# Dog Poop as Garden Fertilizer: Read On! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 19, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929 "2013-07-19T13:08:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/1 "2013-07-19T13:08:57Z")
I decided to see if dog poop had any value as a garden fertilizer. After licking up the yard, I selected a suitable candidate-about 5" long; 1" diameter. I buried it in a 10 gallon ceramic pot, to a depth of 8", then planted a dahlia plant. Results so far" excellent blooming, good sized flowers, vigorous growth. I know that excrement isn’t supposed to act as a fertilizer until it breaks down-what does my experiment show? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/2 "2013-07-19T13:13:48Z")
That typos + excrement = hilarity. ROFL 😃 (Assuming you meant “picking up the yard.”) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/3 "2013-07-19T13:17:21Z")
That you don’t have opposable thumbs? **Ralph** , how many licks does it take to get to the center of a 5" doggy poop? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/4 "2013-07-19T13:17:36Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > (Assuming you meant “picking up the yard.”) Where’s the barfie smiley? :p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/5 "2013-07-19T13:26:01Z")
The grass in my front yard is weak and goes brown without proper watering. Nothing kills or stunts the grass in the backyard, that’s where my dogs poop. I do a poop pickup every few days but with the FL rains a lot of it just goes away. ---
**Author:** ![Hbns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hbns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hbns)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/6 "2013-07-19T15:58:40Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I know that excrement isn’t supposed to act as a fertilizer until it breaks down-what does my experiment show? That you don’t know the first thing about scientific control. ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/7 "2013-07-19T16:33:20Z")
Its a good additive to compost piles, with kitchen and garden waste. Avoid using on edible crops, (same with humanure) except perhaps fruit trees etc. Our dogs eat the cats poop…so I get the 2x whammy.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/8 "2013-07-19T17:39:32Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I decided to see if dog poop had any value as a garden fertilizer. After licking up the yard, I selected a suitable candidate-about 5" long; 1" diameter. I buried it in a 10 gallon ceramic pot, to a depth of 8", then planted a dahlia plant. Results so far" excellent blooming, good sized flowers, vigorous growth. I know that excrement isn’t supposed to act as a fertilizer until it breaks down-what does my experiment show? That you planted the dahlia in high-quality potting soil. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/9 "2013-07-19T19:06:50Z")
While we’re on the subject, I smeared some dog poop on my face and I haven’t gotten any new zits in several days. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/10 "2013-07-19T19:10:37Z")
I tried that, but everyone was telling me to lick up my face. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/11 "2013-07-19T19:14:45Z")
> [@Hbns](#): > > That you don’t know the first thing about scientific control. Dog poop won’t be great fertilizer. But some dog food is all corn, that poop would be better than meaty!poop. All in all, I think it’s just not going to work very well. But, If somebody invented a composter that used grass clippings and dog poo a million dollars could be made. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/12 "2013-07-21T21:33:35Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > If somebody invented a composter > that used grass clippings and dog poo > a million dollars could be made. Best. Haiku. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/13 "2013-07-21T21:56:52Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > what does my experiment show? That you should have read up on [the subject of using dog waste as fertilizer](http://www.sgt-poopers.com/knowledge-center/notfertilizer.html) before starting your little project. Given that even properly composted dog waste (and yours wasn’t composted) can harbor harmful organisms, this wasn’t a good idea. I wouldn’t personally attempt to compost dog leavings because I couldn’t guarantee that compost, garden utensils or pots wouldn’t later come in contact with food crops. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/14 "2013-07-22T00:53:07Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > That you should have read up on [the subject of using dog waste as fertilizer](http://www.sgt-poopers.com/knowledge-center/notfertilizer.html) before starting your little project. > > Given that even properly composted dog waste (and yours wasn’t composted) can harbor harmful organisms, this wasn’t a good idea. If they can compost [human waste](http://humanurehandbook.com/store/THE-HUMANURE-HANDBOOK.html), surely they can compost dog waste? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/16 "2015-09-19T02:10:26Z")
It’s always amusing to see what first-time posters have to say. Doubly so when they comment on a **Ralph** thread! ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/18 "2015-09-19T02:12:45Z")
We don’t compost our dog poop, but I have heard of dog poop composting systems. When I was reading up on worms, it was specifically mentioned that although the eggs are hardy, “high temperature” composting was effective in killing the eggs. I don’t know much about “high temp” composting, though. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/19 "2015-09-19T02:27:08Z")
> [@Cracker88](#): > > I careless listening to any subject with an individual who smeared shit on his/her face. Im pretty sure you dont have to be an asshole…When someone is “throwing out a question to the universe”… Say something helpfull, encouraging or zip your zit tray. You did notice you commented on a two year old post, right? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-poop-as-garden-fertilizer-read-on/663929/20 "2015-09-19T02:53:38Z")
> [@Cracker88](#): > > I careless listening to any subject with an individual who smeared shit on his/her face. Im pretty sure you dont have to be an asshole…When someone is “throwing out a question to the universe”… Say something helpfull, encouraging or zip your zit tray. If you have a problem with another poster, take it to the Pit or report the post, don’t either insult or jr mod the person, let the actual mods do it. Idle Thoughts MPSIMS moderator