Compost Question

Hardcoir 3/27/2013, 7:09 pm

I finally convinced a neighbor to start her own compost bin rather than pay to have it delivered to her conventional garden.

She has three dogs in a dog run, and the grass in that run always grows twice as fast as the rest of her yard. She asked me if she can use the clippings from her dog run, and I did not know the answer.

Can she use the clippings as nitrogen, even if the run is loaded with poop? If she makes sure to avoid throwing the poop in the compost, is the grass which grew in that poop okay for the compost bin?

I told her it was better to be safe than sorry and not use it, but that I would check for her.

No_Such_Reality 3/27/2013, 10:15 pm

The grass clipping should be fine.

The primary concern for dog feces in the compost pile is pretty straight forward, if it doesn't get hot enough, the compost won't kill the pathogens and dog feces is a primary vector for roundworm.

Now if your dogs don't have roundworm, heartworm or anything else, not a problem.

That said, the grass clippings shouldn't be a problem, but I supposed, poop covered grass clippings or legacy parasite from prior poop contact may be a concern.


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Compost Question

Compost Question

Re: Compost Question