Turf burn, dog urine and urban myths

Q: I have a small patch of fescue lawn in my back yard that was once very beautiful. I recently acquired a female dog and now have dead spots all over, given that is her favorite place to relieve herself. I love her more than the lawn. I heard that adding tomato juice to her food would counteract the acid in the urine that kills the grass or that I should replace my fescue with hybrid Bermuda. Any ideas on how to solve my dilemma?

A: This is a very common problem, which has generated numerous urban myths over the years. It is true that dog urine (and to a certain extent fecal material) is very tough on turf grass, but female dog urine is actually no more damaging than the male’s. Female dogs tend to empty their bladders in one location, resulting in a brown spots often with a green ring around it. The high nitrogen content in the urine burns the grass, not the acidity. Bermuda grass is actually less resilient to dog urine than fescue, so stick with your turf of choice.

Food supplements available from the pet stores claim limit to turf burn, but I have not found them to be effective. The addition of tomato juice, salt and other items may actually harm your pet so I would strongly suggest you check with your vet before you try any home remedies. The only effective way to deal with this issue is to follow your dog after each potty session. Clean up fecal material as soon as practical and hose down urine spots immediately to reduce the chance of burn. As the owner of two female dogs, I have found this to be the most successful remedy. For more detailed information, visit http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/dog_lawn_problems.html.

Q: I recently had ants invade my kitchen and I am allergic to them. I can’t use poison because I have pets in the house. What can I do? Also, I have ant nests outside. Is there anything that is not poison that I can put on there nest to make them go away.

A: Ants are there for one thing, food. If you are opposed to using pesticides there are a few things you can do. One, eliminate the food source. It could be fruit, dog food or even the sticky exudation (honeydew) from other insects on your shrubs. Hose down any infested shrubs to eliminate the honeydew.

Second, block the point of entry with caulk. If they are still gaining entry, apply a thin line of talcum powder to where you see the ants emerge. For some reason the talc repels the invasion. You can do major damage to the nest by using hot water, especially in the morning. Pour scalding hot water over the entry hole being very careful not to burn yourself. This will eliminate the majority of the colony. Then mix equal parts of sugar and boric acid pwder. Put the dry mix in jar lids and place in any areas where ants were present. The sugar attracts the ants and the boric acid kills them. This safe but effective control method can be used inside and out. Be sure to place out of reach of your pets.

Lastly, bay leaves will repel ants and roaches where food is stored.

Q: My 10-year-old Raywood ash tree has dead branches at the top. It used to be beautiful. What is causing this dieback.

A: Raywood ashes were once thought to be well-suited to desert regions. Recent studies have concluded that most mature Raywoods do not receive enough water. The dieback is the result of the irrigation deficit. Experts suggest thinning the canopy to limit the decline. Deep water the tree during hot summer months to provide the extra water required.

Dennis Swartzell is the marketing director for Mountain States Wholesale Nursery. As an ISA board-certified master arborist and a member of the Southern Nevada Arborist Group, Swartzell has been helping Southern Nevadans with their gardening questions for over 25 years. If you have a question about a particular plant, or a general gardening issue, send them to Swartzell at treemender@cox.net.