Are there any reasons besides looks, to mow the grass growing on a mound septic system? 2.5 acres and it's all grass and I would just like to let some of it grow wild, maybe throw out a few thousand wildflower seeds and cut in some walking paths and let a lot of the rest of the grass just grow, including what's on the mound. Any negatives to not cutting the grass on the mound?
One would also think that grass growing two feet tall will take up more moisture from the ground than grass that is mowed to 3". But I think all that is a nit. The path of the septic leach field should be down, not going up. So, I'd say letting the grass grow doesn't make any difference to the septic system.
Nope. Just don't let trees and bushes get started. Long grass would actually help prevent the others from getting started.
R
I cut grass over mine. Purpose is evaporation. Your system can't cover a full 2.5 acres. Does not make sense to be that big.
re: "It looks like shit?"
No, no...that's *inside* the septic system. He's taking about the
*outside*.;-)
On Tue, 17 May 2011 17:40:36 GMT, Red Green wrote Re Re: Grass growing on the mound septic?:
No it won't. The taller grass will increase movement of moisture from the mound to the air due to the taller grass providing more surface area for transpiration.
"The grass is always greener over the septic tank". Erma Bombeck (02/21/1927-04/22/1996).
Caesar Romano wrote the following:
I think he meant the moisture in the ground, which your response has agreed with.
He's not talking about the fields. I have less than an acre and my fields are 400' long (4 at 100' each). The field size is determined by the number of bedrooms, not bathrooms as you may assume.
No reason. Raspberries grow real well in drainage fields and cesspools. They love sewerage black water.
Yes. There are basically two kinds of fields, seepage, and evaporation or a combination of the two. The evaporation fields are larger or with more surface area. Around here, perc test may determine how many bedrooms you are allowed and now alternate fields are also required. The county would like to push everyone into being hooked up to the sewer lines.
OP says he has 2.5 acres and I guess he could pick any part to grow however he wants. My neighbors yard grows completely wild and I've seen his septic up. OK now but was a problem when kids and in-laws lived there. Neighbor across street got by with a cesspool as there was just him and his wife but when a family with kids moved in they elected to tap into the sewer line.
Yes, if sewer lines are installed that could service your house, you may be charged, even if you elect not to hook up. I live in a rural area, and there are no sewer lines within miles of me. As I remember (in 1984), the local law was 100' per bedroom. I only have
3 bedrooms, but the GC put in 400' of fields. Here, it costs around $400 to empty the septic tank. I also have a dry well for gray water (sinks, clothes and dish washers, and showers) which costs about the same. I also run off a 325' deep well, so I take the water out of the ground in one place and return it to the ground in another place. I only pay for the electricity for the pump. Fuel Oil and Propane are delivered by trucks. The only company utilities I have come in from utility poles, like electricity, telephone and cable TV/Internet, the last only available after 1984 when I had the house built.
long term it might be a good idea to cut the grass at least once a year.
otherwise opportunistic trees may begin growing and their roots cause drainage troubles long term./
no doubt this question should be answered by whoever services pumps the OPs septic tank
If it's traditional field, I agree. If it's one of the newer advanced treatment fields, I disagree. They lay the spider pipe in those systems fairly close to the top of the mound. Ours was quite damp until the grass grew in over the first summer. And as one of the reasons we chose this location was specifically to get away from ground maintenance. There's no way I'm going to do any mowing!
No, just the system would be the dividing line from cut grass, to let grow. It's a "standard" size mound
As someone else suggested you should cut the grass occasionally. You don't know how deep the root systems of wild plants will go. No doubt there will be some that will get into the field and clog the thing up. I keep the grass cut at least 30 feet back from my septic field.
I let the area beyond that grow wild as you want. The amount and variety of growth is quite surprising and it changes over the years. I have no idea whats growing out there for the most part but the Aspens are moving out there through their root systems. They will eventually take over the wild area. I plan to keep them back at least 50 feet from the field, more if I ever see any evidence of them coming up close to the septic field.
LdB
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