Lawn 9 October 2021 at 2:08PM edited 11 October 2021 at 2:31PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 19 replies 897 views

PierremontQuaker03

Hi All, see below pics.
Firstly my son plays football on the grass and we own a dog so I am not expecting perfect grass.  But you can see in the pics below its gone very patchy. It was a newly laid lawn about 8 years ago, the drainage is superb (maybe too good). What do you recommend I can do to revive it next year.
The first photo is of a dog pee stain which has killed the grass. Is there anything you can get to stop the grass dying?
I am not looking for miracles just a bit of advice. What I have noticed also is that the outside of the lawn grows very well, yet the middle does not and sometimes looks a bit bare.  Thanks for looking.

Ganga

Keep the dog and the family off it ,grass will grow to replace the worn bits eventually or you could scatter grass seed on the patches but the birds will love that unless it is netted.

neilmcl

Might be worth scarifying, or at least raking the lawn now to get rid of any dead grass and put some lawn seed down on any bare patches. You won't see any improvement until the spring though when the grass starts growing in earnest again. Having said that, as you have a dog which is allowed to pee on the grass then you'll always going to get patches where it gets burned and dies off like that.

LippyDoodle

Some people say by watering the area straight after the dogs has pee'd works, but I can't say I've ever tried it. You could try watering it on really hot days if you don't already. You could feed the bold patches but with the dog you need to be careful. After all the rain we will get during the winter it might be looking ok next year  

[Deleted User]

I have had good results over the years with a long cut and leaving the cuttings down to mulch back in. I will not use any feeds etc. due to hedgehogs. But that needs a regular cut on the highest setting. Cut it to the bone and all the weeds will love you unless you go no mow.

theoretica

Have you been doing anything to care for it other than mowing?  Scarifying, aerating, fertilising and reseeding will likely help.

neilmcl

LippyDoodle said:

Some people say by watering the area straight after the dogs has pee'd works, but I can't say I've ever tried it. You could try watering it on really hot days if you don't already. You could feed the bold patches but with the dog you need to be careful. After all the rain we will get during the winter it might be looking ok next year  

I bet those people have never owned a dog. How many people walk around after their dog with a watering can/hose when it's in the garden.

donemedosh

As all gardeners know if you have a dog then you will not have a great lawn. Scarifying & a reseed would help but try to keep the dog off or at least into one area of the lawn.

frankie

Check for leather jackets. Have you noticed a lot of daddy long legs recently.

ispookie666

I would scarify the lawn in spring and over seed it when it warms up a little.  Generous watering, iron sulphate and lawn feed.  Might need to keep the dog off it for a few days after lawn treatments.  

ka7e

I have 2 dogs and combined with the UK weather of drought v deluge, grass has a hard time of it. I always cut on the highest setting and have actually encouraged clover in the lawn. It is much more robust than grass, always looks a lush green and bees love it when it flowers.  Weed and feed preparations often have warnings on them, not to let pets and children on the grass for at least 24 hours - they are literally wading through herbicides and fertiliser.