Garden over the Leech Field?

[JDGREEN4ME]

I would also not have a garden over the leech field. We have a neighbor a few years ago who was putting in a garden and ended up "hooking into" the leech field...the smell is something I will not soon forget... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Egon]

There are little buggies transfered to vegetable crops from leach fields. You would have to boil all vegetables. No fresh greens.

It will also interfer with proper leach field operation.

Just may be against existing regulations.

Not a prefered option or even an option.

Egon

 

[BigDave]

Thanks, guys I'm thinking it isn't right either, but I do have some comments that may answer some of your questions.

The drainage pipes are at least 2ft down, maybe even 3 ft. I think there is about 18" of rock, and I would guess there is about 1 ft of soil.

The grass doesn't grow any faster over the leech field.

I drive my ~3500lb of tractor over it at least weekly. Maybe this is a bad thing.

I haven't seen any depressions, so I think the ground is stable.

The builder told me it would be a good spot for a garden. He just cautioned me against planting trees.


So, if I want to make my wife's offer of a 3pt tiller for a garden to happen, I have to be willing cut down some trees, grind some stumps & move some earth...hey that may not be a bad deal after all. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[riptides]

Over time, everything gets depressed.

I'd leave the veggies off the lines if you know where they are... why chance a 3-6k system for a 1-100 dollar eats.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Taylortractornut]

In alabama they have a trrivle clay that wont leach out goos a freind of mine had me digg a few leach lines where her green house was and in the yard and gravel them then planted sonme thisty hngy exaotic plants over them looks pretty and leaches the ground dry. But you cant eat any vegetable grown from one.

 

[djradz]

Dave, my field too is in the best part of my yard for a gardern, and so since 1985, that's were the vegatable garden is. My pipes and gravel are down far enough that even when I plowed with the 2-bottom, I didn't hit anything. As I recall, we put something like 15" to 18" over the last bit of gravel. One benefit is the garden requires less water through the summer. I've not noticed any other advantage or disadvantage. Only downside of the location is my case is that the contractor didn't do exactly as I had directed him in stripping all the top soil off the field area before he put it in (so we could put it back when he was done) so the soil on top is part top soil and part sub soil. If you're already driving your big rig over it (not that I recommend it) you should be fine. I've used the rototiller also, but most years it's the 2-bottom and my 6-foot disk behind my TC40D. I'm plowing down about 10"-12".

 

[BigDave]

Your field sounds similar to mine, but I do have some surface rocks/shale, so the builder definitely used sub-soil. Unfortunately, my whole yard is like that.

What is the 2-bottom?

 

[djradz]

2-bottom plow. You know - makes two furrows with every pass. Turns over two rows of soil vs a single-bottom plow which flips only one, so the plowing goes twice as fast. Flips about a 12" wide path, 10-12" deep with every pass.

 

[BigDave]

/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Thanks.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

No,at least I wouldn't,its that thing about food and human bleep that would concern me.Of course I may be a little to finicky.RICHARD GAUTHIER