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March 16, 2007
Advice on reclaiming a disused garden
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!
Comments
I would dig in a lot of compost. This will enrich your soil, weaken the concentration of leftover dog goodies, and hasten its breakdown.
You can get cheap, non-smelly compost at Home Depot--you need to dig in 8-12 bags, I would think. It's a bit of work but worth it, and not something you need to do every year.
I would also buy a soil test kit. All the dog doo may have adversely affected the ph, so you might need to amend the soil, which isn't hard to do once you know what you're dealing with.
Posted by: tinarina at March 16, 2007 10:03 AM
You also might think about adding peat moss which will not add nutrients like compost but will lighten the soil and give the roots plenty of room to grow. Its also easy on the back and works well in conjuction to compost which is heavier and can get expensive. I prefer composted cow manure (if its composted it shouldn't smell). Also it couldn't hurt testing the soil for heavy metals and Ph if you are considering planting vegatables. Good luck with the garden...
Posted by: Argyle Road at March 16, 2007 10:24 AM
in addition to the Ph and mineral test you want to have some idea of the soil's sand/silt/clay ratio
simple test for this:
http://weather.nmsu.edu/teaching_Material/soil456/soiltexture/soiltext.htm
Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 10:58 AM
Thanks for the sand/silt/ clay test. I would check out the Brooklyn Botanic Garden as to what grows in our zone 6 climate. One thing about dog poop.....it carries all kinds of parasitic pathogens and should never be used in vegatable gardens. Dog poop can contain the eggs of Toxocara canis. These eggs can live for ten years. Wash your hands and don't let your kids play in the back yard. Dog poop acts like a nitrogen overdose, that can kill plants.
Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 1:30 PM
I have always mixed in some garden lime into the soil...it sort of neutralizes the urine in the ground.
Posted by: Ken at March 16, 2007 1:44 PM
After a few years of growing vegetables, I concluded that it is a disgusting thing to do in a Brooklyn backyard. You may have gotten rid of the dog poop, but soon enough you'll have cat poop out there. Not to mention squirrel, raccoon, and pigeon poop. Also, my kids' pediatrician told me there is very likely lead in the soil.
Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 2:07 PM
I have to ask -- is it the same for cat poop? In my neighborhood we seem to have bi-annual migrations of feral cats. I know the dangers to pregnant women - that's not an issue. Is there anything else I should know?
Posted by: lb at March 16, 2007 3:32 PM
Watch out for alien life forms who deposit carcinogens known to the state of California, too (which is about a million items.)
Worry about cat poop? Get real, people!
Posted by: anon at March 16, 2007 4:40 PM
The original 9:08 am poster says: Thanks for all the great advice, everyone!
Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 5:32 PM
cat poop is supposed to be high in protein, but might cause dementia in humans. Also Toxoplasma encephalitis (more a concern if you have AIDS tho)
Posted by: Anonymous at March 16, 2007 8:20 PM
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