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Removing gravel and what I can put over a septic tank…

Hello all! I’m new to the gardening section of the forum, but think this might be a new place for me to explore!

We bought a bungalow a couple of years ago, and now need to start doing more in the garden - it’s about 0.2 acres, so not huge, but far larger than we’ve had before.  

The previous owners had laid slabs and gravel over so much of the space, with very little lawn and I want to be able to turn it into more of a garden and place to relax in. I’ve started by lifting almost 100 slabs (45x45) and have turfed about 65 sq m, although it feels as though it’s barely scratching the surface! The idea being to turf a significant amount so I have a better idea of what space I have. The garden has internal fencing, creating sections, but it’s difficult to get a measure of what we actually have. 

My next mission is to clear the area above the septic tank. It was covered in weeds and brambles, and has a layer of mid-sized gravel over it. The weeds etc are now gone…

1) what is the most efficient way of removing as much of the gravel as possible? I’m reusing some elsewhere, and will probably have to put the rest on marketplace. So far, YouTube options such as sieving etc aren’t really working, so I’m currently removing it by hand. Is this the only way? The area is about 70m sq, so it’s not a small undertaking!

2) I then want to be able to turf it for the time being, but I’d also like to ‘map’ the septic tank so I know exactly where it is / where the pipes are. I’ve found two manhole covers in that area so far. How do I do that? Haven’t seen a map in the paperwork for the property. 

3) can I rotavate the soil over a septic tank to prepare for turfing? 

It’s all quite overwhelming 😂

Thanks for your advice!

Comments

  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 6,862 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    OK so the most useful people will be along later or tomorrow  :)
    I raked all the gravel I had into areas I wanted for sitting etc. It's important to know where you get the sun/shade/ease of bringing refreshments from the kitchen/best views from your seating areas.
    It was quite thick in some places but I'm glad I kept it as I needed it later for other spots and a colour match is no longer available.
    Backbreaking work so you have my sympathy.

    It can be messy or clever depending on your skill but a leaf blower can move gravel :)

    It's tedious but you do need to know where the pipe work is as you said. It will save a drama being turned into a crisis maybe - some time later. Only real way to map it is to dig. But it may help to know what sort of septic tank it is and see if there's a plan of regular pipework online. You could start by knowing where the pipework starts from the house and see if you can follow it from there.

    I inherited 7 manhole covers and pipework I guessed between them and by lifting the covers and seeing which direction the pipe was going. Also flushing or running water you can sometimes hear it.
     I did gravel over two manhole covers. Stuck a pot over a couple. But it did mean that when it came to planting my 'wonderful plans and research' couldn't be done. So that was important to rethinking what would go where.

    Do you need to rotavate the soil? It can chop up worms which do a good job and chop up weed roots and so make twice as many.

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

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  • It would help to know what the tank is made of. If it's old there will probably be a reinforced concrete roof, while if it's much newer, it might be made of a plastic or glass fibre material. If there are two inspection covers, one is likely to be the chamber where the 110mm pipework from the bungalow ends and goes into the tank. The other should be access to the tank itself, through which sludge is removed by tanker. We 'empty' our tank bi-annually, but it's not necessary to remove everything and maintenance depends on size & number of users.
    The tank will not occupy 70m2! Ours is huge and covers nowhere near that area. If you lift the tank's cover, taking care, you should be able to see how far down it's roof is and what it's made of. 
    Above a standard concrete covered tank, there might be a reasonable depth of material. In your case, it's chippings, but we simply have earth sufficiently deep to grow perennial plants and small shrubs. Therefore, you might decide not to remove all the gravel, but maybe add soil and grow a Mediterranean or prairie type garden on that area.
    Once you ID the entry chamber, our next task will be to map other chambers between there and the bungalow. Once plotted, you will know where the whole drain run is and avoid planting anything like large trees over it. The other element to look for is maybe another inspection chamber, or chambers, on the downstream side of the tank. The treated water from the tank has to run out and be carried to the drain field, so you'll want to find out where that pipe and the perforated pipes in the dispersal area are.
    Those you purchased the property from should have included this info in the questions before contract, and your solicitor ought to have pressed them for it. However, the world is imperfect, and in the case of a probate property, or similar scenarios. 'Not known' is quite a usual response!
    "Money will only make you more of what you already are." T. Harv Eker
  • Thanks for the comments so far!

    The tank has likely been there since the property was built in 1969 so it’ll be a concrete top. I didn’t realise it would be fairly close to the surface - there is definitely a decent amount of soil over the top - the gravel was probably put down to reduce the weeds in the area so it’s fairly thin, but still a lot of it given the size of the area. The chap who emptied the tank a few months ago said it was working fine, so not worried about that.

    There is a pipe next to one of the manhole covers - currently covered by a large terracotta flower pot. In retrospect, I should have watched the man emptying the tank - maybe next time 😀

    So what I am taking from this is that I should be able to map the pipework by lifting the manholes and looking 🤢 I’ve got at least two more outside of the area where I know the tank is, so that’s a good starter. The bungalow had two bedrooms, but with a garage conversion it’s now three - but due to location and style, I’d say it’s never had more than 2/3 people live here. 

    The elderly couple who sold the property didn’t really provide a huge amount of  information - and I probably didn’t know the right questions to ask - but I take the view that everything can be worked out with the right knowledge and time!
  • twopenny said:

    Do you need to rotavate the soil? It can chop up worms which do a good job and chop up weed roots and so make twice as many.

    The area definitely gets a lot of sun, which is why I want it to be more useable 😀

    My thoughts on rotavating was to use it to mix the left over gravel with the soil which might be better to turf over - but maybe that’s not a good idea / needed then. I don’t want to be responsible for a worm massacre! 
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