Can I plant vegies where a dog has been?

Union, Oregon, United States

My husband kept putting his dog in our yard instead of his kennel. Yuck. I have all the poo picked up (it was everywhere), but can I still plant the vegies starts I have? Or is the soil too contaminated for that now?

Thank you for your help. I think I will build a raised bed instead. Will it have to be a certain height to keep it away from the contaminated ground? I bought 12x2 untreated fir yesterday and wonder if I have to put something in the bottom or if I can just dump the dirt in....

19 May, 2008

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Answers

Dirtyfingers

As far as I know, dog pooh is just another form of fertilizer. Just about every type of manure has at one time or other been used as fertilizer.

20 May, 2008

Spritzhenry

No - it's not recommended, I've read that you shouldn't put it in the compost bin, either. I think you may have to disinfect the site well then dig in lots of fresh compost before you try to plant anything.

20 May, 2008

Dirtyfingers

After doing a little research I must admit I was wrong about my previous answer. Dog manure can indeed lead to human health problems. Both dog and cat manure contain organisms that can cause problems for humans. These organisms can also live in the soil for months or even years according to soil type. If you'd like more information here is a link that goes into more detail.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h238manure-dog-cat.html

20 May, 2008

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