Et Tu, Cali?

Our labradoodle Cali, turning two-years-old next month, is generally a pretty good doggie. We’ve trained her well, and always get compliments on her demeanor. When we moved into our new house a year ago, one of my biggest concerns was ensuring she knew where her dog-run was, and training her to use it all the time. A dog run, for those without four-legged family members, is an area outside, usually with gravel, where dogs can be trained to do their business. It makes clean-up easier, ensures you can run around your yard barefoot without a surprise under-foot, and keeps your grass lush and green.

We did well training her in the summer, and then the snow fell. Winter went well, or so I thought. Spring arrived, the snow melted, and Cali the labradoodle’s deceit was displayed.

Yup. It appears that over the winter months, Cali peed a few times on the snow covered grass, when she should have gone to her dog run. Against the white of the snow it’s surprising we didn’t notice, but further back in the yard it’s not an area I’d often glance at in the winter months.  Lawn burn is caused by the nitrogen in dog urine. Because it’s very high in nitrogen-containing waste products, when the dog urinates, it is similar to pouring a nitrogen-containing fertilizer on the lawn. While a little nitrogen is good for the grass, an excess causes damage. Sigh.

Thankfully, I’m a member of Scotts Gro Crew this year and therefore have a ton of helpful products at hand! Scotts EZ Seed is what we are using in our artillery to tackle this problem! Scotts EZ Seed is a mix of Scotts best grass seed, a neutralizing ingredient, and a super absorbent growing material. There’s also a special salt neutralizer that minimizes the effects of salts from dog urine. Perfect!

• How to Use

  1. PREPARATION – Remove dead grass and loosen hard soil.
  2. APPLY – Apply a thin layer to bare spots; 3 mm (1/8″) layer of mixture or 1 kg per 2 m2.
  3. WATER – Water until dark brown. When mixtures turns light brown, add more water.

• When to Apply

  Fall and spring are the best times to plant grass seed, because seed germinates best when temperatures are between 60° and 80°

• Where to Use

  Guaranteed to grow anywhere! Dry, sunny areas, dense shade areas, wear & tear areas – even grows on pavement!

Our spots have been prepped and applied with Scotts EZ Seed, and I love that when the mixture turns light brown, I know it’s time to water again. I’m hopeful that this will be our solution to Cali’s indiscretions though I’m not sure how to prevent her from doing it again next winter. If Scotts EZ Seed does the job, it may be a repeat performance next spring!

Do you have a spot, or spots as the case may be, in your yard that needs Scotts EZ Seed? Maybe it’s not due to a bad doggie, but rather a high traffic area or other. Since Fall is the next best time to apply Scotts EZ Seed, we want to help you prepare for a lush lawn by getting Scotts EZ Seed in your hands for summer/fall. I’m giving away 10 Free Product Coupons for Scotts EZ Seed and here’s how you can enter to win…

Utilize Instagram or Twitter sharing a photo of your troublesome grass area, tag me (@FeistyFrugal on Twitter,  @FeistyFrugalandFabulous on Instagram and FeistyFrugalandFabulous on Facebook) with this message:

Hey @FeistyFrugal my lawn needs #ScottsEZSeed! I want to say #IGrewIt better! Enter at http://bit.ly/EZSEED

Share the link with me in your comment below (you can comment for each link shared on Instagram or Twitter so a max of 3 entries per person!) and you’ll be in to win! I’ll pick TEN winners to each receive a coupon for free product (it’s about $20 a jug, woo!) and announce them here and on social media at the end of the contest period (July 13th). Woo! Good luck everyone!

Congratulations going out to our winners!

Michelle Roy
Josh S
David
Joni W
Florence C
Amanda Neilson
Lindsay T
Jaclyn Boyd
Christy E
Lori JB