Dog owners know all too well the problem of yellow spots on the lawn. We show how to fix dog pee damage on lawn.
Dog owners know the problem well enough: When romping in the garden, the four-legged friend has to relieve himself and uses the lawn for this. What doesn't sound bad at first can, however, become a major problem for the laboriously maintained lawn. Unsightly yellow stains form where dog urine touched the lawn. Places that regularly come into contact with dog urine are particularly badly affected, for example because the dog marks the spot. But what can you do about the yellow spots and why does dog urine damage the lawn in the first place? In our article we clarify.
Why does dog urine ruin the lawn?
Basically, the lawn is not automatically ruined by just a bit of dog urine. In fact, the tiniest amount of it on the lawn can even have a fertilizing effect. However, this effect is reversed with larger amounts or frequent urination in the same place. The high s alt content in the urine extracts the water from the surrounding grass and thus causes the dry patches. In combination with sunshine, the grass literally burns, similar to over-fertilization. If dog urine gets into the ground, it also means that the roots can no longer absorb water. Eventually this will cause the grasses to die off leaving the yellow-brown patches behind.
How to remove dog urine stains from your lawn
If the lawn has been damaged by dog urine, only a lawn repair can help. For this purpose, the dead plant and remaining root parts are removed from the affected area as completely as possible. Then loosen the soil and rinse it thoroughly with water to flush out any urine residue. Now you can overseed: The combination of Plantura lawn repair is particularly suitable for this - it not only contains suitable seed for closinggaps in the lawn, but also the best varieties for quick and safe germination - and Plantura organic lawn fertilizer. The balanced mixture ensures that the growth of the grass is particularly high and the gaps are closed quickly. In addition, the Plantura organic lawn fertilizer is also suitable as a lawn fertilizer for dog owners, as it is also completely harmless for animals. Alternatively, you can also overseed the areas by hand with simple lawn seeds. However, these require more time to completely close the gap. In the time after sowing, particular care must be taken to ensure that the dog does not use the spot again to urinate. Otherwise the urine will immediately dry out the new plants.
The best way to ensure the dog doesn't urinate on the spot again is to block off said area from the rest of the yard with fencing or large flower pots. However, this is neither visually appealing nor particularly easy. Therefore, you can also use a simple garden sprinkler and place it near the spot. If the dog runs around freely in the garden, this should be switched on - many dogs avoid the water and prefer to look for other places for their relief. If strange dogs pee on your property, you can also use sprinklers with motion sensors that are activated as soon as someone approaches the spot. Positive side effect: The freshly sown spot is sufficiently supplied with water.
Prevent Dog Urine Stains
If you often have problems with urine stains on your lawn, you can certainly try to take preventive measures. For example, if you see the dog using the lawn to urinate, grabbing the water hose will help. Watering the affected area can neutralize dog urine on the lawn. Due to the high dilution, the osmotic effect of dog urine on the lawn does not come into play. Possible residues in the soil are also washed away. At the same time, watering reduces the smell of the pee on the lawn. This makes strange dogs less interested in marking the spot again.
Especially owners of a front yard are often annoyed about strange dogs that do on their lawn. If you want to prevent urine stains on the lawn, you can also make your property unattractive for dogs by choosing the right plants. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), for example, is an eye-catcher in the garden because of its strongBut smells are avoided by most dogs. The piss-off plant (Plectranthus ornatus) also lives up to its name because neither dogs nor cats like its smell. Thorny hedges also help as a natural defense against dogs: raspberry (Rubus idaeus), barberry (Berberis vulgaris) or holly (Ilex ) can serve as a natural barrier when planted between the sidewalk and the lawn. Their spikes make dogs reluctant to cross them and therefore avoid stepping onto the lawn. However, caution is advised here: Despite all the dangers, some cocky four-legged friends fall into the hedges and can suffer minor injuries such as scratches or thorns.
If the only thing that bothers you is the yellow spots in the lawn caused by dog urine, you can also use s alt-tolerant plants. Sedge (Phragmites australis), Wormwood (Artemisia santonicum), Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) or Sea rye (Leymus arenarius) is known for its high s alt tolerance. As a result, they tolerate contact with dog urine much better than lawns.
Would you like to do something good for your lawn, but also not burden your dog? In our article "Lawn fertilizer for dog owners: what do you have to pay attention to?", we reveal what you need to consider when fertilizing to protect your four-legged friend.