Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: What to do with all that dog doo!
Just a month ago we were at 30 below zero and, in my area, we just hit 50 degrees! That means everyone has been outside, breathing fresh air… and/or taking care of business. The family dog’s business.
Poop detail in the backyard can get mucky this time of year and I always get this question, Can I compost my dog’s waste? There are a lot of mixed messages out there on the internet.
Technically, it’s yes BUT you should absolutely NOT compost it with what you plan to put on your vegetable garden. Home composters rarely get up to the temperature needed to kill dangerous parasites. That means 165 degrees of heat for at least 5 days in a row. Don’t put your dogs piles in your compost piles.
But what about using it for shrubs or perennials? I would not and urge you not to either. And if you have any doubt about your dogs health, forget about it! Click for more information gardeningknowhow
While there is a large, healthy movement to compost and do our part, this is one of those times I say throw it in the garbage.
And here’s another BUT, an environmentally sound method is to get an old plastic garbage pail, drill holes in the sides and cut out the bottom.
Then find an area with well draining soil away from your vegetable garden and preferably out of sight. Dig a hole deep enough to sink the pail and dump fido’s odd jobs in it.
Add a product called Septonic once or twice a month. It’s an enzyme-active biological compound that helps breakdown the dog doo.
This video is really informative: