Yesterday I scratched some pelletized organic fertilizer into the soil around many of the plants in my raised beds. Last time I did this, they took off with wild abandon, as the box predicted they would. So when it advised that I reapply after first blooms appear, I was more than happy to oblige.
I scooted the mulch away from the plants, scratched the chicken poo fertilizer around the plant base, and reapplied the mulch. I then watered HEAVILY.
Imagine my surprise today when I came home for lunch and the dog had gotten up into the beds to lick the fertilizer off of the dirt. So I scared him to within an inch of his life and called it even, but put some plastic Adirondack chairs in the 8 foot opening to the side yard for good measure. But when I got home from some errands this evening, I noticed that the cat made a spooked move to look towards the back window where I had the chairs stacked. Sure enough, the dog had jumped the chairs and the same thing happened again but this time I lost 2 soybean plants. I was furious.
#1) We had used a bone and blood meal fertilizer on our citrus trees, only to find the dog licked the dirt off all of such nutrients once we went inside and he was all alone. So we stacked the plastic chairs all around the plants, and still do to this day when we apply that fertilizer.
#2) I had fertilized some bulbs that had just finished flowering with some organic meal-type fertilizer, and I should mention that the mulch for this potted plant was small pebbles. When I went to pick up the dog crap to mow the lawn, guess what I found. Yum.
#3) Before we purchased a used gas grill, we used a charcoal grill. We had to make a physical barrier around the thing after we BBQ'd so the dog wouldn't eat the ashes.
I can understand that at a biological level, he is attracted to the smell of these fertilizers because of their components, and that he will never understand why I get frustrated and upset with him when he eats/licks it all up. But I'm about at my wits end trying to keep him away from these things without using the plastic Adirondack chairs, and I'm far too tired to try and think of a real barrier solution.
Advice?
Jun 5, 2007
Dogs love organic gardening too
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2 comments:
I'll let you know that you're not alone as far as dog vs garden bed. Dog almost always wins. My mom has an area in a retaining wall in their backyard that has always been dedicated as a cutting garden and/or produce garden. Of course, regardless of fertilizer or not, our dog loved to get in there and run along the fence line and dig and just about everything else imaginable including eating flowers.
The only thing that worked for my parents was to put up a wire fence, using those metal stakes in the corners to hang the fence on. It keeps the dog out and keep mom happy.
You also might consider fencing off your entire side yard. My dad made an easy fence out of some 2x4s and weld wire fencing. One end was hinged, connected to the side of the house or a 4x4 post in the ground, and the other end latches with an eye hook or something similar. That fence was used to create a buffer zone area between the backyard and the gate to the front yard--to make it easier to transition between the two without worrying about the dog making a run for it.
Unfortunately, I can't think of any non-barrier solutions. Dogs' noses are amazingly sensitive and I don't know that you can train him to leave the fertilizer alone, unfortunately.
Best of luck! Let us know what you come up with.
Have you ever used the training method of taking a empty soda can and fill it with 10-15 pennies and then tape it closed.? Most dogs do not like the noise of the pennies being shaken in the can. Whenever you are outside and the dog goes near that area, you shake the can and after a week or two he will associate the bad noise with that area and not want to go over there.
Does your dog have his own dirt/digging pit? Most dogs love to dig and stick their noses in the dirt. Make an area just for him that he can dig in and you can bury little surprise for him to find during the day while you are gone.
Apollo has separation anxiety and can not even be left outside because He can jump the 6 foot fence.
Good Luck
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