Doggone it! What’s wrong with my lawn?

Dogs. Unconditional love in a furry cute package. We love them. But our lawns…. Not so much… Most people know that dog urine is detrimental to your lawn. And there are plenty of myths about how to help the issue. Here's some hardcore truths about what causes the problem and what to do about it.

Early Stages of Dog Urine Burn

Dog urine has high contents of nitrogen. In smaller quantities, nitrogen is actually good for the turf. It helps to "green up" the grass. Dogs are creatures of habit, though. They tend to go in the same area day after day, thereby providing more nitrogen than the grass can tolerate. It burns the grass and creates those unsightly brown spots in your lawn. Some think that female urine is actually more acidic, but that's not true. This myth stems from the fact that whereas male dogs typically lift their legs to mark territory on something like a tree, shrub, or the ever-present fire hydrant in short bursts, females squat and make larger puddles, thereby providing more nitrogen in a concentrated area. Added to the fact that dogs mark over each other's scent (does your dog ever urinate directly on top of another dog's urine?) that can add up to a lot of "fertilizer" for your lawn.

Continued Damage

What do we do about it? Old wives tales abound about how to save your grass. Some think that changing the dog's diet will help. Heck, they even make doggie diapers now. But short of putting Pampers on your puppy, the only ways to truly stop damage over time is to water the area directly after your dog urinates to dilute the nitrogen OR to train your dog to go in an appropriate specified area of your yard. I don't know about you, but the idea of watering every time my dog goes sounds like too much work to me. So the best solution is to allocate space for the dog to go. This could be a natural area or pine needled area (which also helps with #2 removal). Training takes consistency and perseverance but with continued effort, eventually your dog will get it. Be careful of shrubs and trees in the area, though. They are susceptible to damage from too much nitrogen just like your grass.

So what's the answer? Short of getting rid of our furry friends, we say LONG LIVE THE DOG RUN.

Thanks,

The AA Tex Lawn Team

Feed Your Trees!

We all want tremendous growth and health from the trees and shrubs in our landscapes. And now is the time to make sure your trees have the nutrients they need for a good growing season. Fertilizer provides nutrients needed to boost plant, shrub, and tree growth. There are several ways to go about fertilizing your trees and shrubs. There are granular surface fertilizers as well as liquid fertilizers. At AA Tex Lawn, we prefer to push liquid fertilizer into the soil around the drip line of the tree. This is known as deep root feeding.

Deep root feeding is a process by which we inject fertilizer directly into the ground at the root zone of the tree or shrub using a root feeder tool attached to a spray hose. It not only puts the product at the root zone (where it is most effective) but also aerifies the soil and stimulates root growth. With the hard clay soil that we have in the piedmont section of North Carolina, absorption of granular fertilizers into the root system of the tree can sometimes be hindered by compaction of the soil… particularly in times of drought or reduced rainfall. This is where deep root feeding comes in. The fertilizer is released directly into the root zone. In addition, the holes left from deep root feeding allow additional water to reach the roots of the tree or shrub. The benefits to the tree are numerous.

Deep root feeding is a standard process for tree care, but we have adopted it to use on ornamental trees and shrubs, too.

No matter whether you prefer to use a granular or liquid fertilizer, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Applying too much fertilizer can be harmful for your trees whereas applying too little is ineffectual. Or just let a professional handle it for you. Contact our office if you have any questions or if you'd like us to help you with the process. We should begin our deep root feeding in the late January/February timeframe.

Thanks,

The AA Tex Lawn Team