If you daydream about attaching a bucket to your dog to catch his pee, or wonder if the neighbors would mock you if you dressed him in a diaper, you’re not alone.
You love your dog, but not those ugly dead spots he makes on your nice green lawn.
How to prevent dog urine from killing grass? How to fix dog urine spots in your lawn?
Hold off on those doggie diapers until we take a look. Poor Kipper is hiding in the closet, worried about the humiliation.
First, Why Does Dog Urine Kill Grass?
Dog urine leaves ugly yellow or brown dead spots on your lawn. Why?
That urine contains a lot of nitrogen. Isn’t nitrogen good for lawns? You bet. But not this much, in such strong concentration. It causes grass to turn brown and die.
How to prevent dog urine from killing grass?
Train Pooch to Pee in One Spot
Maybe it took you six months to train your dog to sit. But have hope — dogs can be trained to sniff out bombs, help hearing-impaired people and, if you believe the internet, go to the fridge, open it, grab a drink and bring it to you.
So this should be easy: Create an area of rocks or mulch and try to train your pooch to do his business there instead of on the grass.
Water Dog Urine Spots
Dragging the hose around the yard every time Kipper pees is not anybody’s idea of a wise use of time. But if you have an irrigation system controlled by your smartphone, it’s easy.
Just turn it on for a minute or two after you see your pooch go and the water will help dilute that potent urine.
How to Fix Dog Urine Spots in Your Lawn
Re-seeding to the rescue!
Those dead spots likely won’t regrow on their own. So you’ll need to remove the dead grass and reseed the area.
Follow these steps:
- Rake out the dead, burned turf. Your grass seed will germinate and root best if It can snuggle up to bare soil.
- Water the soil well to flush out the urine. Loosen the soil a bit to prepare it for the seed.
- Scatter grass seed over the loosened soil. Scratch it in a bit and tamp it down so you know there’s good contact.
- Add some fertilizer designed for new grass to get it off to a good start.
- Keep it watered. When your grass is new, it needs more frequent light watering in smaller amounts. This usually means watering your lawn two or three times a day for 15-20 minutes.
A Couple Bonus Tips to Fix Dog Urine Spots in Your Lawn
- Re-seed those damaged spots mid-May through late September. You don’t want your new grass seedlings zapped by frost or freezing temperatures.
- Keep Kipper away from the newly planted seed to give it time to germinate. New grass seed needs time to get established with strong healthy roots before it's ready for pooch to visit and play.
Start with a Healthy Lawn from RainMaster to Help Prevent Dog Urine from Killing Grass
Lawns that are too dry or weak are extra susceptible to dog urine damage.
Invest in a complete, proactive lawn care program to continuously improve and protect your lawn.
Consider it a team effort. Let’s create a custom nutrition plan for your Eau Claire, WI or Minneapolis area lawn, so the roots will be nourished, the soil packed with nutrients, and your grass thick and healthy, so it resists the troublemakers that cause bare spots in your lawn — like Kipper. Good thing he’s cute, right?
Choose from three different levels of lawn care programs, based on the results you’d like, how fast you want to see results, and your budget.
Want to get to the bottom of your lawn problems and be confident about your choice for lawn care services in Eau Claire, WI or Minneapolis? Request a quote today! We’ll review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy your lawn and stop worrying about it.
