Is Dog Urine Killing Your Grass?

Warm weather and steady rainfall typically means your grass will become and stay green. If you have a dog, this might not be the case. The most common type of lawn damage for dog owners is lawn burn. Lawn burn happens when your pooch’s urine contains too much nitrogen and salt, causing unsightly brown patches. While you might be worried about dog urine killing grass, fear not because this problem can easily be remedied!

First, determine whether the patches of brown grass are dead or dormant. Brown grass is dormant, but it will still be standing up. On the other hand, dead grass is limp and matted down.

If the patches are brown, water these areas more than you normally would the rest of the lawn. The extra water will dilute the urine salts left behind by your dog and salvage any remaining turf.

However, if the patches are dead, remove them from your lawn. Make sure to dig 1 inch below the affected area to ensure the dead soil is no longer present. Add planting mix to the area before laying in new sod or seed, and water until it’s saturated. With any seed job, you want to use a new lawn fertilizer product to help the seed grow after it germinates.

In both cases, watering is essential. To prevent future doggie damage, make sure man’s best friend is drinking plenty of water, because it will help dilute the nitrogen and salt that is causing the damage.

Follow these steps and your lawn will look nice and green in no time!

Need help? Give our lawn experts a call at 515.987.0800 or request a quote online.