Can Dog Urine Kill Clematis?
Marjorie Asked
Can dog urine kill clematis?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hi, Marjorie: Sometimes being a dog owner and a gardener can be a challenge, but we have to remember it is their garden too! Training them is our job so that we can all live together and keep our plants happy as well. Dog urine can certainly damage plant material, although it has to be a consistent habit in combination with lack of rainfall/water. If this is your dog that is urinating on your clematis, it will be easier to train as opposed to several neighborhood dogs using the same space to relieve themselves. Once a dog marks its spot it can be difficult to deter other dogs from doing the same. Dog urine is alkaline, it can over time alter the pH of the soil and damage plant material. Fortunately there are options that do not include constructing a fence. There are many nontoxic products available that are made specifically for repelling dogs. Liquid Fence makes one that is made of natural plant oils such as citronella and cinnamon oils. It is environmentally safe and not harmful to the dogs, they just do not like the smell. These kinds of products will have to be re-applied every few months. Hosing off the clematis if you can get to it shortly after the dog does will help dilute the urine. Otherwise, adding layers of pine cones around the clematis or anything else that is not nice to walk on may also help deter our four-legged friends. If your clematis is still green and putting on new growth it should be fine, but if it is brown and brittle then unfortunately it is too late to save it. It is hard to say if this is the dog’s fault or not, but either way it should be removed from the garden.
