Plant tall native grasses with fibrous roots around the opening to conceal the tank lid from view. Place a light statue, bird bath or potted plant over the septic lid. Septic tank risers and covers are an alternative to concrete and blend into green grass.
Ground cover plants are excellent at offering extra topsoil protection to prevent damaging erosion around your septic tank. Non-woody ground covers have shallow roots that protect your septic tank without interfering with the surrounding landscape.
Plants can help to prevent erosion and suck up excess moisture from the drain field. As for what you can plant over your septic tank and drain field, grasses (including ornamental grasses) often work best. Their shallow root systems are less likely to invade the septic system and cause damage.
I would reseed or sod over the area around the septic lids and cover with faux rocks. then keep a bed around the trees if you want to keep it colorful, and yes make the bed larger - but it doesn't have to be a circle, it can be a larger oval depending on how it looks in the overall lawn space.
Don't bury the septic tank lid.
Always make sure the septic tank lid sits a few inches above the ground.
Covering your septic tank lid with too much dirt can be dangerous too. Over time, the lid can get damaged or worn out under all that dirt because they are not always designed to handle the weight and pressure of being buried.
It is important to keep the lid in good condition and properly sealed to prevent odors, leaks, and safety hazards. The lid should be located above ground and accessible for maintenance, typically via a removable cover. It is important to keep the lid accessible at all times, just in case of emergency.
Only add mulch directly above the septic tank
While they're an easy, good-looking fix, they limit soil airflow and water evaporation, disturbing your septic system. However, you can spread mulch or gravel on the soil above the septic tank to help the lid blend better with the surrounding area.
Put plastic sheets, bark, gravel or other fill over the drainfield. Reshape or fill the ground surface over the drainfield and reserve area. However, just adding topsoil is generally OK if it isn't more than a couple of inches. Make ponds on or near the septic system and the reserve area.
As for what you can plant over your septic tank and drain field, grasses (including ornamental grasses) often work best. Their shallow root systems are less likely to invade the septic system and cause damage. For the same reason, small, non-woody ground covers are a good choice.
Plus, the tank underneath is doing its job, breaking down waste, which creates heat. Your grass can't handle all this stress and dies.
Prevent Debris Entry: Lids keep out rainwater, debris, and other materials that could disrupt the tank's functioning or cause blockages. Regulatory Compliance: Many local regulations and health codes require septic tanks to have secure lids to ensure public health and environmental protection.
Best Practices for Mowing Near a Septic System
We advise establishing a zone over and extending at least 10 feet around your drain field where you only plant grass and no heavy machinery rolls over it.
A tight seal will prevent any liquids from entering or escaping your system. Water entering the system can be as dangerous as water escaping. If your septic system fills with water, the pipes can become blocked and the solid waste has no room to enter — a recipe for a sewage backup.
If they are in the lawn then you could put turf over them. You can even purchase Astro turf now. if they are in concrete or in a yard then you could put a plant pot over them or some other garden feature.
In general: Your septic tank and leach field should be 100% within your property line, so putting a fence on the outside edge of your property won't be a problem as you won't hit either the leach field or the septic tank. If you want to run a fence through the leach field, beware!
DON'T flush material that will not easily decompose, such as hair, diapers, cigarette butts, matches, or feminine hygiene products. DO conserve water to avoid overloading the system. DON'T wash or flush medicines or hazardous chemicals like paint, paint thinner and bleach into the system.
It's pretty standard to just plant grass over a septic drain field as the shallow roots won't interfere with the pipes.
The best plants you can put on top of a septic drain or leach field are shallow-rooted herbaceous plants. These include perennials, bulbs, turf-grass, weeds, groundcovers, and more. A few examples are holly shrubs, boxwood shrubs, azalea shrubs, hollyhocks, wild violets, and spring bulbs.
If You Have An Aerobic Septic System
Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about covering your aerobic system's lids. This type of system should be checked by a professional technician every 4 months, so the lids must be kept exposed and easily accessible.
In general, the EPA discourages building on septic drainfields, but there are a few things you can do that are generally considered safe. These can include open-air kennels for pets, lightweight swing sets, or small volleyball or badminton nets.
HOW CAN YOU GET SICK FROM SEWAGE? Sewage contains germs like bacteria and viruses as well as parasites and worms that can cause stomach and intestine or liver illness. Germs and parasites may cause diarrhea, fever, cramps, nausea, vomiting, headache, weakness, or loss of appetite.