Planting fruit trees near septic - Ask Extension
Hello,
I am wanting to plant some dwarf fruit trees in the yard near our septic mound and have read that the dwarf size is unlikely to cause damage t...
Knowledgebase
Planting fruit trees near septic #870952
Asked May 31, 2024, 1:18 PM EDT
Hello,
I am wanting to plant some dwarf fruit trees in the yard near our septic mound and have read that the dwarf size is unlikely to cause damage to the septic system, especially if planted 20 feet away. I’m having a harder time finding consistent information on whether the tree roots can take up any pathogens from the septic that could cause the fruit to be toxic.
Can you please help clarify? If specifying measurements, is the distance from the top of the mound or the end of the drain field? I don’t really exactly where the drain field ends.
Thank you so much!
Chisago County Minnesota
Expert Response
There are a lot of filters that the pathogen must go through to get into the fruit: the soil and water, the roots, the trunk and branches. It is highly unlikely a complicated organism such as e-coli would make this trip without being broken down into component pieces. A more likely scenario is that the pathogen sits on the ground, which dries out, then becomes airborne as dust and lands on the fruit. If you wash your fruit thoroughly (or better still, peel it), you might be o.k. But why risk it if there are better places to grow your fruit?
Here is another take on this question:
https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=449374
Here is another take on this question:
https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=449374
