Don’t Get Burned – Prevent Scorched Grass

Preventing Burned Grass

The most common cause of burned grass is too much nitrogen, often caused by excess fast release nitrogen fertilizer or dog urine. Here are a few things to keep in mind when applying fertilizer to your lawn and/or if you are a pet owner.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing is an important lawn care practice, as it influences grass color, ability to recover from stress, and helps prevent weed invasions and disease. But how much fertilizer is enough for your lawn?

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are the three major nutrients needed by lawns. Percent nitrogen (by weight) is always the first of three numbers on the fertilizer bag, followed by phosphorus and potassium. For example, a 24-6-12 fertilizer contains 24 percent nitrogen. In most cases, a rate of 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet is suggested for each fertilizer application to the lawn. Recommended ratios of N-P-K for lawn fertilizers include 3:1:2 or 4:1:2.

Another important factor is choosing fast-release or controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer. For lawns, fertilizers containing controlled-release nitrogen sources are suggested for most applications. While it is more expensive and you may not see a quick color change in the grass (greening), controlled-release nitrogen will not cause grass to burn.

Dog Urine

Because dog urine is very high in nitrogen, when a dog urinates, it is similar to pouring liquid fertilizer on the lawn. A little fertilizer is good for the grass, but an excess causes burned grass. If Fido is leaving unsightly brown spots on your lawn, here are number of things you can do to prevent it.

Saturate the urinated spots with water. After your dog urinates, pour several cupfuls of water on the spot to dilute the urine.

Feed a high quality dog food that does not exceed the pet’s protein requirement. High quality foods have more digestible protein sources that are more completely utilized by the pet and create less nitrogenous waste in the urine.

Train your dog to urinate in a location that is less visible.

Reduce the stress on your lawn by not over- or under-fertilizing and by providing frequent watering.

Feed your dog a supplement like Drs. Foster and Smith Lawn Guard, or apply a product to the lawn such as Dogonit Lawn Treatment. These products bind and neutralize the nitrogen in your pet’s urine.

What to do if you have burned grass

Unfortunately once the burn marks show up there is nothing you can do but replace the grass. The best course of action is to cut out the area, remove 1 inch of soil, add new soil and seed, or sod, depending on which would blend in faster, which is usually the seed. If you ever spill fertilizer over a small area, rake it up and remove as much as possible, then water the area heavily for several weeks.

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