Lawn Care: Has Summer Brought Out The Worst In Pet Damage

Summer, particularly late summer, is one of the worst times for your lawn if you have pets. Dogs are the worst offenders, as they rarely use the one spot for their toileting. The solids are easy to find and remove and they cause few problems. It’s the liquid waste that causes problems and a long dry summer often magnifies the damage.

Pet urine is full of nitrogen – the problem is, there is too much of it. Nitrogen can be good for lawns and, in the right amount, can help to darken the green color in grass. Too much, however, burns the grass and if not diluted by rain or regular watering it can kill the grass in that area. The obvious solution is to water your lawn well at least once a week – this will at least dilute the urine and help to reduce its impact.

If you have a large dog that drinks a lot of water, and they all do when the weather is hot, then what goes in must come out and large quantities going in means large quantities coming out. Even a weekly watering may not be enough. The problem is, any more watering and you run the risk of disease. The solution is to train your dog to use an area that won’t be damaged by their toileting.

For areas that have already been affected, flush well with water every second day for a week then leave it for three to four days. Use a lawn repair tool to perforate through to the soil then oversow with good quality seed. Water again and keep the area moist for 5-10 days. Once the new growth starts to appear, cut back on the watering. When the grass reaches 2-3 inches, give it a light cut – this will help with root growth and to thicken the lawn in that patch.

There is little you can do to prevent pet damage to lawns apart from removing the source of the problem  – pet urine. How you do that is up to you. If you cannot remove the source of the problem then be sure to have a good lawn repair tool on hand – you’ll find you’re always using it.