Hi There,
I have a stromwater drain and pits at the back fence of the house (pic attached).
What plants/shrubs, I can and cannot plant. Also, I am looking for ideas to hide those pits.
Thank you
Bronel
Welcome to the Workshop community @bronelchristian. Many thanks for you question, I'd be happy to give you some advice.
When planting in an area near to stormwater pipes it is always best to select trees or shrubs that are small and slow-growing. The water pipe should be in good condition as older pipes made of terracotta are particularly vulnerable to root penetration. It is not recommended to plant closer than 10m from a stormwater pipe, any closer and you should also install Whites 600mm x 5m Recycled Garden Root Barrier. This needs to be installed from the surface and down to at least 60cm deep in between the plant and the pipework.
Some trees that you should not consider- camphor laurel, fig trees, poplars, rubber plants, willows, Australian white cedar, casuarinas, coral trees, elms, large gum trees, liquidambar, jacaranda, illawarra flame trees, pine trees and pepper trees.
If you would like to take some images of the stormwater pits, then I'm sure our helpful members will be able to come up with some great suggestions on how to hide them.
If you need further advice or have other questions, please let me know.
Mitchell
Thanks Mitchell. That's very useful information.
To clarify, it is advisable not to plant trees closer to stormwater pipe. However what about shurbs and veggie plants? Do you think it is still advisable to follow the 10m rule? Also, I have a backyard of 15m, so if I write off 10m that means I will be planting closer to the slab which might be not advisable as well.
I am not planning to plant any trees (if I do it might be dwarf fruit trees), what shurbs and veggies would you recommend to plant over the stromwater pipe?
This is the new development so I hope the pipes used are PVC and not terracotta.
I have attached a picture of the strom water drainage pits, I was thinking to put a retaining wall at the back and create a veggie garden. Do you think this will be feasible or I will be looking at issues in 5years time.
Hi @bronelchristian,
If you take the leaves and branches on a plant and flip them upside down, that is at least the equivalent amount of roots they will have. So your veggies should all be fine and when picking shrubs just make sure you keep to dwarf varieties. You can, of course, come closer than 10m with shrubs, but I would not plant many large trees within that distance.
For the veggies, you might like to consider a raised garden bed as areas with drainage pits often get water-logged. Small shrubs can also be grown in large container pots and that will allow you to move them around as you fill the area.
Hi, i have same situation, but can i plant citrus tree like mandarin, lemon and lime trees near the stormwater drain?
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @ninsreyes. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about planting citrus trees near stormwater drains.Here's some information provided by Sydney Water about wastewater blockages. They advise trying not to plant any trees within six meters of pipes. Those citrus trees don't fall within the aggressively water-seeking plants list. However, knowingly planting any tree near a source of water is at your own risk.
Do you know if the pipes are the old terracotta or the newer PVC variety? If they are terracotta, I wouldn't advise planting near them.
Dwarf varieties of citrus flourish and fruit very well in large containers. I use half wine barrels as they provide adequate room to grow in and look fantastic as well.Mitchell
Hi Mitch,
Please refer to the image attached. I'm in the same boat. Can I lift up the pit's height and cover it with something removable and put flower pot in top of the slab? Myland is slightly slopped towards the rear where those pits are. And we're thinking of filling the backyard to make it flat and plany some veggies, flowers. But we have no clue what to do with these drainage pits. What would be the best option you think?
1. Leave the pits alone outside and puah the boundary wall inside.
2. Extend the pit level high as ground leve and use some sort of removable cover and plant veggies on top. Thank you in an advance.
Regards
Binit
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @binitsanu. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about drainage pits.Given that you are planning on changing the height of your yard, it might be best to enquire with a qualified drainage expert on what options are available to you. You could certainly raise the pits to suit the new elevation, but you need to consider the fall on the attached pipes. It would be ideal if you could leave the pits where they are and use a pit riser to extend their tops and finish flush with the new soil.
Were you intending on installing a retaining wall at the rear of the property to prevent the new soil from coming in contact with the fence? If so, it appears as if it would need to be placed directly over the pits. If this is the case, you could consider putting the wall in front of them, and I'd recommend consulting a drainage and landscaping professional before proceeding.
Let me mention @Adam_W to see if he has any thoughts.
Please let me know if you have any questions.Mitchell
Thank you Mitch for your reply. I'll definitely consult with one of the drainage experts.
Hello, I’d be interested to know the outcome of the landscaping, did you manage to hide the pit? Would love to see what you did with it
thanks
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @kjcra. It's amazing to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about this project.
Let me mention @bronelchristian, so they are alerted to your question. Hopefully, they'll be able to update us on the plants they selected.
Perhaps you'd like to post a picture of the stormwater pit you are trying to disguise. That way, our members will be able to offer some advice tailored to your needs.
Looking forward to hearing more about your project.Mitchell
This is a really interesting dikscusion Here is my dilemma 6 months after turfing the yard over the retention pit. I am faced with heavy clay soil which has had top soil added. But looking at this outcome I don't think the landscaper paid much attention to the pit. We had a different company lay the turf which was fine through the summer but come autumn we have a problem. How should I tackle this?
Hi @Phil_Y,
From the photo, I can see the lawn is looking quite sparse and yellow in places, and it also looks like the pit has sunk a little below the surface of the yard.
The fact that you’ve got a stormwater grate in the middle of the lawn suggests your yard might be a collection point for water. These areas can often stay wetter for longer and become boggy, which could be part of the reason the grass is struggling to take off.
I don’t think the stormwater pit itself is directly causing the yellowing, but it’s possible the conditions around it—like poor drainage or compacted soil—are playing a role. If you’re happy to share a bit more detail about your project and what issues you’re hoping to fix, I’m sure the community would be glad to offer some helpful suggestions.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Mitchell
I am keen to investigate your thoughts like poor drainage or compacted soil. What could I supply you with to give you a better idea of our situation?
The site was levelled 10 years ago prior to the new build. We bordered the yard with Verbernum and had a bessa block retaining wall 2 rows high where required. This is a photo before the knock down rebuild. All this went.
We have put in new fences post build and got rid of all the builders waste. It looks like we have been left with very different yard, in terms of drainage, than what we had.
Thanks for the extra detail — that really helps paint a clearer picture of what might be going on. From what you’ve described, it sounds like the rebuild may have significantly altered your yard’s drainage compared to what you had before, especially if the grading or soil structure was changed during construction. That could explain why the lawn is struggling around the stormwater pit.
To get a better idea of the current conditions, it would be helpful if you could let us know how long the area surrounding the pit takes to dry out after rain. If the soil is still saturated more than three days after rain that could be an indication that drainge needs to be improved.
It would also be handy to know what the soil feels like underfoot—whether it’s hard or soft—as that can point to either compaction or drainage issues. If you're comfortable doing a quick test, you could dig a hole about 30cm deep, fill it with water, and see how long it takes to drain. If it’s still sitting there after a couple of hours, that’s a good indication of poor drainage.
That is great advise to see what gives. This is the perfect week to test your advise on the three day theory after all the rain. The soil across the yard is generally spongy. I will do a series of tests with photos. I look forward to sharing this with you and others interested.
Phil
