Gardening with Tracey Fitzgibbon

Q: I have a walled-in garden with about 300 square feet of soil area, which was the only space for my little dog to use for potty breaks. After three years, the few in-ground plants I had were peed to death.

The dog has a new home and I wonder how long the dog urine remains and affects the soil. Forever? Will I need to remove it all (the soil) in order to plant a successful garden or is there a soil amendment I could use to reduce the effects of three years of puppy use? — P.S., Rio Rancho

A: I’m confident that the soil can, with your assistance, become gardenable again. It’ll be a labor of love but you can win. Since dog urine consists mainly of nitrogen and salt that’s why it’s so destructive in these parts. Our soils are usually already “salty.” With the constant addition of the hot nitrogen your soil became uninhabitable to the muchneeded microbes that feed in and on soil. Without them the soil becomes stagnant.

So in order to get the soil healthy again you’ll first want to water it thoroughly and often. Then, turning the soil to a depth of at least 12 inches will help the water dilute and wash away the urine concentrations.

Using a rototiller will get the soil moved quickly and the machine tines can dig to the much-needed depth. As you get the soil turned concentrate on breaking up the dirt clods so again the salt-nitrogen concentrations are released by the continual watering you’ll offer.

If you can get this space watered, turned and re-watered, regularly during the next four months, I am confident the urine concentrations will dilute really well.

Next, in late winter-early spring, you’ll want to start adding organic matter back into the area to re-grow your community of soil microbes. Products like garden soil or finely milled compost will add to the soil health. Just remember to turn any applied amendment under and keep the area de-clumped.

I looked online and there are several spray-able products available touting the ability of “cleansing” the soil but I’m not convinced they’d get to the heart of the matter like watering and turning the soil will.

With loving labor, your area can become a healthy gardenable space.

Q: How long do I have to plant spring blooming bulbs this year? — L.A., Albuquerque

A: In these parts you should have your spring bloomers tucked into your beds no later than the first week of November.

The soils, having cooled as of now, are ready to receive these treasures, so I wouldn’t procrastinate much longer. The sooner you plant, the safer and more settled in the bulbs will be during the impending dormant season.

Aim to get this project completed and rest knowing you’ll be rewarded next year with lots of cheery color.