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ando

By Ando

United Kingdom Gb

I am looking for an alternative lawn plant that requires little or no maintenance. There are a number mentioned on the Internet but they all seem to warn that dog mess will kill them. Can anyone recomend an alternative that would tolerate this? Ps it's not my dog, lol it's a service strip at side of house combined with bad neighbours




Answers

 

Hi Ando and welcome to GoY. I am not aware of any plant that likes a dog defecating on it on a regular basis, you'll need to keep your dog off the lawn.

30 Mar, 2015

 

Other than slabbing it over so you can hose it down the only other suggestion is to train the dog to a'toilet area' this is possible.

30 Mar, 2015

 

Artificial grass would be best if you want the look of a lawn.

30 Mar, 2015

 

Have you thought of using a prostrate cotoneaster instead?
No dog (or person!)would want to walk on it, you can clip off the branches that overhang the path and it doesn't get taller than about nine inches or so. I've seen this done and it looked fine.

30 Mar, 2015

 

Um.....landgirl the thought of dogs on plastic grass ?

I missed the p.s!
I like the idea of cotoneaster......

30 Mar, 2015

 

I know no real gardener likes the idea of astro turf but if it gets to difficult to cut the grass it really is a low maintenance solution and its difficult from a distance with good quality astro to tell the difference how much work is there with cotoneaster?
Probably not practical on a shared strip.

30 Mar, 2015

 

Astro turf and dog poop d onto go together, trying to clean off would be a nightmare. I'd go with the paving option personally at least you'll then be able to hose down.

30 Mar, 2015

 

No, you can clean it off relatively easily, MG - I've got friends with two dogs and fake turf. They just pick up the doings, then flush the area with the hose, job done.

Trouble is, if this is a shared 'access' strip, there's nothing to stop any random dog or cat using the area as a toilet, presumably.

I'm assuming there is need to walk on this strip? which would rule out any other type of planting. I'd slab it, using the small element slabs like the council lays on pavements, because they'll do fine on just sand and don't need pointing, provided they're firmly held round the edges with something (available at builder's merchants, usually).

30 Mar, 2015

 

Yes, dogs coming by here defecate at odd times, and other dogs think thats the communal dog welcome spot. I pick up then tip Jeyes Fluid on it, that sees them off.
Think slabs + Jeyes Fluid the ideal solution.
The neighbours will probably complain about the smell,
ha ha.

31 Mar, 2015

 

I'm guessing that what you describe as a 'service strip' probably doesn't belong to you. If it is your land are you able to fence it off from dogs and neighbours - that would seem to me to be the first move before landscaping.

31 Mar, 2015

How do I say thanks?

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