I am a scientist. I do, and have done, research. What is research? The first time someone tries something. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. And that applies to the growth of the body of knowledge in all fields common to civilization. These days, with the Internet, and mobile devices, and the easy-to-use tools developed on them, deccemination of new knowledge and discoveries is rapid, nearly instantaneous. But it occurs the same way. I try something, it works, I share it with others, they improve upon it, etc.
Thus I am lead to discuss the dilemma of dog poop. My thought was always that it was too high in nitrates and potential parasites to use anywhere in a garden, or as compost. And that is one of our major waste products that grieves us, disposing in plastic bags for landfills the poop from 4 large dogs!
And then a colleague told me that her daughter composted dog poop with yard cuttings and used it on shrubs. Hmmm. So I looked it up on the Compost Expert's website and found that, no, you cannot really compost dog poop in the normal way, but you can safely use worms to compost it! Really!?! Earthworms or red wriggles! Of which I have millions! With one caveat. Worms who eat dog poop won't eat anything else, so you have to have separate dog poop worm bins. (Glad someone else figured that one out for me!) I'm going to try it! As soon as I find a few eligible bins.
Western civilization has a fear phobia when it comes to dog feces. I suppose that the initial fear was based upon parasites, and to this day it's the main reason cited for not using dog feces. But what if your dog is parasite free? Most well cared for pets do not have intestinal parasites. And if the dog is not fed raw meat and eggs, then it is most likely free of salmonella too.
ReplyDeleteSo now..... Can you use dog manure? To be considered safe, according to USDA, ALL manure must be hot composted according to their temperature and day formula. But is this necessary with your own family pet? Probably not, based upon decades of actual use of dog manure. While it is most likely ok in veggie gardens, it may be a better idea to use it in flower beds.
My own experience? ..... I dig dog manure right into my flower beds, around bananas, around orchard trees. I don't compost it first.