Dog manure in the garden - Is dog manure safe around lemon tree in backyard?

by S. Guzman
(Katy Tx. USA)

I've got a lemon tree and it's been producing for the past 4 years. My concerns are that my dog, a german shepherd, shares the yard and close to it; 6-10 feet, is his favorite spot for his needs. I clean his mess almost every day, does this contaminate my lemons?? I feel, or in my mind, when I make a home made lemonade that the roots of the lemon tree could pick up some of the mess my dog produces. It is posible for cross-contamination??

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Dog manure in the garden - Is dog manure safe around lemon tree in backyard?

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Oct 23, 2009

Dog manure in the garden
by: ~ Megan

Dog urine is great for lemon trees as they like acid conditions.

Your dog's droppings will not contaminate the lemon tree, or any plants. The only way contamination can occur is from traces of droppings on the lemons and then you touched them. It's just like if you didn't wash your hands after handling dog poop; there is a slight chance you might be infected with some parasites.
Otherwise dog manure is fine for the garden and has some nutrients which plants can make use of. Like most animal manures it can be put in a compost or worm farm.

If you don't like the idea of this because of smell or your compost doesn't get to heat up and kill any possible parasites, then dig a hole and bury it. Best not to do this in parts of the garden where you might inadvertently touch it before nature has a change to break it down. Also avoid burying it too close to a water source.
If the soil is loose around your lemon tree, you could bury it there – it would be appreciated.

There are biodegradable pet poop bags around now and these are great to use, toss in your rubbish bin and they will break down and supply the nutrients back to the soil in good time.

Apr 28, 2010

Not Manure
by: Anonymous

No, it will not contaminate, though I would continue your practice of ridding the yard regularly of the waste.
Also, dog waste is not manure. Manure comes from grazing animals whose waste is plant based...e.g. cows, horses, etc.

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