Vegetable garden over powerline ???

[tony123]

The place we have available for our vegetable garden is right on top of our electric service to the house.

This service was put in about a year ago and they used a large ride on trencher. I've called the power company several times to ask how deep they went, but after ages of being transfered and on hold, I still don't have an answer.

From most posts, I gather that 24" is probably the minimum that they would have installed it. I'm going to be cutting on the high side and filling on the low side, so I'll be adding about 12" of soil over existing grade at the line.

How deep would I be distrubing with a vegetable garden? I have a 20hp tractor and will use a subsoiler, plow and tiller.

Are there other considerations that might make it unsafe?

Thanks.

 

[Bird]

Tony, with most tillers and plows you aren't going to go more than 8 to 10 inches maximum; maybe 12 inches with a middle buster, but probably not. However, over time, erosion, wind, rain, etc. sometimes make buried items much more shallow that expected. In one place that I worked when I was doing gas leakage surveys, a farmer had plowed into a natural gas main. Fortunately, he immediately shut off his tractor, bailed off, and ran to where he knew there was a shut off valve. This was a field which he had farmed for many years without ever hitting the gas pipe. And then when I was on the water company board of directors, we actually had some water mains that were on top of the ground, even though they had been buried 2 feet deep at one time. And at my place in the country, I plowed up the electric line from my shop to the barn. It was about 3" deep, but I have no idea how deep it was originally buried.

In other words, you should be safe, but I'd be afraid to take the chance.

 

[tony123]

Bird, thanks so much for the response. It certainly sounds as though you're qualified to have an opinion on the topic.

It also makes sense how grades can change over time and buried things can one day surface.

I had no idea how deep implements worked the soil, and that was helpful to know that 12" is a typical maximum depth.

I do some survey work as it relates to my profession. I have a simple eye level that could mark a known spot on our house and check it at the beginning of each season. As long as I stay at or above the current level, I should feel safe. Unless for some reason the cable would migrate up? that seems like a very unlikely scenario. If anything, I would expect the grade to rise over time due to the addition of organic matter over the years.

All that being said, I completely understand your opinion to not take a chance. I may not have another choice though, and feel I'm taking all possible precautions. Does the fact that I can periodically check the elevation against a benchmark change your opinion at all? I know that its my opinion that matters, but you do seem well qualified.

 

[BTDT]

Have you thought about having the power co. come move the line? Sometimes it might not be an option, but I would at least ask. If they won't move it, then, maybe locate the line, and make that area a walk and just plant to either side of it. Maybe consider raised beds.

 

[MarkV]

Well here under ground service wire is set at a 2’ minimum. If you are adding 1’ to the top of that I would not worry myself. You will do good things for your garden if you add another foot of compost to the top of that and it would add an additional safety factor. Our southern soil usually needs some help anyway. Might be worth seeing what a couple of truck loads of good stuff would cost.

If you know the location of the line could you leave a grass walkway through the garden where the line is located? Raised beds would also be an option that many gardeners use.

MarkV

 

[tony123]

I must sound like I'm looking for someone to say its okay....and I am

I'll post a photo of the site when I get home later today. It is a sloped site about 150' long by about 40' wide. It slopes across the 40' width. The powerline cuts diagonally across the 150' length.

The high side is about 2' higher than the low side, so I was thinking of cutting about a foot out of the high and dragging it to the low. This then allows for at least 12" of good stuff over the top. At that point, I'm 36" above the utility.

I don't want to do raised beds, as that will not allow the tractor to be used. And lets face it, that's the whole reason for gardening isn't it??

It might be possible to leave walkways over the powerline. I'll study that some more.

Thanks for the ideas. Pictures to come.

 

[zeuspaul]

If the line is before your meter call dig alert. Tell them you are going to dig a hole to plant a tree. The electric company will come out and mark the line. Then dig it up and expose it by hand. Mark the exact location and note the depth.

Zeuspaul

 

[jwstewar]

The high side is about 2' higher than the low side, so I was thinking of cutting about a foot out of the high and dragging it to the low. This then allows for at least 12" of good stuff over the top. At that point, I'm 36" above the utility.

If they followed the slope of the ground and you take a foot away from the high side, isn't the wire only going to be down 12" on that side?

 

[schmism]

round these parts they are 36-48" deep.

code (what they want it at) is 4'

+1 for the dig it up by hand so you know for shure

 

[randy41]

i would call the number where they come out and locate and mark where the line is and then work around it. perhaps you can use the line of the power line as a walkway. i don't think you should try to find it by digging unless you're gonna get the power turned off first.