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Dog pee is killing plants

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Question

Help! My garden is dying! My container plants, lavender, succulents and potato vine are all dying rather quickly. (Only my coleus are surviving) I have tried plant food, different watering techniques, sluggo and more but it just look dead. I live in the Mission, get areas of good sun and put plants in their proper "climate". We do have three dogs in the building that use the yard as their bathroom though--much to my chagrin. Can pet pee and poop toxify the environment? Any help is appreciated.
Uda
San Francisco

Answer

I am afraid that dog pee and to a lesser degree, excrement can harm plants. This is especially true in warmer or hot weather. Dog pee contains strong ureic acids that will quickly burn foliage or roots if not washed away quickly. Male dogs have a tendency to aim at containers and hit all the corners. Plants that have been marked are more subject to burn in that the other dogs will pee over the first dog to mask the scent so the plant receives a double or even triple dose. You may want to use a repellent such as Repel, Shotgun or Bonide Dog and Cat to keep the dogs away from your plants.

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