If you have dogs around, you have one more thing to worry about apart from their well-being. That is them peeing around your garden plants.
Dog urine contains nitrogen and other salts with the potential to burn plant roots.
Increased nitrogen in soils also creates unfavorable growing environments for some plants leading to their early demise.
Luckily, some plants are dog-resistant. Let’s learn how to grow some of them.
15 Plants That Are Resistant To Dog Pee
Having these plants in your garden will save you the burden of having to replant them time and again.
1. Bear’s breech
Bear’s breech is a large perennial plant with shiny green leaves and beautiful tall spiky flowers. Besides saving you from the tedious chore of replanting, it also adds beauty to your garden.
There are 30 species, but only a couple do well as garden plants. You want to have more space in your garden because they spread wide.
The soil should also contain plenty of compost. Bear’s breech loves full sun to partial shade.
2. Holly Fern
The Holly fern is also known as the Japanese holly fern.
Its leaves are serrated with toothed margins. The plant thrives well in average soils and is shade tolerant, fitting well in the dark corners of your garden.
It matures to a height of 0.5m and spreads 1m. Most gardeners grow holly fern as a border plant or in containers as an indoor plant.
3. Doublefile viburnum
Doublefile viburnum is the other dog urine-resistant plant that will give your dogs the comfort to wander in your garden. It has dark green leaves in multi-stemmed shrubs that are toothed and oval.
The plant produces white blooms from April to May. It does well in full sun but can withstand some shade as well.
The soil should be moist and well-draining. A best routine practice is to prune them regularly.
4. Burkwood osmanthus
Another shrub that fits your dog-friendly garden is the Burkwood osmanthus. It’s tall and compact with evergreen leaves.
It is mainly used for hedging, while some gardeners also use it as a specimen plant.
Burkwood osmanthus’s optimum growing height is 10 ft. Its highly aromatic flowers bloom in spring.
The plant thrives best in alkaline soils. It also tolerates shade and drought pretty well.
5. Mexican Sage
Mexican sage is an evergreen perennial shrub known for its velvety ornamental flowers. The shrub grows 4-6 feet tall and spreads up to 180cm wide.
Their bicolored flowers are beautiful thanks to a mix of soft sepals that contrast nicely with their fuzzy white flowers. The Mexican sage grows by forming dense arching spikes above their lance-shaped gray-green leaves.
Mexican sage thrives in full sun but also does well in partial shade. It loves moist and well-draining soil. You can grow them as a border plant or in containers.
Ground Covers
Groundcovers are highly beneficial to your garden. They prevent soil erosion, run-offs and prevent damage to trees during lawn mowing. Ideal dog resistant groundcovers include:
6. Ajuga Ground Cover (Carpet bugleweed)
Ajuga groundcover also goes by the name carpet bugleweed. It’s a creeping evergreen plant that spreads quickly, filling empty areas.
It can smother weeds while adding a semblance of beauty through its foliage colors. Ajuga groundcovers thrive best in shady locations but can also withstand sunlight.
7. Silver carpet (Dymondia margaretae)
The silver carpet plant derives its name from its dense silvery-green mat that slowly spreads with time, outcompeting all the weeds. It grows to a height of 2-7 cm and can spread up to 50 cm wide.
It’s a hardy plant that can withstand foot traffic, making it the ideal groundcover for garden walkways. Grow silver carpet in full sun with well-draining soil.
It grows well in poor, rocky soil.
8. Elfin creeping thyme
End your problem with dog urine by planting the Elfin creeping thyme in your garden. Elfin thyme is a herbaceous perennial subshrub that grows to a low height of 2.5-5 cm, and it spreads to a width of 10-20cm.
You will love its tiny glossy and green aromatic leaves that come with a mix of purple and pink blossoms. The subshrub sheds its leaves in cold climates but retains them year-round in milder regions.
Elfin is drought and heat resistant and can tolerate heavy foot traffic.
9. Winter Creeper (Euonymus fortunei)
The Wintercreeper is a creeping evergreen perennial vine native to Asia. Its stems are green when young but turn light gray with age.
It has a penchant for invading natural areas and thrives in a wide range of growing conditions from full sun to deep shade.
Wintercreeper thrives well in neutral, low nutrient-poor soils.
10. Snow in Summer
Another groundcover that is resistant to dog urine is the Snow in Summer. It’s a perennial flower that blooms excessively in early summer.
The blanket of its pristine white flowers depicts a picture of a fresh snowfall, which helps explain its naming. It’s the perfect groundcover for dry, sunny areas and grows well in rocky gardens.
Herbs
The other group of dog pee-resistant plants is the culinary herbs. Apart from making your dishes tasty, they are also compatible with your dogs. You can choose several herbs from the list below.
11. Basil
Basil is a summer plant that loves the outdoor environment. The planting medium should be wet and well-draining. You should grow them in containers for better drainage ideally.
You could decide to plant any of the following basil types in your garden based on your taste and other preferences:
1. Sweet basil – the most common type
2. Lemon basil with a tangy flavor
3. Thai basil with a somewhat spicy flavor
Always mulch around the plant to help conserve moisture.
12. Peppermint
Peppermint is the other dog-friendly herb you want to plant in your garden. It was first cultivated in England in the eighteenth century, having arisen from a hybrid between watermint and spearmint.
Peppermint loves aquatic environments, which means you should water it frequently for maximum growth. Ensure partially to full sun for best results.
13. Oregano
Oregano is a perennial herb characterized by colors like white and rose-purple. It’s a sun-loving plant that can be started from seeds or cuttings of established plants. It grows to about four inches tall.
The best time for planting Oregano is after the last spring frost. Plant them in well-draining soil.
Oregano is a good companion plant for growing with other garden vegetables.
14. Parsley
Parsley is a herb and a green leafy vegetable originating from the Mediterranean reaches of Algeria, Tunisia, and Southern Italy. It’s characterized by a mildly bitter taste and a more concentrated earthly flavor.
It’s among the few herbs that will give you peace with your dogs in the yard because of its resilient nature.
Parsley has a host of health and nutrition benefits. Besides being a rich source of antioxidants, it also helps build a robust immune system.
15. Rosemary
Rosemary is also one of the options amongst dog urine-resistant herbs. It originated in the Mediterranean region but spread worldwide.
Rosemary leaves are used to spice foods, while the oil relieves pain and kickstarts hair growth.
Rosemary thrives in slightly acidic soils with a pH range of 6.0 to 7.0. The soil should be loamy and well-draining.
You want to plant it in full sunlight for the best results.
Wrap Up
If you have been losing sleep over the misadventures of your dogs in your garden, just sit back, relax and grow the plants mentioned above.
These plants can easily withstand the high nitrogen levels in dog urine. Apart from that, they are resilient enough to bear their playful digging.
