"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
Dave the exTrailer writes:
| On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:09:58 GMT, "H Ryder"
| wrote:
|
| We have an old but still used, brick built septic tank in our front
(north
| ish facing but big enough to get sun in parts) garden. It may or may
not
| have a small crack in it but the surveyor recommended the removal of
the
| large weeping birch growing right next to it. Ideally we'd like to
replace
| this with another more appropriate tree - smaller with blossom and/or
| berries. Any suggestions as to something which will not damage the
tank - is
| there such a thing? If not then any suggestions for shrubs. Will
perennials
| be okay? There are lots of "sticky up bits" and man hole covers out
there
| which I hope to disguise or hide by putting a mixed bed around the
whole
| affair but, as we need reasonably frequent access, I need to work
round
| rather than over it all. Any suggestions will be most appreciated,
| especially of strongly but sweetly scented plants .
|
| Leave it there and let the tank crack a bit more.
| It saves having it emptied

Well, yes. The surveyor is a clot. If the tank is suspect,
removing a large tree next to it is extremely likely to cause
it to fail. In any case, leaks from septic tanks are only an
issue if they go into a watercourse and/or you use really nasty
chemicals. If there is a reasonable distance of soil to any
watercourse, and the contents are good, honest shit, the birch
will simply mop up the leaks.

Get a second opinion - from someone who has been around a while.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I agree, we have a tank that is estimated to be 150 years old and a 200 year
old sycamore tree 3' from it, was clear from the difficulty finding the tank
when we needed to sort a problem that it had become "lost" as it was by then
buried by 15' depth of infill, so it was reasonable to conclude since the
infill was datable that it has received no attention for at least 135 years!
Once I got into the tank having had it dug out I noticed no sign of tree
roots in it although they were all around.
I am not a trained surveyor but have lived all my life with septic tanks and
often older tanks are better as they need emptying a lot less often, to me a
tank should be judged on how well its working, and like Nick I personally
would not touch anything so long as it was. You would for instance be better
off using a non bio washing powder than cutting down the tree.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

How big do you want it to be, and what do you regard as interesting?
There are lots of things that will be happy even on alkaline clay.

it's not so much the clay that is the problem, more that we have become
paranoid about "roots". I was looking for (a) a tree (say about 12 - 24
foot) which woudl give some blossom and maybe berries, also some evergreen
shrubs which we can plant around the overflows/vents etc to hide them. I
know to avoid hydrandras but am unsure about other shrubs.

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

In article ,
H Ryder wrote:
How big do you want it to be, and what do you regard as interesting?
There are lots of things that will be happy even on alkaline clay.

it's not so much the clay that is the problem, more that we have become
paranoid about "roots". I was looking for (a) a tree (say about 12 - 24
foot) which woudl give some blossom and maybe berries, also some evergreen
shrubs which we can plant around the overflows/vents etc to hide them. I
know to avoid hydrandras but am unsure about other shrubs.

Any tree of even that small size will need a fairly large root
system, to avoid blowing over if nowt else. How far would it
be from the septic tank?

Medium evergreen shrubs are not a problem where you are. There
are zillions, and most are moderate in their root run.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Any tree of even that small size will need a fairly large root
system, to avoid blowing over if nowt else. How far would it
be from the septic tank?

about 3 foot

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

In article ,
H Ryder wrote:
Any tree of even that small size will need a fairly large root
system, to avoid blowing over if nowt else. How far would it
be from the septic tank?

about 3 foot

Let's get this straight. You are looking for a tree that will grow
from 12-24' high, but whose roots will not spread more than 3'
sideways, or will grow sideways only in directions you tell it to?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

We accept an old but still used, brick congenital catchbasin catchbasin in our foreground (north ish adverse but big abundant to get sun in parts) garden. It may or may not have a baby able in it but the architect recommended the abatement of the large complaining besom growing appropriate next to it.