Karmacat: To Infinity And Beyond!

Karmacat

Quiz of the week is the aftereffects of having a dog in the garden - my vendors have a dog at the moment, and I'm wondering eating herbs, veg and fruit where there's been a dog long term. I certainly wouldn't have root crops in the soil, but after an internet search, this seems to be the most respectable scientific answer I can find, from Yahoo Answers :

Purdue University is doing heavy research on animal urine and the damage it can cause. Basically, urine is the elimination of all water soluble toxins and has an excess of concentrated salts. Anyone living in snow country know what kind of damage salt can do to the grass growing along roads and walkways. Purdue extension working with California extension have been doing turf damage testing in southern California. They say a properly maintained turf area by promoting vigorous growth will lessen damage and help for a rapid recovery. Also use caution in making skin contact to animal urine during any clean up because contact can transmit zoonotic disease in humans.


I just talked with Garden Dok & he said you should hose off your new shrubs and run enough water to flush all the urine below the new roots. unless you get the urine flushed from the root zone your newly planted shrubs could die quickly.
My source was Garden Dok a Master Gardener who has been working on the animal urine project for University of California & Purdue University.

I've also found quite a few comments about raising the beds by about six inches, in case of any lingering concerns geddit? Just researching the cost of sleepers now .....

Any feedback welcome!

Pippilongstocking

KC - I had a root about Leylandii there is some info here - I'd guess I'd be wary of adding it to compost until further investigation! Pine needles - any local native woodlands about? or any xmas tree growers - they might let you have some pine needles.

The site linked it absolutely amazing (Plants for a Future) its a UK based Uni data base of entire plant use etc for alot of species - I use it as a first point of call for any plant enquiries - I've paid for a copy of their database but its free for 'non' professional/work access.

Dog weeing - the chemicals in the wee (including salts) turns grass etc yellow and kills it - I'd go for a raised bed if you can - but I guess if the dog is no longer there if you incorporate organic matter and beef up the soil that is there - the effects will be diminished from when the dog moves out - they say to put urea on your compost heap to help activate it....................................so after a while I guess it will be gone completely......alot of urine evaporates as well - maybe after a winter the garden will be OK to use.

I like raised beds for veggie gardens, the area is defined and much easier to work on - drainage is good but they can be prone to dry out in hot summers?

Thanks for the mail response - bit overrun here at the mo for replying but have read what you've said and am so thankful of the response!! PM/mail you properly later when not under attack from my family!

New lodgers just arrived late last night - so off to 'induct' them in our slovenly ways today

Beach beckons!

Have a great day will pop back later.

boredofbeingathome

Sounds like you had a good day KC- and i used to find Ebay addictive too.

Waves at Fay- that info sounds interesting. I bet your lodgers have a great time

Pippilongstocking

Waves back!!!

Lodgers seem lovely - arrived with alot of equipment needing electricity - slightly worrying as the girl is the student and the bloke with all the electrical equipment is potentially going to be at home all day??????????????

boredofbeingathome

Well how about working out a fair system for paying towards it?

You could look at taking weekly readings and anything above and beyond- suggest that they pay the difference- or split it. I am sure it will only amount to a few pounds but will take the sting out of it a bit

Pippilongstocking

Good idea bob - darwin says Hi back.

*KC sorry for stealing your diary!*

Karmacat

I love it when people take over the diary - it means the whole thing is alive :j:j:j

fayjmck wrote: »

KC - I had a root about Leylandii there is some info here - I'd guess I'd be wary of adding it to compost until further investigation! Pine needles - any local native woodlands about? or any xmas tree growers - they might let you have some pine needles.

I also heard something about them being poisonous.... seems like they're out then.

The site linked it absolutely amazing (Plants for a Future) its a UK based Uni data base of entire plant use etc for alot of species - I use it as a first point of call for any plant enquiries - I've paid for a copy of their database but its free for 'non' professional/work access.

I have a book with that title by a guy called Ken Fern I can see the same book at the bottom of their home page - but I just used the online search to look for lambs ears (which I love, and am planning to take with me) and couldn't find it

Dog weeing - the chemicals in the wee (including salts) turns grass etc yellow and kills it - I'd go for a raised bed if you can - but I guess if the dog is no longer there if you incorporate organic matter and beef up the soil that is there - the effects will be diminished from when the dog moves out - they say to put urea on your compost heap to help activate it....................................so after a while I guess it will be gone completely......alot of urine evaporates as well - maybe after a winter the garden will be OK to use.

Right - that suggests hunting around for solids (I've experience of that with cat poo in the front garden - woodlice love it ) then containers for the first year while I dig lots of stuff into the soil itself, then we're up and running. Realistically, thats probably more my speed.

I like raised beds for veggie gardens, the area is defined and much easier to work on - drainage is good but they can be prone to dry out in hot summers?

I've heard about a £20 self watering system, so it shouldn't be a problem - and I do work from home, after all.

Thanks for the mail response - bit overrun here at the mo for replying but have read what you've said and am so thankful of the response!! PM/mail you properly later when not under attack from my family!

Not a problem - it was interesting. I hope it goes the way you want.

New lodgers just arrived late last night - so off to 'induct' them in our slovenly ways today

Beach beckons!

Have a great day will pop back later.[/QUOTE]

Ooh, the beach, excellent. Its just starting to clear here - sun has come out in the last ten minutes. I've had an early lunch, when its gone down, I'll be out there. Maybe a little sun protection on, but its very cloudy.



:hello::hello::hello: Hi Bob!

taxi73

Glad you got the answer to your question...
Nice to hear that you had a good day yesterday and that you are having a gardening day today.

elantan

hey kc .. sounds like you had a great day yesterday ...

i think i might have foxes disturbing my garden ... the potted mint (indian) was all uprooted ... went in looking might bemused by it all hubby told me a story one of the women from the soup kitchen had told him ... foxes had been getting into her pots and leaving things she once found a string of sausages ... i wouldnt have minded if they had ate the mint atleast it wouldve been eaten ... but it was just disturbed ... weird ... and i think my rocket has been peed on as well ... it is looking decidedly sorry for itself and turning colour ... just thought i would share lol

Karmacat

**waves to Taxi **

El - foxes! Sounds like they're creating havoc, I've never heard of that happening in a garden - what a pain!

I've been in the garden too - no foxes there (unlike last year, when I used it so infrequently a set of foxcubs actually lived at the top of the garden

Done loads - I can only see it in one or two places, but I was out there for a couple of hours, and the bin is full, with more brambles cut down drying out so they can go in there too.

At the front, I just did a bit of weeding, and put some soil around the baby fennel plants, to help them along.

In the house, I potted up four little flowerpots of lavender cuttings - 2 or 3 of which have new leaves, so I *know* they've rooted. Just got to hope I don't kill them now, I haven't been very good at this stage in the past

Then I potted up some of the rooted stuff my sister gave me yesterday - that was all very rough and ready, I've no idea if they'll survive, but they're in compost, and a couple of leftover bits are in the ground, so we'll see.

I did a rough weeding of the patio, and the terraces, and the path up to the garden, and the path through the garden. Cut back some dead branches on a buddleia. Hacked through to the path at the top, and cut back some snowberries and brambles along the whole width of the garden - at one point, I'm now within six feet of the very back of my property. This is land that once upon a time was weeded and planted, but has since been reclaimed by the dreaded brambles.

Threw myself under the shower, and then into the bath, when I got in, of course. What a day - I thought I wasn't going to do anything, I felt *so* lazy, but thats a lot!