# Dog Poop



## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

I'm moving to a new house. It's hard to leave my beautiful yard and lawn but I'm excited about the larger property and the renovation I'm going to start on my new backyard. It's a large mostly bermuda lawn. Most likely it is common bermuda but I'm hoping it is hybrid. Either way, it's leggy and a mess with tons of weeds. That part, I think I can handle. I plan on spraying it with roundup once I'm sure it's dormant. The part I'm not sure what to do with is the dog poop.

The previous owner of my fixer-upper had two large dogs and was an elderly man. From what I can tell, they haven't picked up dog poop in several years. It's packed down out there. My husband suggested pressuring washing the lawn during winter and seeing if some of it would decompose. My own experience is that dog poop does not decompose that fast. I would dethatch come spring but there's huge tree roots going all through the lawn at this point so I don't know how well my dethatcher would work and I don't want to break my Swardman. Any suggestions about years of dog poop? I have my own three little dogs that have to be able to go outside to poop so it's not just about the lawn. I don't want them tracking the nasty back in the house

TL;DR how do I get rid of years of piled up dog poop in bermuda.


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## Dangerlawn (Sep 13, 2018)

If it were me personally, I'd just pick up the fresh poop going forward with a plastic glove every couple days or so and leave the old poop to decompose.

Yes it takes a while to break down, but it does happen.. and it doesn't the hurt the lawn.

If you're set on removing it, I would still try the dethatcher and use a rake to get the parts you miss or have problems with. Then mow it with a rotary and bag the clippings / poop debris.

I certainly wouldn't stress over it though. It's going to grow through and look great as long as you water and feed it and it has enough sun / warmth.


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## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

Thanks @Dangerlawn . I was hoping to be able to get sort of a clean slate. All the old poop means my kids can't go out there either until it's gone. I have a rake. I was just hoping for an easier solution. How long does poop take to decompose? Time to google.


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## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

For reasons beyond me, dogs seem attracted to low-cut turf. So I've had my share of neighbors who seem to think they can bring their pooch to use someone else's lawn as a latrine. Any imperfection in the surface stands out more on low-cut turf as well.

I've always used a shovel and moved it... most of it. It's usually difficult to get it all. But the small quantity left is spread out by mowing, whether reel or rotary. Just make sure you hose off the mower afterwards. This kind of organic matter is decidedly acidic.


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## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

LoCutt said:


> For reasons beyond me, dogs seem attracted to low-cut turf. So I've had my share of neighbors who seem to think they can bring their pooch to use someone else's lawn as a latrine. Any imperfection in the surface stands out more on low-cut turf as well.
> 
> I've always used a shovel and moved it... most of it. It's usually difficult to get it all. But the small quantity left is spread out by mowing, whether reel or rotary. Just make sure you hose off the mower afterwards. This kind of organic matter is decidedly acidic.


This bermuda is about 4in long bermuda + whatever weeds and tons of leaves from the soon to be taken out trees. For the record, I pick up my own dog's poop. It's much easier to see on low cut bermuda that my current lawn has. The bigger issue I have with my own dogs is that they would rather poop on the concrete. That's another story for a different day. No concrete for them to poop on in this new house. I don't want to take my brand new mower out on the turd surface. Time to break out the 30 year old CalTrimmer.


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## Dangerlawn (Sep 13, 2018)

Bermuda_Newbie said:


> Thanks @Dangerlawn . I was hoping to be able to get sort of a clean slate. All the old poop means my kids can't go out there either until it's gone. I have a rake. I was just hoping for an easier solution. How long does poop take to decompose? Time to google.


In my experience it takes several months and it goes white in color before it breaks down.

I'm guessing the previous owner was probably not great about the water and fert and frequent mowing. If you're doing that then it will disappear pretty fast during the growing season while it breaks down.

How far is the growing season for you? Where I'm at, during the winter nothing but weeds will grow.. so I wouldn't be able to tackle something like this until May or June.


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## Dangerlawn (Sep 13, 2018)

Bermuda_Newbie said:


> LoCutt said:
> 
> 
> > For reasons beyond me, dogs seem attracted to low-cut turf. So I've had my share of neighbors who seem to think they can bring their pooch to use someone else's lawn as a latrine. Any imperfection in the surface stands out more on low-cut turf as well.
> ...


If it's warm enough there, you might consider scalping it as low as possible and bagging everything with a rotary. I imagine that would remove a ton of it, especially if you rake / dethatch it first. I would try that before raking it into piles and shoveling it up.


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## J_nick (Jan 28, 2017)

I don't think you'll have any problem getting the old poo out with a dethatch and a rotary scalp.


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## corneliani (Apr 2, 2019)

I'm afraid to picture just how much of it has to be on the yard ... and what a pressure washer would do to something like that. What a mess!

I vote Dethatch (when it's dry) and mow/bag... and if topdressing with sand is in your future it may help with this problem as well. At least visually/mentally.


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## Bermuda_Newbie (Jun 15, 2018)

corneliani said:


> I'm afraid to picture just how much of it has to be on the yard ... and what a pressure washer would do to something like that. What a mess!
> 
> I vote Dethatch (when it's dry) and mow/bag... and if topdressing with sand is in your future it may help with this problem as well. At least visually/mentally.


I was hoping the pressure wash would help it break down faster over a few weeks of staying off the grass but perhaps that's a bad idea. We don't move in for a couple of weeks as some repairs are being made. So I guess dethatch and scalp it is! I can get my hands on a rotary and go to town. It's gonna be gross.

I plan to sand in spring once the grass starts growing. I have four large trees that need to come out along with some roots. Assuming I can afford to get them taken out and still have money left over, I'm going to sand so I can start reel mowing and yes mentally it will feel covered up.


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## mattcoughlin (Jul 8, 2018)

Rent a commercial dethatcher and do a top dress. Would take up most of it and then bury most of the rest. Plus you wouldn't have to use your swardman on that mess!


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