Poo thread

scarriedoc

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I've got a possum or other larger critter leaving some big ones in some of my pond pots and trays. So I've just been watering and happy because, hey free fertilizer! But should I be worried about bacteria and disease when I go to repot and root prune, like one might with say cat poo due to toxoplasmosis or whatever?
 

n8

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Are you in an urban area? If so, it's likely a trash eater and not something you want to fertilize with.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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Just wash your hands before touching your face any time you are repotting. Wear gloves if you can, I personally don't wear gloves, because I can't feel what I'm doing.

Poo as fertilizer can be too concentrated for smaller trees and shrubs. Also some animals excrete salty urine, and will urinate as they deficate. The salts can burn your trees. Ideally you should think about engineering your benches to discourage cats, possums and racoons. Benches too close to fences and shrubbery along property lines will encourage creatures to visit. Too close to tree trunks is also a problem. On the ground can be a problem.

If it hasn't killed your trees yet, nitrogen is nitrogen, the trees don't care where it comes from. But for disease control, wear gloves or frequent hand washing are key, and mechanically protecting the trees is a longer term solution.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Google search leptospirosis and you'll gladly get rid of that free fertilizer.
The antibiotics used to treat it are no joke.
It's just one of many things that live inside critters poo.

Hand washing is meant for undamaged skin and stopping cross over infections. And us working with sharp needles and wire, as well as deadwood and platics, means that it's almost impossible to avoid getting nicked. Hand washing doesn't remove the stuff beneath your skin. Still, a good wash is recommended.

Gloves are better. And trust me, after a while gloved hands are as sensitive as bare hands. It's just that your brain needs around 3 hours of gloved work per month to adapt to that. Most people stop before the first two hours have passed because they don't like the feel. That uneasy feeling is your brain adapting.
 

penumbra

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Gloves are better. And trust me, after a while gloved hands are as sensitive as bare hands. It's just that your brain needs around 3 hours of gloved work per month to adapt to that. Most people stop before the first two hours have passed because they don't like the feel. That uneasy feeling is your brain adapting.
All True!
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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How can I build up my calluses on my hands if I'm always wearing gloves?
😜
Try slapping a bass guitar for an hour a day! After a few weeks the bleeding stops, after a month or two it's going to sound good. After a year or more you suddenly find yourself on a stage wondering how you even got there!
I quit after the first day, so no judgement from my end.
 

just.wing.it

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Try slapping a bass guitar for an hour a day! After a few weeks the bleeding stops, after a month or two it's going to sound good. After a year or more you suddenly find yourself on a stage wondering how you even got there!
I quit after the first day, so no judgement from my end.
I do love me some SLAP!
 

scarriedoc

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Try slapping a bass guitar for an hour a day! After a few weeks the bleeding stops, after a month or two it's going to sound good. After a year or more you suddenly find yourself on a stage wondering how you even got there!
I quit after the first day, so no judgement from my end.
I play bass too, but haven't in years due to young kids!
 

alexander.jm

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On a slightly similar note, how were bonsai fed before store-bought fertilizer?
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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On a slightly similar note, how were bonsai fed before store-bought fertilizer?
Human and cattle waste were mixed with compost from the rice fields, and then allowed to ferment for a while.
This has led to modern 'Bokashi' culture; Japanese style fermentation of food waste to produce plant food. Most liquid organic nutrients are made that way nowadays. It's the sole reason why most organic liquid nutrients smell like soy sauce: it's the same process and large parts of the micro organisms are from the same families.
 

scarriedoc

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Thank you everyone for the great advice. I've removed the poo and am guarding against future deposits. Unfortunately my yard is small and the only place for my benches where they get the right light (and hubby doesn't need to move a lot to mow) is against the property line/fence, but being in a fairly urban area, I don't think we have possum or raccoon visitors too often.

This raccoon seems to also be nesting in a corner of our shed so hubby's got some trapping to do!
 

alexander.jm

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Human and cattle waste were mixed with compost from the rice fields, and then allowed to ferment for a while.
This has led to modern 'Bokashi' culture; Japanese style fermentation of food waste to produce plant food. Most liquid organic nutrients are made that way nowadays. It's the sole reason why most organic liquid nutrients smell like soy sauce: it's the same process and large parts of the micro organisms are from the same families.

This is cool. I'd like to be "off-grid" as possible but this is something that will have to come much, much later. Thank you.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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This is cool. I'd like to be "off-grid" as possible but this is something that will have to come much, much later. Thank you.
You can always start out with worm towers. This'll give you free bait for fishing and free compost. With compost, you can make compost tea. It's about half an hour of work to set it up, collecting worms is the hardest part.
 

alexander.jm

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You can always start out with worm towers. This'll give you free bait for fishing and free compost. With compost, you can make compost tea. It's about half an hour of work to set it up, collecting worms is the hardest part.

This might be just the thing. Even a little bit of home-made fertilzer would be cool.
 

Orion_metalhead

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Try slapping a bass guitar for an hour a day! After a few weeks the bleeding stops, after a month or two it's going to sound good. After a year or more you suddenly find yourself on a stage wondering how you even got there!
I quit after the first day, so no judgement from my end.

You dont have to play slap to get callouses.. i dont play slap and doctors cant draw blood through normal finger pricking on any finger on either my hands. Just play bass in any form for an hour per day and youll find yourself with rawhide hands.
 

sorce

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I found something on the face of the radiator cover in my bathroom and I'm telling you about it in this thread.

Sorce
 
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