The Grass Doctor

those of you with multiple dogs and a green lawn? What is your secret? My dogs have pulverized my back yard.

I keep things cleaned up, but last year it started with the brown spots from urine and pretty soon I only had a few patches of grass. What can I do to get the grass growing this year. I have like, NO grass. I don't know what commercial facilities use, but it must work. Because they have to get more dog poo than I have, and they still have green grass. There is more wear and tear on my grass, but the dogs aren't outside all day where they would wear paths, etc. I think it's just burned terribly and need to dump something on it, just don't know what. So, any landscape and lawn guys out there, give me some ideas!! Any and all help is very much appreciated

Public Comments

1. I don't have dogs but I did watch a random programme about gardening once and the expert gardener guys said putting bottles of water at random places in the garden will make the dogs associate it with somewhere they drink and they wouldn't do their business there...you could try it?!
2. Lime, lime and more lime to combat the ammonia in the urine. But it'll still be a tough battle with dogs doing their "business" on the lawn.
3. Rather than trying to get grass to grow, try designing your yard differently. There is a great pet-proof yard design in the April 2007 edition of Canadian Gardening. The designer went for a courtyard effect, using pavers for the patio area, and small rocks for the rest of the yard. Plants were planted in the rock areas. Here are some of their tips: 1. Dogs like to patrol the yard, so leave a gap between fence and the garden beds. Mulch these areas with hard, heavy material such as gravel. 2. Make paths through the areas most traveled by your pets; don't try and change old routes. 3. Firm soil around new plants so that pets won't be tempted to dig. 4. Landscape with larger-sized containers which are more resilient to pets. 5. Groundcovers that withstand rambunctious pets are wintercreeper, Japanese spurge, Hall's honeysuckle, and wild ginger. Urine will always result in dead grass and plants, so perhaps take them for a walk instead!