Rabbits may be cute, but their impact on your lawn can be anything but. Here’s a guide to identifying and managing rabbit damage, along with some tips to help your turf recover.
Signs of Rabbit Damage:
- Chewed Grass: Rabbits love nibbling on grass, leaving it shorter and uneven in certain patches, especially in the summer months as turf grass retains a lot of water.?Rabbits will continue eating new tender shoots as the grass tries to repair itself. This can cause more stress to the damaged areas leaving it weak to the point of failure.??
- Brown Spots: Rabbit urine is extremely acidic and can cause unsightly brown patches in your lawn, especially in areas where they repeatedly visit. Their urine also marks the territory, letting the rabbit know they have been there before and it is safe. Additional watering can help not only the lawn recover but help mask their scent.?
- Droppings: Small, round pellets on your lawn are a telltale sign of rabbit activity. This is also another way rabbits mark a territory and they are creatures of habit. They will return to an area they have already been to until they either diminish their food source (grass, shrubs, and flowers), or until they associate a location as dangerous.
Impact on Lawn Health:
- Thinning Grass: Continuous feeding on grass blades causes thinning and eventually bare spots. Rabbits tend to eat in the same areas repeatedly, leading to significant damage over time.
- Rabbit Urine: This can be especially harmful, as the acidity burns the turf and causes root damage.
- Root Disturbance: Rabbits sometimes dig small holes, which can disrupt your lawn’s root system. They may even create nests under your turf.
Prevention & Solutions:
- Physical Barriers: Installing fencing around gardens or lawn areas can help keep rabbits out, this is usually for backyard solutions. Use a wire mesh with small openings, and ensure it's high enough (about 2 feet) and buried a few inches deep to prevent burrowing.
- Repellents: There are commercial rabbit repellents available that can deter them from munching on your grass. Apply them regularly, especially after watering or rain. In my experience rabbits quickly become acclimated to these products and they stop working after a week or two.?
- Motion Detectors: Motion-activated sprinklers or lights can scare away rabbits before they have a chance to settle in. Wind powered lawn ornaments can sometimes work.
- Encourage Natural Predators: Birds of prey like owls and hawks can help keep rabbit populations in check.
Repairing Rabbit Damage
- Top Dressing: Top dressing is my number one recommendation to help repair rabbit damage. This process is explained below.
- Rake & Reseed/Sod: For chewed or thinned-out areas, lightly rake the soil and over seed to encourage regrowth. Fertilize the area to help the lawn recover more quickly. Most homes in DFW have Tiff 419 Bermuda, there is no seed for this man made hybrid turf. Common Bermuda is the closest match. Patching with sod will ensure a match for this turf type. St. Augustine and Zoysia will also need to have sod to patch bare spots.
- Watering: Make sure the lawn is well-watered to help it recover from the stress of damage. If rabbits are in your lawn we recommend increasing your watering schedule to help with recovery and to dilute the rabbit urine.
What is Top Dressing?
Top dressing is the application of a thin layer of organic material (like compost or soil) over your lawn. It enhances the soil's quality, improves drainage, and encourages better root growth.
Benefits of Top Dressing:
- Improves Soil Structure: Over time, the soil can become compacted, preventing water, nutrients, and oxygen from reaching the roots. Top dressing adds organic material that loosens the soil, improving aeration, as well as adding microbial life, and beneficial bacteria to your soil. This gives your turf a better soil composition? over time.
- Encourages New Growth: Top dressing can help fill in bare or thinning areas by promoting root development and encouraging grass to spread more evenly. Top dressing gives a healthier medium for stolons to take root into, compared to our native clay based soil.
- Improves Disease Resistance: Healthier soil and stronger roots mean your lawn is more resistant to pests and diseases, including fungal problems like Take All Root Rot.
How to Top Dress Your Lawn:
- Mow: Trim your grass shorter than usual to allow the top dressing to reach the soil.
- Rake or Aerate: Rake debris or aerate the lawn to help the material penetrate deeply.
- Choose the Right Material: Compost, soil, or sand can be used based on your lawn's needs.
- Spread Evenly: Apply ? to ? inch of top dressing across the lawn, using a rake to brush it into the soil.
- Water Well: After top dressing, water the lawn thoroughly to help the material settle.
Best Time to Top Dress:
For warm-season grasses, late spring to early summer is ideal for top dressing. For severe damage, multiple applications may be required throughout the growing season.
By addressing rabbit damage early and giving your lawn the care it needs, you can help restore its health and vibrancy!
