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- Made a Mistake Using Leftover Dishwater to Water Lawn
Dan Gill,
I initially wrote to you on this subject a year or so ago. My mistake - I listened to one of the 'save the earth' shows that said to use your leftover dishwater to water your lawn. Big mistake! You said not to, but it was too late. I'd already dumped it in a few places. The grass, St. Augustine and centipede, still does not grow well in the spots where I dumped the dishwater. You can easily see the almost round areas of sparse grass. What, if anything, can I do to eliminate the soap or at least minimize the effects of my own stupidity?
Please help!
- Curtis C.
The soap is long gone at this point. Your mistake is expecting the grass around the edges to grow and cover the dead area. You need to repair this damage in April.
Rake out the area removing any weeds and to loosen the soil. Then, lay new sod in the dead spots to repair the damage. The new sod will need to be watered more often than the rest of the lawn for a few weeks while it gets established (don’t water the rest of the lawn that much or it will be excessive).
Don’t be too hard on yourself, Curtis. We’ve all done something similar.
Dan Gill
Consumer Horticulture Specialist
The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture