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Maintaining your yard

Septic Systems
In some communities wastewater produced in the home is treated in a septic system located in the yard. Scientists have documented that even properly operating septic systems now in use in many Florida soils do not protect coastal waters from the nitrogen that is a component of human waste. When septic systems are located near streams, the lagoon or other surface waters, groundwater carries nitrogen from the septic system drain field to these surface waters. Too much nitrogen in the lagoon causes algae to overgrow, smothering sea grasses and sometimes causing fish kills.

Additionally, water that is treated by septic systems cannot be retrieved for irrigating farms, golf courses or yards. This is now a common conservation practice with many centralized wastewater treatment systems.

In many areas centralized sewer service may become available, providing homeowners with an environmentally responsible option for wastewater treatment. Testing is also under way to determine whether new septic systems that remove nitrogen are appropriate for Florida. Meanwhile, homeowners with septic systems in their yards are responsible for properly maintaining the systems to reduce health and pollution hazards.

The Florida Septic Tank Association has the following recommendations for homeowners using septic systems

• A septic tank should be opened and inspected every two to three years by a septic tank contractor, who will determine whether it needs to be pumped out.
• Do not plant trees or shrubbery over a septic tank or drain field. Roots can choke the drain field, reduce the tank's capacity or block the tank's inlet or outlet.
• Do not place grease or fibrous products, such as fruit peelings, in the garbage disposal.
• Replacement is the only remedy for a clogged drain field. It cannot be repaired by cleaning or the infusion of enzymes.
• Do not add yeast or bacteria to your septic tank.
• Avoid overtaxing your septic system by spacing laundry loads throughout the week rather than several loads on just one or two days.

Warning Signs of Septic System Trouble

• Plumbing backups or sluggish flushing in the toilet.
• Gurgling sounds in the plumbing.
• Grass in the yard growing faster and greener in one particular area.
• Ground mushy underfoot.
• Offensive odors indoors or outdoors.
• Low spots beginning to appear in the yard, regardless of other symptoms.

For more information on septic system operation and maintenance, contact the Florida Septic Tank Association, PO Box 1025, Lakeland FL 33802.

Ponds in the Florida Landscape
A backyard pond is a very appealing feature, and an increasingly common one, in Florida yards. Ponds provide landscape charm, water retention and treatment, wildlife habitat, recreation and gardening opportunities. But they are not without their own, unique costs and considerations.

Whether they are natural or part of site development, they must be considered when making choices about house design, lawn care or general yard use. If planned right, ponds can represent the best -- or if not, the worst -- about the site.

Ponds in the Landscape
Water adds a magical element to most all landscapes. The change of texture, variety of lighting conditions, sounds, smells, all add to our increased interest in the landscape. Selecting a good pond site is a decision involving many site factors, such as correct slope, soil types and water table, but also practical matters, such as septic tank and house foundation setbacks, utility easements and soil types. When planning, try to strike a balance between what your permit allows and what the landscape calls for.

Natural Florida ponds most always are located in the lowest points of a landscape. There may be some advantage to constructing a pond at midway of the drainage but consider downstream flooding and drainage effects. Florida ponds must all have a high edge-to-depth ratio; that is, they are wide and shallow. This ratio increases the amount of littoral shelf area in the pond -- the area of maximum sunlight penetration and subsequent rooted plant production and pond life activity. Florida ponds less than 4 feet often carry a complete plant cover. It takes 6- to 10-foot depths to maintain open water.

If deeper depths are required (typically for production of construction fill material), aerator pumps can help maintain proper aeration conditions. Local county excavation regulations, federal wetland regulations and other required local permitting must be considered when designing these ponds.

Storm-Water Control
As part of a mandated storm-water management system, frequently required by local water district permitting, the small pond can serve as a final collection point for runoff after a series of swales and channels. Pollutants are filtered by vegetation, filter traps and the settling action in the pond itself. This can have a significant effect, improving water quality draining into estuarine bodies. These systems also have the advantage of extending the "soak time" of storm water, or increasing the amount of water allowed to percolate, recharging the groundwater table directly.

Unlike ponds in natural systems, ornamental and storm-water ponds have a specific job to do and, like other artifacts, will need a maintenance-minded attitude toward their management. If you find yourself managing / living with one of these systems, here are some guidelines, several DOs and DON'Ts, to assure they continue to function properly:

• DO plant appropriate aquatic, emergent and upland vegetation properly, according to hydroperiod needs and habitat qualities (they will greatly enhance stabilization).
• DO use pond water for non-potable, local irrigation needs.
• DO set growth goals for surrounding plantings and fertilize the least amount possible with slow release fertilizer.
• DO use organic composting in lieu of fertilizer.
• DO use mulch around plants to retain moisture.
• DO keep pet and feral waterfowl wastes out of water bodies.
• DON'T allow livestock to graze pond banksides.
• DON'T swim or eat fish caught in storm-water ponds.
• DON'T allow invasive plants to clog waterways.
• DON'T direct grass clippings into storm-water ponds.

Wildlife Habitat
Whether the pond surface can be measured in square feet or acres, ponds will provide a significant contribution to the wildlife of the area. A common pond type, and perhaps the easiest to imitate as a yard feature, are shallow "seasonal" ponds, typically 2-5 feet deep and 25-150 feet across, found across much of the Florida peninsular flatwoods.

The wet/dry variation in seasonal rainfall causes great changes in shallow pond water levels, appearances and functions. Standing water recedes in the Florida winter, often drying down completely, depending on the pond's water depth, soil type and the local water table. Even in this "dry-down" condition, these sites provide moisture sources, the "damp habitats" required by many amphibians, reptiles, birds and small mammals.

If you wish to construct a pond to replicate these important habitats, choose an area where

• Their wide-and-shallow profiles can be accommodated;
• Present plant life and soil types are suitable; and
• Wildlife can get to the pond without disturbance.

Recreational Fishing
Many ponds are constructed with recreational fishing in mind. Sport fish species, especially the complex chain able to support bass and other large species, need a permanent hydroperiod for habitat stability. Ponds of at least one-half acre surface area, a minimum 60-foot-wide bottom and depths of at least 6-8 feet have a better chance of offering stable conditions for successful sport-fish management.

Pond Gardening
Aquascaping -- landscape gardening with aquatic plants in wetland habitats -- is a satisfying form of gardening in a cross-section representing elevation contours (and therefore hydroperiod), and the sequence of plants along this slope is essential to a successful planting.

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