Tree roots information

I have an area that has just become available for planting as I have moved my duck run. I'd like to plant some canopy species in there BUT the pipe that takes the sewage from the house to the septic tank runs straight across this area. Obviously I don't want to plant anything that might damage this pipe but I can't find any information about which trees would be better in this situation. Does anyone know of any resources where I can find this out?

I was thinking about Mulberry, Crab apple, Amelanchier or Dogwood.

We are in zone 7 I think and the soil is clay that gets a bit waterlogged because of the relentless rain we get and the soil is pretty compacted.

Do you know what kind of pipe it is, or how old? If it's relatively new, it may be a seamless piece of PVC, or at least have completely sealed joints, which are not susceptible to root damage. If it an old clay tile type thing, then you have to worry about it.

Alex

Bear in mind that if you ever need your septic system worked on, whatever you have planted nearby may be lost. You may want to choose something which is fast growing instead of plants which are longer term investments, and save the slow growers for a place less likely to be disturbed.

I would pace off 20 feet from the pipe and put in dwarf fruit trees, make sure you put in pollinators unless they are definately self pollinating..20' will be more than enough for a dwarf fruit tree root system and you might not need that much..do NOT plant directly on the very top of a drainfield, but you can plant on the sloped sides if it is a raised drainfield where the soil is sloping down to grade (see my blog)

It is a new pipe as the house is only 6 years old.

Access to the septic tank isn't a problem as there will be easy access past this area. The tank itself is about 20 metres away from the area I want to plant.

Brenda - I couldn't get 20 ft away from the pipe as that would be in the field and out of the area I want to plant up. The area is 22ft by 24 feet and the pipe runs directly across the middle of this area hence my dilemma.

Katy, the pipe from your house to your tank is that long? Or are you talking about the pipes that form the leach field? Maybe they do things very differently in Scotland, but here the septic tank would usually be about 20 feet from the house, then you'd have the long leach field.

Yes the septic tank is about 40metres from the house.

Katy Whitby-last wrote:Yes the septic tank is about 40metres from the house.

Fascinating. Mark that down as my something new for the day. I can see why you'd want to plant over/near that supply line.

Nicole Castle wrote:

Katy Whitby-last wrote:Yes the septic tank is about 40metres from the house.

Fascinating. Mark that down as my something new for the day. I can see why you'd want to plant over/near that supply line.

absolutely - otherwise it is such a waste of the area, particularly as it now has a year's worth of accumulated duck poo on it