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How to safely fertilize the lawn?


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Our back lawn, especially right off the porch is taking quite a beating from the dogs running back and forth chasing that jolly ball....is there a way to fertilize the lawn without harming the dogs?

 

Liz

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Personally, I don't use anything for my lawn but then again, I don't really have grass since I planted clover. It stays green without much water and doesn't grow too tall and takes a beating without looking bad.

I think you can use a corn gluten fertilizer safely with dogs but I'd doublecheck that!

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Personally, I don't use anything for my lawn but then again, I don't really have grass since I planted clover. It stays green without much water and doesn't grow too tall and takes a beating without looking bad.

I think you can use a corn gluten fertilizer safely with dogs but I'd doublecheck that!

 

Hmmmn...If we're talking about the same thing, the corn gluton is a natural pre-emergent weed suppressant as well, so it wouldn't help the bare spots! It does provide some nitrogen to the soil so what grass is there would certainly benefit. I am planning to use it in my garden.....just ordered a BIG bag. :rolleyes:.

 

http://www.cyfernet.mes.umn.edu/yardandgar...glutenmeal.html .

 

Clover is a great idea!

 

 

Liz

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You can use Scott's Step 4. It comes in a green and white bag it is kid/pet safe. I worked for Scott's for 3 years so I know of what I speak. Steps 1-3 have weed/insect killers so don't use those. Follow the directions on the bag of Step 4 and you'll be fine :rolleyes:

 

Tim

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Personally, I don't use anything for my lawn but then again, I don't really have grass since I planted clover. It stays green without much water and doesn't grow too tall and takes a beating without looking bad.

I think you can use a corn gluten fertilizer safely with dogs but I'd doublecheck that!

 

Ok, so after I read your post, I went on a mad-dash googling spree regarding clover. Man! I'm doing it! Our front yard is crap. Too much shade and a massive pine tree. Nothing will grow and I'm not about to cut down the tree. It seems like the perfect solution and I LOVE clover! Thanks Kris! If it works out, next summer I will mix grass and clover for my back yard... apparently it's resilient to pee spots too.

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Our back lawn, especially right off the porch is taking quite a beating from the dogs running back and forth chasing that jolly ball....is there a way to fertilize the lawn without harming the dogs?

 

Liz

Manure; it's generally safe for dogs (except after deworming the livestock) but you might not like their breath or their new hairdos.
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Manure; it's generally safe for dogs (except after deworming the livestock) but you might not like their breath or their new hairdos.

 

 

Having grown up in a mostly organic greenhouse, I do appreciate the benefits of manure, but I think I'll stick with the Scott's if I decide to fertilize...Last spring I had manure put on the raised beds and in the blueberry patch..... It wasn't exactly completely composted and it rained and rained and rained last year....what a mess those puppies made! I must have been out of my mind to think they'd stay out of it...Poor Kenny had to build yet another fence :rolleyes:.

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Fertilizer is not going to help a bare spot, there's nothing there to grow.

 

Clover is a full sun plant, probably won't work under a pine tree. Mulch might be a better option, but not cocoa.

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I wait until the spouse is gone for the day or weekend then let the flock run loose on the lawn. Then we will seed it. Works well and he is resigned to the fact that I tend the sheep on the lawn BUT only for a short time. He really hates the sheep poop on porch or the walkways.

 

The sheep hooves aerate the lawn and the poop provides fertilizer.

 

However when we lived in the city we used products like Scott 4.

 

Diane

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Darn! Some of ya beat me to it--I was going to suggest that's one of the many reasons to have sheep,

A

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I have used several varieties of the corn gluten fertilizer (on established grass - not bare spots!) - it works reasonably well (though I'm convinced that dandelions are the cockroaches of the plant world- they'll survive nuclear war!). But beware: even though WOW (Without Weeds, from Gardens Alive!) says that pets and children can be on the grass immediately afterwards, and that you don't HAVE to water in the fertilizer - dogs may decide that it is quite tasty! I had one dog who would positively vacuum up the granules! I had to put it down the morning we were leaving town for at least four days, water every day, and still, she would work it when we got back. This year, I got WOW Plus, and it seems less palatable, though the vacuum dog is no longer with us (sniff, sniff...). It may be safe, but I'm sure a belly full of it isn't great for any living creature.

 

diane

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We have stopped using any Chemicals on the lawn, we over seed regularly always using the same type so the grass is consistent and truthfully living in here in New England I have not seen much difference. At times I tried declaring war on weeds and lost every round, so now we are satisfied with green

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