Question
I have a problem with cats peeing in my garden. First of all, can I neutralize the ammonia, (which I'm thinking must be the reason for my stunted/dying plants)? Do I need to just replace the soil altogether?  Also, is there a good cat deterrent that I can use?
Thanks so much for the advice,
Kimberley

Answer
Hi Kimberly, Ammonia is quickly converted to plant food so ammonia is not the problem.  The problem is the pH.  Uric acid lowers the pH to where many nutrients become unavailable to the plant.  A little lime should fix the problem.  How much lime would have to be determined by a soil test.  No need to replace the soil.  There are a number of good repellents available, but with cats, I've had good success dusting plants and the area with cayenne pepper.  Jim