[Digger Mum]

Hello all!

Just a quick question...

It's looking increasingly unlikely that I'll be getting a plot before seed sowing time really gets started so I need to get my little garden sorted.
The problem is, it's currently being used as the dog's toilet. I can dig down quite a bit to get rid of any surface poop & pee but I'm quite wary of growing anything on it - especially root veg!
If I make raised beds it'll cost an awful lot and won't save me any money on veg in the long run.

What would you do?

Thanks,

DM

[mumofstig]

If was me i would just skim off all the poo and dispose of it, then skim off any grass left behind and then dig. Rain will wash the urine away and anyway it can be used as a nitrogen fertilizer so that's not a problem. test the soil to see if it's acidic and lime if you need to.
Can't see a problem as long as you remove the poo!!!!

[Elcie]

I was lucky enough to get a plot in July and still managed to grow some things so don't lose heart for this year.

It is a very small plot though so I still want to grow extra in the garden.  I have a dog too so I have fenced off a small amount at the back either side of the greenhouse where the dog can no longer get.

For the rest of the garden I will use hanging baskets (for eg tomatoes) and pots (salads, turnips, radishes, herbs, carrots, potatoes etc etc) which the dog can't reach.

Problem for me with raised beds would be that they would have to be so high to stop the dog that they would be extremely expensive to fill.

[woodburner]

I could be showing my ignorance here but isn't there a really nasty disease associated with dogs' faeces that can linger in the soil for many years? I believe this is the reason that play areas are fenced off and dogs prohibited from them.

[mumofstig]

IMO by the time you've removed the poo and the top laver of soil with the grass you've removed  the problem........ foxes and i believe badgers have same problems as dogs.
keep in mind that most allotment people, and farmers, add poo in one form or another to improve their soil  
i would go for it personally

[Digger Mum]

That's great news, thank you all.

I've just found a horse manure supplier too - yay it's coming together slowy!

[Ian_P]

Go for it.

I walk through the fields near my home and they are usually scattered with dog poo in the barley and no-one stops them putting the barley in our beer!

At least you know its there and can remove it

I

[Salmo]

I would not bother skimming the top off. Just dig the plot carefully with a spade making sure that the top is turned into the bottom. The worms will soon break it down.

No idea about any danger of nasty diseases but most people wash their vegetables before eating them.