Pet-friendly rental homes are, undoubtedly, a growing segment of the Leland single-family rental home market. Many renters want or already have a pet, which has certainly prompted many property owners to allow them under certain conditions. Most pet-friendly rentals do include a lawn that is designed with a pet’s safety in mind. However, some pets, like dogs, may use that lawn as a waste area, which can create unsightly brown spots in an otherwise healthy expanse of green. If you want to help prevent pet urine spots from spoiling your rental home’s lawn, undertake one or a few of these strategies recommended by lawn care experts.
The reason that dog urine causes grass to turn brown is that it contains a lot of nitrogen. In small amounts, nitrogen is good for your lawn. But too much in one spot can kill the grass, creating brown patches in the yard. When your dog tends to urinate in the same places every time, one thing you must do is avoid putting nitrogen-rich fertilizer in those sections. You can damage the lawn more with your fertilizer if it has nitrogen in it, so be sure to either choose a nitrogen-free fertilizer or don’t apply fertilizer to the pet urine spots.
A highly effective yet simple strategy is to rinse the lawn immediately after your dog urinates on it. This is much simpler when your dog tends to go to the same places all the time. But even when that is not your situation, spraying the lawn with water could indeed help dilute the urine and prevent it from burning the grass.
In the same manner, some dog owners have found success by encouraging their pets to drink more water or by giving them supplements designed to neutralize the nitrogen in their urine. The explanation behind the first approach is to dilute your dog’s urine by giving them more water. Although this works well with most dogs, it’s also good to remember that it’s important not to give your dog too much water, or they could become ill. The alternative is to try pet-safe supplements designed to help minimize the damage to your lawn. Dietary supplements similar to these are considered to bind with the nitrogen in your dog’s urine, keeping it less harmful to grass.
As a final point, many pet owners have protected their rental home’s lawn from pet urine spots by training their dog to urinate in other areas. When there are places in the yard that do not have grass, you can train your dog to urinate there. This approach makes sense if, in any case, your dog is receptive to consistent training. You could likewise use fencing or a urine-resistant ground cover to create a dog-friendly place for them to pee. A small patch of clover, pea gravel, or even mulch could be all you need to keep your dog from damaging a healthy, green lawn.
Good lawn maintenance can surely encourage a healthy lawn resistant to brown spots. Nevertheless, from time to time, even careful tending and daily watering aren’t just good enough to prevent them. By making use of just one or all of the top strategies in this article, you can surely keep your pet-friendly rental home and lawn in great condition. If you need help managing your pet-friendly rental or finding tenants, contact us today at 910-782-4488 for a consultation.
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