My house was switched over to public sewage in the mid-80s. So there is no threat of invasion, the tank has been filled with sand and gravel. Im not removing the tank however, thats a costly project. Its really in the best place for a tree, in terms of sun. The neighbor has these tall white pines (you can see the annoying shadow in the picture above), and that spot where the suckers are coming up is 1PM sun, and the sun clears the trees easily. Im wondering if the increased sun there from me removing the white pines in my yard combined with the spring cutting stimulation caused this cluster to pop up. I think im going to tend to this cluster and see what happens. In the spring I'll address it again, and maybe the following year I can graft it. If I dont dig it up and separate it from the main system does it matter? Will it still act like its own system? I'd imagine if I left it connected it would be very vigorous to start because its getting sugars and nutrients from the still connected main tree. I just discovered this cluster an hour ago, I have no plans for it, but I figure, if the land gives you a prime opportunity with suckers, you make apples.

Thanks for starting this post which will give me a place to vent! Our septic field stopped draining correctly and the official in charge of the repair permit determined that we needed a shallower system. SO, we got a new tank AND a whole new field. After about a months wait, and days of "soon" they showed up unexpectedly Tuesday at about 8:45 in the morning. By 9:05 they had not only knocked over two 20+ft trees and a shrub exceeding 10ft in diameter, they completely demolished the most concentrated and diverse (not to mention polished) area of my garden near the foundation of my home. Its like a martian landscape out there now. Ironically, they then proceeded to come knock and tell us that they would have to temporarily remove two boards from our weathered decking. Big deal! What about the hundreds of dollars of plant life that can't be replaced with a couple of hits with the hammer! I hadn't cut anything back in the fall because I wanted to be able to identify plants when I move in a month or two, so it should have been glaringly obvious that I had a garden there. We had never specifically talked about plant or landscape damage control (never put a non-gardener in charge of these things), but it was layed out and diagramed in such a way that it appeared the plantings would be spared. Last minute talks between the contractor and the inspector apparantly dictated that it be done a little differently and the new tank would be placed closer to the house. To be honest, I hadn't even thought of doing precautionary relocation because our house is under contract and presumably the garden should look as it did when it was photographed and viewed by the buyers. What a mess! One of the plants was a clump of Golden Goddess bamboo. It was my first bamboo ever and I had grown it as a dieback plant for 5 years or so. No sign of it. Anyway, when it comes to plantings and septic tanks, be afraid- be VERY VERY afraid! I can't imagine mature rhizomes NOT interfering with a drainage field. Won't they just find the little tunnels and run wild, sprouting at every hole, either blocking it or cracking the line material creating new entry points for not only rhizomes, but soil? "Other opinions are that the bamboo will actually help by wicking excess moisture from the septic system." People are always suggesting/exploring the use of plants to solve drainage issues. I don't think this EVER works with any plants. The problem is, when it rains it POURS and there is only so much a plant can wick. However, you will likely want to continue taking baths and doing laundry during your local monsoon season. Have you ever heard someone complain they planted so many pond plants that they wound up with a non-pond? Don't Do it!

Re Mike: You might be mixing me up with âÂÂTigerâÂÂ; IâÂÂll take that as a compliment. âÂÂThis an elaborate system to heat water.â An elaborate system to inexpensively heat water and heat/air-condition your home. This will be about the most expensive way to go up front but the life cycle and operating costs are extremely low by comparison when executed properly. Think about it this way, per equal volume, water delivery is 3,500 times more efficient than force air delivery and the HP will have a COP of about 4 irrespective of outdoor conditions. In the case of the OP, their entire distribution system can be kept as is if in good repair, no money spent on tearing it out and replacement. Given the size of the property, perhaps a horizontal ground loop might be possible for less than the cost of vertical drilling. When they complete their new addition another zone can be added to the existing geo HP system for VERY little money. It would hardly be more than another manifold and either a pump or zone valve plumbed into the existing buffer tank (see linked manual again). Water heated to about 120F instead of 140F with free DHW when in A/C mode. You always have to look at the total cost differential between conventional and geo, including rebates & tax credits, along with life cycle and energy costs. If gas isnâÂÂt used as an alternate backup fuel, the cost of installing the gas line could be put into the ground loop. In the end everyone does what they perceive is best for them. Were the installation manual plumbing schematics clear and helpful? IMO SR

If this is a vacation home, you could probably go with either a TL or a FL, although a FL would put less stress on the septic system. If you are using well water or paying for water, that's another reason to consider a FL. I'm also on a septic system, installed in 1997. We pay a premium for water and our septic system, although relatively new, is in such a precarious location that fixing it would require all hand labor (no tractors, no power tools), so I have an incentive to keep the system healthy. I switched to a FL. DGMarie's advice follows the advice I got from the septic system installer: Don't do all your "water chores" (shower, dishwasher, laundry) at the same time, try to space them out over the day. If you do 12 loads of laundry a week, don't do it all on one day, do a couple of loads a day, preferably not close to shower time or dishwashing time. As long as you aren't using bleach and other cleaning chemicals to excess, they shouldn't have much effect on the bacteria colonies in the tank. Septic systems tend to be dependable and silent. When they are working well, no one notices them. If a septic system does have problems, by the time you notice it (because water is backing up, for instance) it's a HUGE problem. Lynski, did you have the septic system at your new place inspected during the purchase process? When we bought our home, this was the best $350 we spent. (We, the buyers, paid to pump the tank and have it inspected.) The system (about 30 years old) had a lot of problems that the sellers were unaware of (they hadn't lived in the home for 10 years; it had been a rental), so the septic system had to be replaced (it was that bad). The lots in our neighborhood were originally developed as vacation properites and houses built in the 1930s -- many of the present owners have very little first-hand knowledge of theis own septic systems, not through any fault of their own. CMC Here is a link that might be useful: The Septic Tank Page