How do I sterilize soil after leaving dog feces there for a long time? - Ask Extension
For a while I thought that dog feces were good for lawns. How stupid I was. We have been very stupid admittedly with the pickup of dog feces in our la...
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How do I sterilize soil after leaving dog feces there for a long time? #162979
Asked December 29, 2013, 4:20 AM EST
For a while I thought that dog feces were good for lawns. How stupid I was. We have been very stupid admittedly with the pickup of dog feces in our lawn and only just recently realised the problems with bacteria associated with them. It has concerned me since my father is immune-suppressed and my dog goes into the backyard a lot, even though he has been dewormed.
County Outside United States
Expert Response
Soil sterilization under the conditions you describe are all but impossible. The best thing you can do is to remove all the solid residue and allow nature to take its course in breaking down the bacteria that might remain. Rainfall and regular turf irrigation would accelerate the clean-up of the soil system. The microbial system in turfgrass soils is complex and dynamic, breaking down and 'digesting' things organic (solid dog waste) as well as things inorganic, like lawn herbicides.
Ron Smith, PhD
NDSU Professor Emeritus
Department of Plant Sciences
Ron Smith, PhD
NDSU Professor Emeritus
Department of Plant Sciences