How long do I have to wait until the fertilizer is absorbed into the grass?
Question:The grass around my mom's apartment was fertilized last Saturday (6/9). I have avoided letting my dog walk in the treated grass since then because it irritates his skin. When can I let him walk in the grass again?
Answers:
How long? That's up to you. A nice soaking of the turf will wash the fertilizer into (onto ) the thatch layer. Doggie can walk on lawn once it drys.
Fertilizer is NOT directly absorbed by grass. Fertilizer is broken down by water, heat or micro-organisms which make it available to the roots of the grass, which then translocate it into the shoots of the grass. Water soluble fertilizer is absorbed the fastest, heat second, microorganisms last.
So, in the future, water ANY type of fertilizer you apply into the lawn, and your doggie can walk on it in a shorter period of time, as waiting for ot to be absorbed might take months.
Usually after one rainfall the problem should subside. The rain dissolves the granules and takes them into the ground. In a few cases, if the dog (or human) is highly sensitive to the chemicals it could take longer. In fact, some are so sensitive that chemical fertilizers cannot be used. Hope your dog is in the first group so after a rainfall your problem should be over.
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