When shopping for a new lawn, there are a number of things to consider. You’ll probably think about your budget, the sunlight your yard receives, and, of course, the amount of time you want to spend on upkeep. And if you have a pet, that adds another factor to the equation.
“A new lawn not only beautifies your home, but can (also) improve the quality of life for your pets, too,” says Sean Aukanaii Fong, owner of Hawaiian Turfgrass. “It makes sense that pets appreciate a lush, paw-friendly lawn as much as a barefoot human might enjoy it.”
For starters, Fong says sod is highly recommended over stolons or sprigs because there’s no grow-in period.
“With stolons, the grow-in period can last four to six months or more, and it needs watering a few times a day, which makes a muddy mess. We strongly recommend sod.
Several of our varieties do really well with pets and their traffic — especially El Toro Zoysia, TifGrand® Bermuda and Zeon® Zoysia,” he adds.
Hardy and resilient, El Toro Zoysia has long been the standard grass for home lawn. Drought-tolerant and durable, it’s popular with pets and owners.
“But homeowners who really want to pamper their pets — and themselves, too — are raving over our Zeon® Zoysia,” reports Fong.
Fine-bladed, dark green and soft, Zoysia is a true “barefoot lawn” grass. The variety is highly drought-tolerant, requires less maintenance than many others, and is known for its ability to recover from traffic and injury.
“Zeon® is really dense, so it’s great for dogs who run a lot,” Fong says.
Training a pet to use a certain potty spot can sometimes be a challenge. If your yard has enough space, and if you can persuade your pet to use it faithfully, you might want to create a small area with pond pebbles, rocks or wood mulch.
“Walk your dog in the morning and when you get home from work, and make sure pets are properly hydrated,” he recommends. “If all else fails, or if you continue having issues, follow your dog and dilute his shishi spots with water right away.”
Some homeowners find that they simply have to outsmart their dogs.
“Grass that’s over-fertilized is more susceptible to urine burn,” Fong says. “If your grass is kept lean or under fertilized in your dog’s favorite shishi spot, the spot will turn greener!”
Chosen by readers of Honolulu Star-Advertiser as Hawaii’s Best Lawn Installation Company for 2020, Hawaiian Turfgrass offers complete turnkey lawn services: site prep, irrigation, delivery and installation. Call 371-0527 and order your new lawn (minimum 500 square feet) by Dec. 31 for a $500 installation discount. Prefer to install your new lawn yourself? Visit hawaiianturfgrass.com to order and arrange for pickup or curbside delivery.
HAWAIIAN TURFGRASS
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
CONTACT 371-0527
ADDRESS 94-840 Lanikuhana Ave., Mililani
WEB hawaiianturfgrass.com
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