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goofyisgreen

Is dog winkie a threat to my ornamental plants?

goofyisgreen
13 years ago

Just wondering about this. I put my doggie (about 70 lbs) out a couple times a day out the front yard so he can "do his business". My front yard is ornamental plants, with a wood chip or compost combo mulch. He usually does what he needs to do within about 30 feet of the front door, although most of the time it is even closer, say within 15 feet or so.

What I'm wondering is if he pees within the root zone or drainage area of some of my more treasured plants, let's say Japanese Maples, Hebes, or Spireas, for example, say 2x a month, is this a threat to the health of the plant?What if it's 6x? 12x?

If this is a problem, is there some lawn and garden product I can purchase than can neutralize or mitigate the problems or threat that dog urine and the chemicals it instills into the growing beds (ammonia?), can pose to my plants?

Comments (3)

  • Embothrium
    13 years ago

    Since it burns holes in lawns, it would seem there would be some potential for damage to tree or shrub roots below. Otherwise what you sometimes see is brown zones on shrubs etc. that have become marking posts receiving repeated doses over time.

  • reg_pnw7
    13 years ago

    In the rainy season it's not much of a problem although a 70 pounder is on the larger side. My 35 lb male has created definite yellow and brown patches where he likes to mark. Also the 60 lb female pees right at the base of the back steps and that grass is all dead since the first freeze, I assume from a combination of extreme cold, high traffic, and urine.

    When I had a larger male dog and a smaller yard, I put sheets of plexiglass in front of the plants he liked to pee on repeatedly. You could still smell it, and the grass died, but it saved the shrubbery.

    I would imagine that a Japanese maple would be pretty susceptible to damage, being so shallow rooted. It's not the ammonia so much, that breaks down fast, as just way too much nitrogen in one spot. I have not known anything to counteract the excess of nitrogen other than lots of water. My grass at the base of my back steps was fine over the summer so long as I hosed it down frequently, in addition to regular lawn watering.

  • buyorsell888
    13 years ago

    I have a 'Red Edge' Hebe with a brown patch due to repeated sprays by cats.