Cat & dog soiled soil: How to get rid of odor

dipat2005
dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

I have a 14 inch high raised bed garden and I have had both cat and dog poop on top and buried in the soil. How do I get rid of the smell?

I also believe the wood could be sprayed by a cat or poisoned in some way-what I can I do to get rid of the smell?

Is there something I can do to for the soil other than removing it?

Comments

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey I forgot to tag it. Sorry.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I would try a better mix in the box to get rid of any smell. Many people compost their cat and dog leftovers. They don't use it in a garden area but it can be used to fill holes, hugel beds etc...

    I'll see if I can find an7y useful links

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,936 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My dad used to put the dog stuff in a separate compost pile then cover it with soil, this way it kept the smell down and would be broken down before he used it in the garden.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    I had a neighbor cat using my garden beds as a litter box a while ago. I have a fairly large field, so I just scooped it off and buried it in the field.

  • shllnzl
    shllnzl Posts: 1,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @dipat2005 I would scoop out the solids, stir well and proceed. The plus side of this is that the soil will smell like a predator and hopefully repel small rodents.

  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    Make sure to compost feces all the way before adding to a garden. We can get sick from their waste if they have different infections, parasites, etc.

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    That's a really interesting point about the soil smelling like a predator. A good silver lining, perhaps! :)

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Merin Porter I have decided to clean the wood first with water, detergent and baking soda. Then I am going to take care of the dirt later. More on that later.

    I just found an article that said to be liberal with baking soda and then water on the soil if you think that there is cat urine in the soil.

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Merin Porter I believe that it isn't a cat like I thought. At any rate my neighbor brought me down some more wire and when my granddaughter comes to visit it will be time to put out more wire!

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Merin Porter the wire that I put out previously (chicken wire) is to big for cats to take on and there are only 2 plants under it but they are safe! Thank goodness! So I guess a bird dropped a beet seed or one fell out of my hand. The leaves are getting long and almost ready to pick.

  • jowitt.europe
    jowitt.europe Posts: 1,465 admin

    @dipat2005 Well, it is difficult to persuade cats and dogs to use some other place. Especially if it is so easy to dig like in a raised bed. Once I managed to persuade them by covering the soil with cones which I sometimes use as mulch. They - the cats - did not like digging into them.

    i put the litter from my cats into compost, cover it well with the weeds and other rests. Once it turns into compost, it is no problem for me to use it in my garden.

    getting rid of the smell is important because the smell is an invitation for them to return. I would find it very difficult. They have much more sensitive noses than we do. May be using some much stronger smell - some mint, lavender, catnip…

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @jowitt.europe a much stronger smell is a good idea. I don't know about mint or lavender as I have some allergies to those.