Dogs may be man’s best friend, but they’re your beautiful green lawn’s arch-nemesis. Brown spots, caused by urine, can ruin an otherwise great-looking yard.
The marketplace is full of snake-oil treatments, promising to protect your grass. Some use odor to deter urination, which can actually cause a dog to “mark” his territory with greater fervor. Some owners have tried modifying their dogs’ diets…usually with limited results. Urine contains nitrogen and uric acid, and are so concentrated that too much will burrn and kill your grass. Because most females squat and most males lift a leg, females tend to do the most damage to a lawn. Many dog owners report that they have trained their dogs to relieve themselves only in certain areas, just as they house-trained their dogs. However, most dog owners struggle with brown spots from pet urine.
According to an international nonprofit research organization, one of the most successful methods for minimizing the effects of urine is to dilute the urine with water immediately after your dog relieves herself. That means watching your dog closely when he or she is roaming your lawn, then pouring pitchers of water on the urine spot to dilute the nitrogen and acid to protect your grass. Not an easy task!
The good news is that lawn burn, when mild, will generally repair itself over time. For some spots, sod replacement may be required. Getting the lawn back into shape is not a problem… it’s keeping it there that presents the challenge.
If you have brown spots from dog urine in your yard, we can help heal your dying grass. With the team from Associated Environmental Landscape (AEL) repairing and maintaining your lawn, you’ll have more time for training Fido to use a mulched area as his/her bathroom. Good luck and let us know how you’re doing.
