The Grass Doctor

Can you dye urine spots on outdoor grass?

Our front grass (Kentucky blue grass/Fescue blend) has many yellow spots from where our dog has urinated. Can we use rit dye or something to cover them until we re-seed in the spring? What do golf courses use to cover blemishes? I bought something from Pet smart that had green dye in it. It worked great but it was quite expensive and didn't cover very much.

Public Comments

1. I certainly wouldn't use Rit or any other clothing/hair dye -- they have rather toxic mordants (fixers) that are usually based on heavy metals. If it doesn't hurt your grass, it'll certainly hurt your ecosystem in some way. Other than that, I can't think of any dye other than that grass dye they sell to Arizonans for the midsummer.
2. There is a product called GrassBGreen Concentrate which is all natural, non-toxic, and easy to apply with a sprayer. One 8 oz bottle covers 2-300 square feet. The bottle cost 15.99. Check out the web site in resource box. Last until you mow. There also is a product you can put on the lawn that keeps animal from using your lawn for "personal use" called Keep Off Dog and Cat Repellent. It's granules that you can put on your lawn which last for ten days. It trains them to "go" somewhere else. May be more than you want to spend though. At least you have some options. We love our dog, but they can cause problems in the garden! Good Luck, Julia http://www.flowers-plants-gardening-advice.com