Rec and Sports

Repairing Dog Spots in Your Lawn

You don’t have to choose between having a lawn and having a pet. This article will help you know how to recognize and deal with pet spots in your lawn. Three of the main problems caused by pets include lawn compaction, pH imbalances, and over fertilization. This article deals with these three main issues and how to fix them.

To begin with, lawn compaction is not a problem that can always be over come. A lot depends on the size and energy level of your dog and how large or small the lawn is. Something that will help most of the time is to aerate your lawn on a regular basis. This will reduce root compaction stress caused by large pets and improve the condition of the soil. Aeration can be chemical, mechanical or both.

Pet urine is high in urea and often causes pet problems in your lawn. It is evident if you have yellow spots surrounded by dark green rings. Urea has and N-P-K value of 46-0-0. The yellowing spots in the lawn are caused by over fertilization which acidifies the soil and burns your lawn. Although urea is an excellent fertilizer, to much of it is lethal for your lawn. There are essentially 3 ways to solve this problem. Each pet is different so pick a way that works best for you. One, give your pet a vitamin additive in their food that neutralizes the urine. Two follow your pet with a pitcher of water and pour it on the spots where he first peas. Three, Train your dog to pea in other places like over rock and bark and not on the lawn.

Female dogs ovulation cycles may be another cause of lawn problems is your yard. Typically fluids released during female ovulation cycle are very acidic and damaging to lawns. You can help prevent this problem by giving your dog and additive in her food to make it less acidic or by fixing your pet.

Once your lawn has been damaged by either urea or pH imbalances, the next step is to repair the spots in the lawn that are damaged. To do this, first scrape off affected area down to the soil. Next, replace with either sod or seed. For seed lawn use a light topdressing and starter fertilizer. Be sure to water regular. Grass should take 3-6 weeks to get established.