Plant bamboo over septic drain field?

[Jean]

I am new here and have never planted bamboo. I live in an RV park outside of Bastrop and have a drain field behind my trailer.

I've read that bamboo likes a lot a water. The field is always wet. There is an eyesore on the other side of the field I'd like to hide. I've read that bamboo grows fast and grows tall.

Should I plant bamboo there, or is there another fast growing plant that thrives in a bog?

Thank you.

[CaroleMeckes]

Bamboo does not like "wet feet" so I don't know if it would work in your situation. In other words - bamboo does not like to be constantly wet.

You might try at the edges where it is not constantly wet and see what happens and which way it grows.

Anyone else have any experience with this?

Carole

[Dean W.]

Jean,

I wouldn't recommend planting bamboo on your septic field your likely to incur problems. The bamboo might grow into pipes in search of water and you may have an expensive repair bill.

[CaroleMeckes]

I don't think bamboo would grow INTO the pipes!
Has anyone ever had that happen?

Maybe it would if the pipes had cracks in them - then the pipes probably would need replacing!

Carole

[sasa fool]

I'm certainly not recommending that anyone else do so but I have a 6 year old Viridis grove directly on top of my field, in fact I hit a pipe with the shovel when digging the planting holes. There are also a couple dozen more species that have ranged onto the field. No problems thus far. My thoughts were that the bamboo would not enter the pipes and would perhaps help take up & utilize the field output actually helping the field out. Now the original owners also left a huge white oak and 2 sugar maples on the field so when they clog the lines I'll surely have to tear up the bamboo when fixing that tree damage!

[glenn smith]

There is at least one bamboo that will tolerate standing water:

http://prostores2.carrierzone.com/servlet/bamboo4salecom/Detail?no=855

I've a good sized specimen of Phyllostachys heteroclada but it is not in wet ground. I understand this plant actually has gas tubules in its rhizomes.
Drain field pipes have half-inch holes bored in them every six inches or so...I
know I don't grow any boos over mine!