Question
I just bought a home and have been looking forward to planting my 1st significant veg. garden.  I just realized that the tenant that has been living there for 2+ years has been allowing his labor retriever to poop and pee in my garden area.I had the area poopy scooped today and the poop filled a trash - it's bad (really really bad).  What can I do and how should I plan my garden.  Now I don't want to till and plant directly into soil.  Can I treat the soil with something and would you recommend raised beds?  I live in Northwest Florida. Thank you _ I am crushed with disappointment.

Answer
Your only option is to add a generous amount of lime to the soil to neutralize the acidity levels. You then need to build a raised bed. The heat from the composted soil will kill any bacteria in the subsoil. I also would refrain from planting root crops this year, such as beets, carrots, or radishes.

I personally prefer raised beds.  The soil stays friable since you never walk in the beds; drainage is much better than traditional beds; you save space since raised bed are perfect for intensive gardening methods such as square foot gardening; and soil conditioning is continuous since your always building the beds up with organic matter such as compost, manure, and humus. They are also very neat and more attractive in the landscape.

I always recommend framing a raised bed.  You can use treated lumber or a non-rotting natural wood such as cedar. Either of these woods will last up to 20 years.

If you choose to use treated lumber, make sure to ask for wood treated with ACQ.  This wood is treated with borax preservatives.  Borax is non-toxic to humans and will not adversely affect your plants, even in the first year.  Recent studies have shown that it is best to stay away from wood treated with arsenic (CCA Wolmanized) or woods treated with creosote.  The chemicals can leach into your soil and have ill effects on both you and your plants.

The down side to using unframed raised beds is that the sides constantly need to be raked in after a hard rain.  If left untended, the plants on the sides can eventually wash away.  The decision is certainly yours.  But my recommendation is to take the time and build the structures.  Over the long term, you抣l be happy you did.

Good luck, and please let me know if you have any questions regarding your new garden.

Regards,

Mike