Does Dog Pee Kill Grass?
Your community members love their pets, and taking them outside for routine potty breaks is just part of life. That’s not to say that pets in your community can’t be irritating at times, particularly when they harm your beautiful common areas. As dogs, it’s in their nature to roam your property confidently. Pets can be taught not to dig holes in your sod, but you can’t expect them not to urinate on and later on, kill your carefully cultivated grass.
Fortunately, you can have both happy pet owners and a green, flourishing yard once you learn how to stop dog pee from killing grass in your HOA.
Why Does Dog Pee Kill Grass?
For years, people believed that dog urine killing grass was due to its acidic nature. In fact, the real culprit is meat and other proteins. Dogs need to eat a great deal of protein to maintain their health. During the digestive process, the protein is broken down into nitrogen and released through each dog’s urine. The high nitrogen in dog urine burns the grass in the same way that too much fertilizer does.
Some pet owners are more likely to have problems with dog urine killing grass than others. Female dogs are harder on lawns because they tend to urinate in one concentrated spot. Large dogs cause more harm simply because they release large quantities of urine. If the grass in your community already has problems, dog urine will worsen its condition.
Before you take action, check to make certain those brown spots are urine damage and not fungus problems. If you can pull up the grass in the brown spot easily, dog urine is not the problem.
Protect Trees from Dog Urine
Remember, you need to protect trees from dog urine as well. Routinely examine the bottom two feet of your trees to check for burned bark and other deformities.
How to Keep Dog Pee from Killing Grass
You can reduce or stop dog pee from killing grass entirely if you make a few changes in how you handle your lawn and the pets in your community.
How To Stop Dog Pee from Killing Grass
- Don’t over-fertilize your lawn – lawns that already have high levels of nitrogen are more susceptible to dog urine killing grass
- Avoid Bluegrass, Bermuda grass and other grasses that are sensitive to nitrogen
- Spray water on the places that pets are urinating to dilute the nitrogen concentration
- Encourage pet owners to have their pets drink more water to dilute their urine
- Train pets to urinate on the same designated spot in a play area or on a discrete spot in the HOA
- Don’t allow pets to urinate on trees
- Consult with your lawn care professionals
Stop Dog Urine From Killing Grass with Silversand Services
Our Dallas commercial lawn maintenance and landscaping team can offer multiple solutions to your unsightly pet issues. You may choose to have your common areas re-sodded with a more urine-resistant grass and your tree trunks protected from dog urine by fencing or other barriers.
Our experts offer a full range of Houston commercial landscaping and lawn care services that keep your property looking lush and well-maintained all year long. They have a unique understanding of the Texas climate that translates into a more beautiful lawn for your community.
To receive a free quote, visit our website to fill out our contact form today. Taking action now will prevent pet urine from killing your grass and trees, allowing you to keep your community looking beautiful and vibrant.
