Can dog poo be used as fertilizer?

[TheNiceGuy]

I've heard not to use it in the garden as it will "burn" the plants. Is this true?

 

[Gibsons]

I'd guess most kind of poop would be fine (human waste would be a bad idea). If you're worried about burning, break it up and mix with some dirt, water some more.

Sometimes you can spot where dogs pooped by the higher grass or other plant growth.

 

[nerp]

do not use it directly. put it in your compost and allow to break down along with other food scraps.

 

[Modelworks]

The biggest issue with waste products from animals, humans used for fertilizer is high ammonia levels. Ammonia will burn/kill plants. If you put the waste somewhere it can break down then bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate which the plants use.

 

[Oceandevi]

I have read that dog feces in compost will not reach the temps needed to make it safe to use. Chicken, rabbit or most other farm animals are a better bet. The main concern seems to be the bacteria.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Poop from carnivores is more likely to contain pathogens.

Composting it should be fine. Whether or not it reaches high temperatures is a question of the compost heap, not really the poop itself (unless the heap is solely made of the poop, which it probably isn't). But mammalian pathogens are not going to just hang around and survive in a compost heap for a long time, and you should be letting the heap sit for at least a year before using it anyway.

So as long as you give it the proper amount of time, it should be fine. You could even use human poop (see the Humanure Handbook) although it may contain other nasty stuff like medication byproducts.

 

[iNGEN2]

The issue is composting and pathogen decay. Unfortunately there are various cysts, viruses, harmful proteins, and persistent chemicals found in manure that can persist for years while tolerating environmental extremes far greater that that found in the compost heap. For that reason it is best to not introduce manure into any soil system that supports the food chain of the animal it came out of.

So yes, if you use dog poop in the garden it will give the plants a chemical burn. If you use compost of dog poop your garden will love you.

 

[artvscommerce]

I would not recommend dog poop for fertilizer OR compost. Check out some of the composting pod casts, they're very informative and will give you a million better suggestions for things to use.