below 4" much less 18". You will only dilute its benefit. Let the roots wander where they may.

IMO, don't go looking to trouble, just plant over the top and be happy.

Ya, what he said.

 

[fried1765]

Go for it, if rocks start coming up from farming the area, get a rock picker (should be able to find a small one used for reasonable) if the rocks bother you. I doubt that your tiller is going to work the ground deeper than 8-10". Put some gauge wheels on it if needed to set the depth worked.

We are not talking about "rocks" here.
We are talking about what is most likely 1-1/2" washed stone.
The top of the stone is likely at least 16" deep.
Most 3pt. tillers will not go below 9"

 

[Redlands Okie]

Your not likely to till more than 9 inches deep. Start planting and be done with it.
Large dump trucks, concrete trucks etc can leave deep ruts and crush the drainage pipe which would normally be a problem. But your not using it for that anymore so who cares. Also you do not need such large trucks in your garden anyways.
Drainage field type gravel is not likely to work its way up. Would have already. Thats why its used in the drain field. Septic systems are too expensive to have the components come up to the surface.

 

[John Fitzgerald]

The parts over the drain tiles will dry out in the hotter parts of summer. After the first season, you might be able to tell where the tiles are and avoid them later. I would till shallow, and plant like any other field. The former drain field will be an advantage in a wet summer, and detrimental in a dry summer. The rocks won't come up due to freezing or every drain field put in would have trouble in frosty areas.

 

[Sonny580]

NOT a good garden area!!!---What was flushed down the drain?--hazardous micro chems. could be in there.---Summer drought will make your garden die, UNLESS you have a lot of water to keep it moist.--If you do go with this area, keep it wet so plant roots don't go down looking for trouble!
Manure is one thing BUT septic drain field is a whole different thing. --good luck on your venture!! thanks; sonny580

 

[fried1765]

NOT a good garden area!!!---What was flushed down the drain?--hazardous micro chems. could be in there.---Summer drought will make your garden die, UNLESS you have a lot of water to keep it moist.--If you do go with this area, keep it wet so plant roots don't go down looking for trouble!
Manure is one thing BUT septic drain field is a whole different thing. --good luck on your venture!! thanks; sonny580

Not really much different than buying veggies at your local supermarket, ...... grown in Mexico.