Why does animal urine damage the lawn? What to do about urine in the lawn?
If you have pets, you are probably familiar with the problem of dog urine damaging the lawn. Not only dog urine causes stains on the lawn, but also the urine of other animal species such as cats,Horseetc. For the sake of simplicity, we will only discuss the two most popular pets in Germany in this article. Cat and dog.
The damage to the lawn is caused bytwo factorscaused:Nitrogen contentundhigh pH value. Nitrogen is naturally present in the urine of animals (both dogs and cats) because they eat a lot of proteins. When very nitrogen-rich urine is applied to the lawn, it dehydrates the roots and turns the leaves yellow. In some cases, this can kill the grass patch. The pH value also plays a role. Dog urine usually has a pH of about 6, but when it rises, the dog urine burns the leaves and roots of the lawn.
Pet urine is much worse in summer because of the high temperatures and lack of rain. Especially if the pets are dehydrated, this can make the urine even more concentrated and dangerous for the lawn. It is not easy to teach a pet to urinate elsewhere. Dogs in particular tend to prefer grass to defecate. So what can you do to prevent urine from damaging your lovingly tended lawn?
Pouring water (1-2 liters) on the area where a pet has just urinated helps to dilute the urine and prevent the appearance of a burnt area. Of course, this requires vigilant eyes to take preventative action.
Dog Rocksare special natural stones that supposedly prevent urine from attacking or damaging the lawn. There are enthusiastic reviews on the Internet, but no long-term studies on whether this could possibly harm the animal. It does not remove existing urine stains from the grass, but according to the manufacturer, no new stains are created.
Experts from Australia and the United States generally recommend a complete change of diet. It is better to give the animal high-quality proteins that are easier to digest and keep the pH value of the urine in check. In additionApple cider vinegarund²Tomato juiceto counteract the acidic or alkaline character. The acid in apple cider vinegar and the vitamin C in tomato juice help to neutralize urine and burn the lawn less.
Dog urine is in the lawn. Cat urine in the lawn. What can I do immediately?
If yellow patches have already appeared on the lawn, there is unfortunately no immediate solution. The lawn can often be revived by simply watering it. Otherwise, the following points apply:
Wait and see. The lawn will repair itself over time. Provided the weather conditions are right and there is enough water. Depending on the time of year, this may take some time.
Of course, the worst-case scenario could be that the urinated part of the lawn has died. This would mean that you would have to cut out the section, re-seed it withTurf soilfill up andreseedmust.