Okay. The septic system here is one of those that sprays one category of water back out into the yard, after being cleaned of course. I was uber-excited about this, because it means we don't have to pay extra for water to have a larger garden. Right? Wrong. Dh did some online research and discovered that the chemical in the tablet that we must put in the system will burn the plants. (And we're in an area where we're required to have the system serviced every so often, so we can't really do anything else. My mom wanted me to put a rock in there and use vinegar. :lol: Dh says vinegar won't kill the bacteria.) Anyway. Does anyone know of a greener bacteria-killing "tablet" for the septic system that won't burn our veggie garden plants? I hope! TIA
We use yeast in ours because you need the bacteria for the system to funtion. The bacteria eats the solids. Maybe you have something different than ours though. Just my 2 cents.
I agree, it's probably best not to use the tablet as the bacteria helps the waste break down. If you're wanting to keep your bowl clean perhaps you could try Oxyclean or Kaboom once a week or so, not enough to hurt the plants but enough to keep the stains away.
I don't understand why you need a bacteria-killing tablet. It's the bacteria that makes the system work. Unless this is just for the water that is getting sprayed on your lawn (never heard of that kind of system)? I think I'd call the installer and a few different septic companies and see what advice they might have for you. EDIT: DEFINITELY call a septic installer on this. I got to thinking and realized that if this tablet is for treating the water after it's removed from the septic sludge stuff then it makes sense because you do not want water that's potentially filled with fecal choloform and e. coli on your lawn. And you don't want to try a different method, like vinegar which may not be as effective and risk coating the lawn you play and garden in with contaminents. Vinegar kills germs but you don't know what dose will be effective enough. Consult a septic specialist.
We flush a 2 lb bag of brown sugar down our toilet a couple of times a year, to increase the "good" bacteria, and keep the system working. It's been good for us for 29 years. and it's cheaper than the Septic R Us products available.
Yikes. There are two (that I know of) different types of septic system. One is the traditional type where you don't want to put stuff down the drain or toilet to kill bacteria, and everything seeps out into a leech field. The other type - the kind the original poster describes - is an Aerobic Septic System. This system actually uses electricity to keep whatever's happening in there happening...I don't understand it fully, but we were seriously considering purchasing a house with such a system a couple years ago, and we're actually looking at a property with one right now. If you leave out the tablet, you're taking a big chance on pathogens ending up in your yard (not to mention the system possibly not breaking down wastes). My understanding, though, is that the problem with using such water for gardens is less about the chemicals (although, yuck) and more about the fact that the water isn't completely processed yet - it's considered brown water (as opposed to black water or gray water - somewhere in between). It still needs to be "filtered" through the soil before it reaches the water table. Even gray water (laundry rinse water, dishwasher water) is recommended NOT for use for food gardening here in the US (I know they use gray water for vegetable gardening in other countries, though). I'm not expert by any stretch of the imagination. Definitely contact your servicing company and research alternatives. I'd love to be able to do what you're thinking of. The property we're looking at now has a fabulous space right where the sprayers spray. BTW, I think vinegar strong enough to kill bacteria will kill your plants, too. I pour vinegar on the weeds that come up between the patio tiles, and it kills them quite effectively.
Yes, it's an Aerobic system we have - and we MUST have something in there (no pouring stuff down the toilet kinda thing) because of the inspections and city/county regulations. I was just hoping that there is something besides the harsh chemical that would make it okay for the veggie garden. Apparently not. I only got a couple of responses on our local list (and I'm near Austin - very, very green here! LOL) and all said I've no choice and to put the garden somewhere else. Makes me sad, but if we must, we must. We were just looking forward to not having to pay for the extra water for the veggie garden. Dh has said that paying for the water makes it not be cheaper than buying at the store... but maybe we can put in an underground watering system and help it be more cost-efficient. Anyway. Thanks ladies!
DaLynn, I don't know how much rain you get there but growing up in PA my dad took about 6 55 gallon plastic drums and stacked them wine barrel style and set them up not only to collect the rain water but also so that the gutters around the house would drain into them. Then he put a spigot on the bottom middle barrel and would use that to water our trees and garden....maybe that would help you save money? PM me if you want more details and I can explain it better and maybe I can even find a few pics of it for you.
Dalynn, last spring (my first gardening season here in TX), I asked our county extension about rain barrels, but they made it sound like it wouldn't make much of a difference because it wouldn't be enough. I figure every bit counts, though, and last summer I collected every drop of extra water - from rinsing dishes, rinsing sprouts...I don't know how much it helped. What **really** helped were seeds I bought from Native Seed Search. The germination rate wasn't so hot, but those plants are all adapted to high heat and very low precipitation. This spring I planted with lots of "leftover" seeds I had from many sources, but next year I'm going to plant mainly with seed from Native Seed Search. Those plants appreciated the rain, but didn't act all faint and wilty in the heat and dry weather. One thing - the tomatoes from there stopped producing when the fall temps dropped to 80. Cracked me up, it was "too cold" for them. As for the perfect spot - I'd plant non-edible flowers that need the water. Might as well get some pleasure from that spot. A good learning experience for the kids, too.
Thanks! Looking for the bright spot, I suppose. It's in such a perfect spot for a garden, too. I'm sad.
