Hi everyone: Thanks for all of your comments! This is what I've decided to do: I'm going to amend the soil this summer, let it lay fallow over the winter and put the berries in early next spring. To do this I'm going to "roundup" the marginal amount of grass on the site and turn over the soil/sod, incorporating elemental sulfur and pine sawdust (and pine needles if I can find a source). I'm not planning to dig down past about 8" - I've been told by several folks that as long as I don't go into the sand or gravel of the field I should be ok. Once that's done, I'll mulch the whole shebang with pine chips for the winter. I would like to plant blueberry sod, but the price for the size area I'm covering ($3/ft) is pretty steep for me (plus husband will have a heart attack). I've found a source in Fryeburg, Maine that sells lowbush blueberry plugs and so I'm thinking I'll go with that, or perhaps a combination of plugs and sod. This is all kind of risky, given how dry the leach field gets in the high summer, but a) I think the mulch with help somewhat; and b) there are lots of blueberries growing on Pum Island on the sand dunes and they seem to survive the lack of water ok. So, once again thanks for all of your interest. If any of you have leads on other sources for lowbush blueberry stock I'd appreciate the tips. I'll post a follow up next spring (hopefully with pictures) to show what I did. Have a lovely growing season, papercarver

Hi everyone: Thanks for all of your comments! This is what I've decided to do: I'm going to amend the soil this summer, let it lay fallow over the winter and put the berries in early next spring. To do this I'm going to "roundup" the marginal amount of grass on the site and turn over the soil/sod, incorporating elemental sulfur and pine sawdust (and pine needles if I can find a source). I'm not planning to dig down past about 8" - I've been told by several folks that as long as I don't go into the sand or gravel of the field I should be ok. Once that's done, I'll mulch the whole shebang with pine chips for the winter. I would like to plant blueberry sod, but the price for the size area I'm covering ($3/ft) is pretty steep for me (plus husband will have a heart attack). I've found a source in Fryeburg, Maine that sells lowbush blueberry plugs and so I'm thinking I'll go with that, or perhaps a combination of plugs and sod. This is all kind of risky, given how dry the leach field gets in the high summer, but a) I think the mulch with help somewhat; and b) there are lots of blueberries growing on Pum Island on the sand dunes and they seem to survive the lack of water ok. So, once again thanks for all of your interest. If any of you have leads on other sources for lowbush blueberry stock I'd appreciate the tips. I'll post a follow up next spring (hopefully with pictures) to show what I did. Have a lovely growing season, papercarver

storey, I think a very interesting point that troubles many people has been raised here. When trying to hide something from view the immediate assumption is that an evergreen is the best and only choice for year round screening. As an example lets compare the Spirea that you like with for argument sake the shallow rooting Rhododendron. The spirea is a densely branched fast growing deciduous shrub that will certainly screen your pipe, great fall color, and in the winter the bare branches will blend into the surrounding landscape. The Rhododendron while an attractive broad leaf shrub will take many years to settle in and begin to mature into an attractive shrub. In terms of screening keep in mind that this is not a densely branched shrub and during cold temps the leaves curl leaving you with an sparse shrub that does little to screen. Most importantly broadleaved evergreens that are not native to your surrounding community stick out like a sore thumb in a rural setting. kt

Ok. I might not be of much help. Here in NC spring seeding normally results in a lawn full of weeds due to our summers being in the 90's that will kill the young grass. I'm sure your summers are cooler than ours which could make a little difference. Around here leach fields normally grow really nice, dark green grass due to the extra "fertilization" they get. Someone more familiar with your neck of the woods should be by soon with advice.