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Landscape Design

New Home - Temporary Ground cover for dogs

7 months ago

Hello,
We're building a new home and regulations dictate that it takes almost a year (after moving in) for the ground to settle before it can be re-graded and inspected/approved for landscaping. So in the interim, I need to set up some temporary fence and ground cover for my dog so he can go out to do his business.
What do people recommend?
I heard some say rolled straw, mulch, gravel. Any other options? It'll have to be temporary as the ground will be re-graded.

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Comments (4)

Sigrid
7 months ago
Gravel is not temporary. It will sink into the ground and you'll never get it all up. Hay will probably rot before a year is up. Mulch is the best of those options. Another idea is to plant a cover crop that you'll till under. Your local extension can advise, but I'd pick a grassy one. You'd have to wait a few weeks for it to grow in, before you can let your dogs loose, but you could do hay in one area and when they can go on the rest, sow that.

Improve Vegetable Garden Soil with Cover Crops (psu.edu)
Edward Chong thanked Sigrid
marmiegard_z7b
7 months ago
I haven’t ever had to do this but it sounds daunting for a year! I have picked up dog poop for family members 2 large dogs so that has to be factored in.

I can’t see any fast ground cover being durable— later on you’d need to sod, not seed , for dogs.
Here are some random thoughts, but would love to hear from dog owners:
Use some kind of movable pen, with mulch, & re- locate a few times. Takes a lotta mulch though to not be a mud- fest, so not sure how you obtain/ move to location. A few bags won’t do it.
? Unless you have a little dog.

Actually pseudo-install ( No base prep) some large (16-18”) pavers as base for dog pen/ run if there’s a level -ish area near hose access.

Consider an expanse of artificial turf, in some kind of boundary or frame, or I guess just with dog pen on top, again if there’s a mostly flat area. Akin to those doggy- turf potty systems for apartment- dweller balconies, but less constructed. If doing this for a year, I’d expect you’d have to toss out & replace some times.

Walk your dog a LOT , taking poop bags of course.
Edward Chong thanked marmiegard_z7b
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marmiegard_z7b
7 months ago
Perhaps if you’re in the right zone ( where are you?) you could actually plant something- in part so dog could wander more ( is back yard fenced?) , so my main question for those with more experience, is, you’re still trying to establish something that won’t later be invasive/ seed bank, so, watering, taking care of it, plus what might be limited “ seasons” of growth for things.
Edward Chong thanked marmiegard_z7b
Edward Chong
Original Author
7 months ago
Thanks Everyone!

I'm in Calgary, so we get all the seasons; Hot dry summers to freezing cold winters.

Good to know that the straw will not hold out for the year, however mulch wouldn't work either as my dog like to eat mulch. I'm guessing pavers with artificial turf on top might be okay, just need to make sure the water can flow through. Once the yard is re-graded, I could re-use the artificial turf for a dog run.

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