Ridding Your Lawn Of Dog Urine Spots

  Posted on November 7, 2013  by Joy of Living  No comments

Are you plagued by unsightly yellow spots in your yard where your dog urinates? Whether you’re a lawn fanatic or simply like to have a nice-looking yard, here are some tips to help get rid of these urine spots in your lawn.

Dog urine is full of waste compounds but many of them are rich in nitrogen. Fertilizers are rich in nitrogen, too. However, when your dog urinates on your grass it is simply too much in one place at one time. Dog urine essentially burns your lawn. Instead of fertilizing the grass, your dog’s urine is overly concentrated.

There are several things you can do to overcome this problem.

If you are fertilizing your lawn consider how much you’re fertilizing in the area where your dog potties. It may help to cut back on fertilizer in this area slightly to decrease the overall amount of nitrogen in the soil.

Water your grass regularly. If your dog has just urinated then flooding the spot with water will help dilute the urine and its nitrogen concentration. It will be far less likely to burn the grass or cause any damage. The area should continue to grow as normal.

If the spot on your lawn has been in place for a while then you can dig out the area and flush the soil with water to dilute the extra nitrogen. Then reseed the spot or apply new sod.

Since you love your dog and you also want to keep your yard looking nice think about seeding your yard with a grass that is more resistant to urine spots. Fescues and perennial rye grasses are less susceptible to damage from urine than other grasses.

You can also train your dog to use one particular area in your yard in order to keep the rest of your yard looking nice. Use grave or mulch in this area so itís easy to pick up and keep odor down.

Make sure your dog has access to water at all times. By keeping your dog well-hydrated you will also keep his urine less concentrated and it will do less damage to your lawn.

Many people believe that the urine of female dogs does more damage to lawns than the urine of male dogs. This may be because female dogs urinate in one place while male dogs tend to sprinkle a little everywhere.

Following these suggestions will help eliminate all or most of the urine spots in your lawn.