Dog urine on lawns
Protect your lawn from dog urine, with help from our guide.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to act | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Dog urine contains a very high concentration of nitrogen. While nitrogen can produce a fertilising effect that promotes growth, large amounts in a concentrated area can result in dead patches of lawn. Bitches in particular cause the greater damage, because they tend to urinate in one spot, rather than dogs who tend to mark many spots and pass small amounts.
Symptoms
When dogs urinate on lawns, it scorches the grass, which causes circular brown patches to appear.
Find it on
lawns
Organic
The most effective solution is to simply spray the affected area with copious amounts of water as soon as possible, to neutralise the urine. You could also try adding horticultural lime or powdered gypsum to the water, as this will neutralise the acid, their high alkalinity restoring the pH level. Finally, try to prevent the problem by encouraging your dog to urinate in a designated area of the garden.
Christmas offer
Gift a subscription to BBC Gardeners' World magazine and save 51% on the shop price.
Year Planner 2025 on sale
Starting to plan your gardening year? The Year Planner 2025 is packed with expert advice from the Gardeners’ World team, to ensure you have your best gardening year yet.
New podcast series
Join Monty and the team for advice on winter gardening, tulips, caring for birds, house plants and more in the new BBC Gardeners' World Magazine podcast series.
