/oss/taxonomy/term/4817/all en /oss/article/environment-you-asked-general-science/why-my-dogs-pee-ruining-my-lawn <p>Most homeowners let their dogs use the backyard as their own personal toilet. Often after a winter of such potty practice, when the snow melts, you’ll often find your lawn speckled with unsightly yellow patches. First of all, what causes these patches? Dog urine contains a variety of nitrogen compounds. Too much nitrogen will burn the grass and create yellow patches. But appropriate concentrations of nitrogen can actually be beneficial to the lawn, which is why you’ll often see rings of thick dark green grass around the yellow patches.</p> Fri, 25 Sep 2020 15:53:36 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 8425 at /oss