​Likely, your dog is another highly valued member of your family. Sometimes (like the rest of us) he does not follow the rules.  He makes a mess of your lawn just by being a dog. Choosing the best lawn types for dogs and following a few rules below will help. You will be able to avoid the usual brown spots or matted dirt areas that result from a dog doing what a dog does. So, what to do?   Teach your dog new tricks and make good choices on the best lawn to stand up to their high jinx!
 
The three lawn types that stand up to dogs in Florida are Bermuda, Zoysia and Bahia.  All three of these options are good for high-traffic and are accepting of dog activity.  However, no sod is completely dog resistant.  These three grasses for dog owners below make life just that much easier and more beautiful.

We know you’re number one in your dog’s eyes – but he would probably consider a great lawn as his other BFF.   Bermuda grass is one popular choice to combat pet urine and lawn damage.   It is a warm weather grass and grey-green in color.  It is perfect for Florida dog owners with sunny yards.   Once Bermuda grass is established, it does not take much water.   It is not the best barefoot grass because of its short blades and rough edges.  However, it has deep roots which make it incredibly resistant to drought, weeds, and your pet’s running path.    
 
Bermuda grass grows rapidly in all types of soil. It is sensitive to cold temperatures, pests, and shade. Regular maintenance and weekly watering help maintain its appearance and place it high in the category of best grass for someone with dogs.

Dogs love to roll in the soft grass, and emerald zoysia sod feels luxurious.  It is a dark-green turf grass, so it looks plush, too. One of the best features of a backyard for dogs in warm-weather areas is plenty of tree cover and good shade. This often means dry climate and sand soil.  Zoysia grass is the best grass for high traffic and shade.   It has great tolerance to salt, shade, and dog paw traffic.  It grows more slowly than the others and is generally maintained at a shorter length.  This provides a thicker, more trimmed look. The good news is, if brown spots do appear, you can change them out easily with zoysia grass plugs.
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Florida dog owners will appreciate Zoysia sod’s drought and disease resistance.  It is even less prone to weeds because of its dense turf.  Once it is established, it is hardy, but it could take four years to get a good root system.  Of course, like any sod, proper maintenance is necessary to maintain its density and beautiful color. All-in-all, it’s one of the best lawn types for dogs in all areas of Florida.

​When looking for the best grass for someone with dogs Bahia Grass is another great option.  With naturally deep roots it prefers full sun and is drought and heat tolerant.  You’ll find it’s a perfect combination for pet owners in Florida.  Bahia grass’ coarse leaves and tolerance to drought are both great solutions for dog urine and damage.   Within the Bahia Grass family are various varieties for your specific lawn needs.   Your local nursery will happily guide you through the differences and steer you in the right direction for your specific lawn.

​We love to play with our dogs on the lawn. We even love to invite our human friends to join us on the lawn during a picnic.  To maintain a high traffic lawn here are five suggestions for solutions for handling the damage caused by a dog’s paws and urine: 
 
1)    Be sure to water the area daily where the dog pees.  The extra water dilutes the nitrogen that has deposited when your dog pee’d. This activity curbs the possibility of brown spots.
 
2)    If your dog is on his obedience school honor roll, teach the dog to pee in one area only.  Keeping this activity confined leaves the rest of your yard available for fun play.  It just helps you maintain a beautiful lawn.
 
3)    If your dog is an obedience school flunky, or if you’re home-schooling him, be sure to encourage and reward his good behavior.  Every time he finds the specified “unloading zone” provide him a yummy treat and heap on the praise.
 
4)    Less is more.  Fertilize less, or not at all, where your dog pees.  Fertilizer has nitrogen in it, just like your dog’s pee.  Too much of a good thing is not a good thing.  Refer back to tip #2 and fertilize where your pup is not going.
 
5)    Encourage your dog to drink more water (lowering the nitrogen strength in his pee).  Drinking water is always a healthy thing.  You might even be thinner and richer for it!  Fido drinking more water will provide you with more exercise in getting up from your chair to let him out the back door more often.  It will also save you money on keeping a beautiful lawn.
 
6)    If you still find these tips are not working, you might feed your dog a dietary supplement.  There are several veterinarian formulations available that include probiotics and other ingredients that bind with the nitrogen in the urine, making your dog’s urine less harmful to your grass. If you're unsure, then by all means, consult your dog’s favorite veterinarian first.
 

By choosing and installing the best lawn types for dogs - your battle is half won.   To help in finding sod near you, you will find your local garden center is your source of sod for a dog-friendly yard.  Your local nursery will be able to answer questions like “how much is a pallet of sod?”  The best way to determine the perfect sod type is to talk with your local nursery sod specialist.  Share with them your lifestyle, yard characteristics, and Fido’s territory habits and they will guide you in the right direction.  When you do stop by to order your new sod – do not forget the “pet”-unias! 

.​If you think about your lawn as a neighborhood, weeds are the new neighbors that no one likes. They play loud music, their dog barks constantly, and they don't bother keeping their house in good condition. Neighbors like this can not only be annoying, they can also cause property values to plummet.  Weeds are very similar. They look terrible and can cause major damage to your lawn. Today we take a look at a few ways that weeds can ruin your lawn and exactly what you can do to keep this from happening.

​Well for starters, they take up precious space in your yard that grass and other plants need to grow. Let's go back to the neighborhood analogy. There is only so much space in your neighborhood to build housing. Suddenly, a developer moves in and starts putting up new condominiums. Things would get very crowded in your neighborhood very quickly. Weeds can also steal precious food from your plants, leaving them more susceptible to disease and insect invasion. Your plants need light, water, and nutrients like nitrogen and potassium to grow. Weeds love to steal these nutrients from healthy plants to use for themselves.

Some weeds are also parasites. These weeds not only compete with healthy plants for real estate and nutrients, they also attach themselves to the stems or roots of them. This, in turn, leaves them vulnerable to disease and insect infestation. Certain weeds can also wreak havoc on humans. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, more than 23 million Americans suffer from ragweed allergies. Anyone unfortunate enough to have these allergies can tell you just how awful having weeds in their yard can be.

You put a lot of work into your yard and garden. You deserve to have an outdoor space that is free of weeds. Fortunately, there are a few basic steps you can take to make this a reality. First and foremost, it is important to eliminate any bare soil. Soil devoid of any plant life offers weed seeds the perfect place to grow without interference. Spread a decent amount of mulch over any space where nothing is growing to discourage weed growth and consider planting new grass and/or plants in this space. It is also recommended that you cover any crops you have growing sometime in the fall. This will protect your soil in the winter and spring and prevent any new weeds from taking root.

If it's too late and weeds have made their home in your lawn and garden, all is not lost. Mowing your grass on a routine basis can keep new weeds from popping up. You can also alter your watering schedule depending on your yard's needs. Watering grass less often but with more water will make it stronger and less susceptible to invading weeds. 

You can also hire a lawn care professional to help you with those nasty weeds. We here at Aventura Nursery and Landscaping would be more than happy to rid your yard and garden of any invasive weeds. Give us a call today at 352-799-3200 and let us know how we can help you.