Pets and your Lawn #1

Are you noticing brown spots in your yard?  Your sweet furry friends (or maybe your neighbor's pets) can create unsightly spots in your beautiful lawn.

These brown spots are caused by the acidic nature of urine. This is due to the high concentrations of nitrogen present in the ammonia component of your pet's urine. A little nitrogen is good for your lawn but an excessive amount causes damage.  It is similar to pouring a nitrogen-containing fertilizer onto your lawn.

Female dogs cause more damage because they do their "business' in one concentrated area. There is a quick and somewhat easy fix for this problem.  After your pet has finished their business, water that portion of the lawn for a few minutes or simply dump a bucket of water on that spot.  The watering will cause the nitrogen to dilute and that has a positive effect on the lawn.  If you notice a green ring around the brown spot, the nitrogen is causing this dark, green ring of accelerated growth.  A more dramatic contrast of color between the dog spot and the lawn is a good visual indicator of the need to fertilize your lawn.  Use less fertilizer in the beginning and increase it gradually. Fertilizing will help keep your lawn healthy and that lovely green color will be vibrant in the spring.

If your lawn is full of these dog spots, it may be necessary to cut out the brown area and patch the lawn with new sod.  The re-sodding of the areas will give you the quickest fix. Another way to fix the issue is to take a 4-6 inch knife and slice into the brown spot several times.  By cutting into the ground, you will be breaking up the root system and this helps the rhizomes to reproduce and this creates new, green grass in the spot where your pet has browned it.

Give Sunbelt Turf Farm a call for all your sod needs.  The friendly staff will answer all your questions and help you have a beautiful lawn.

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Sunbelt Turf Farm began in St. Clair County. Over 30 years have perfected the art of growing, selling and the delivery of quality turf grass. Customer satisfaction is paramount and we stand behind our turf grass. Expansions into Shelby and Talladega Counties successfully turned cotton fields and pasture land into beautiful, green turf. Commercial and retail opportunities, pick-up or delivery, free estimates, fast turnaround and remaining environmentally friendly separate us from the rest.