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We’re newbie gardeners and have just bought a PSlope house with a backyard that seems to have been used primarily as a dog toilet for the last decade or so. I’ve cleaned up all the crap (literally) back there and am starting to think about various planting concepts. One thing I’m not sure about, however, is whether all those years of dog business have had an adverse effect on the soil. It actually looks okay once you dig down a bit (if a bit clay-ey, but from what I understand that’s the way Bklyn soil is) and I discovered several nice juicy earthworms wriggling away down there, so I’m assuming it’s not completely toxic. But short of just starting to plant and taking your chances, is there some way to determine whether or not a given piece of ground is viable? Are there standard ways of treating the dirt (beyond tilling in some fresh soil, etc) to prepare it for its new life?

Any advice from Bklyn garden vets would be much appreciated!