As temperatures heat up, more homeowners are opting to replace natural lawns with artificial turf, but is this a wise move?
Fake grass, made of synthetic fibres or rubberised underlay, may appear green but its manufacture consumes fossil fuels and releases microplastics into soil, rivers and oceans during its manufacturing process.
Water Use
As temperatures have skyrocketed, many have turned to artificial turf lawns to save themselves from the rising heat. Critics say such moves will actually harm the environment as fake grass cannot do what real green spaces do: absorb carbon dioxide while providing habitats for local wildlife.
Lawn care involves regular use of chemicals like weed killers, pesticides and chemical fertilizers that may contaminate water sources – something especially concerning in drought-stricken regions.
Heat that builds up underneath plastic matting can cook microorganisms and bacteria that exist within soil, decreasing vitality of soils and disrupting ecosystems. If grass is regularly cut at high temperatures for regular mowings, this creates hot spots which get “fried” by sunlight and become an even greater hazard to ecosystems.
There’s also the environmental toll of equipment required to keep natural lawns: power mowers, electric mowers, hedge trimmers and hoses all contribute significantly to air pollution by emitting harmful substances into the atmosphere.
Artificial grass doesn’t offer an escape from these environmental issues either, though it does reduce energy and chemical use significantly. Plus, turf can often be recycled to further decrease waste going to landfill.
People often opt to replace natural lawns with artificial ones because they believe it will be better for the environment, however as noted by RHS this isn’t necessarily true; “people often use more water when maintaining a look-a-like lawn during dry periods than with natural lawns.
An advantage of biodiverse gardens over synthetic ones is their vibrant life. Natural lawns attract birds, bees and butterflies while wild flowers add beautiful displays. Plus, with proper care taken over its soil layer comes life such as worms, grubs, insects that keep everything healthy!
Synthetic lawns do not offer shelter to these creatures, and therefore will see less pollinators activity and wildlife that depends on it for food and shelter. As a result, pollinating insects will become scarcer around your property while its ecosystem declines significantly.
Waste
With hosepipe bans becoming common across the UK, more people are turning to artificial lawns made of synthetic fibres that resemble grass. While they offer visual appeal and ecological advantages such as no fossil fuel mowers being required and less water being consumed; their rubber granules make these fake lawns toxic and difficult to recycle while potentially harming wildlife more than conventionally-mowed gardens do.
Synthetic lawns could gain social equivalence with other forms of turf lawn, and that could contribute to reduced expectations of nonhuman life in domestic spaces (Baudrillard 1994), in contrast with our efforts to restore biodiversity in urban environments. Furthermore, their slick surface prevents rainwater from percolating into soil or runoff streams for proper absorption; leading to flooding as well as worsening pollution issues in rivers lakes and seas.
Natural gardens absorb carbon, helping to mitigate climate change. Furthermore, natural gardens also serve as homes for bees, frogs and other creatures affected by habitat loss – unlike plastic lawns that don’t provide them any homes at all. Furthermore, humans have reported positive responses to earthy aromas and freshly cut grass aromas which has positive psychological effects as well as improving mental wellbeing.
Waste can also be an issue: yard trimmings that don’t get composted or recycled and plastic lawn care equipment left discarded outside often add up and contribute to global warming, taking up landfill space and adding to global warming. A real garden provides the ideal opportunity to recycle this waste for reuse, creating an eco-friendly lifestyle and making the world a greener place.
Though there may be many challenges associated with gardening, experts believe it is possible to reap its many advantages without incurring environmental harm. They advise that one way of minimising environmental harm would be limiting use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers which cause groundwater pollution as they wash down to underground sources which affect wildlife as well as those who drink public supplies of drinking water.
Impact on Wildlife
Artificial grass used as an alternative to lawnmowing often contains plastic debris that poses serious threats to wildlife and waterways, particularly birds consuming it and potentially suffering severe health consequences as a result. Furthermore, such plastic can pollute waterways before ultimately making its way into marine environments causing even greater problems for marine animals.
An natural lawn is not only good for the environment, but it provides vital habitat for various forms of wildlife. Artificial lawns cannot support any living creatures whatsoever – and may even prove detrimental. Grass provides shelter and sustenance to insects as well as food sources for small mammals like voles and hares that play an essential role in food chains by spreading seeds of plants across them.
Natural lawns may require more resources if heavily managed, yet they provide greater biodiversity than synthetic ones. Many issues associated with natural lawns can be alleviated through simple changes like cutting back on mowing frequency; cutting water usage by half and improving soil structure as a result; as well as encouraging an array of plant varieties in your garden which reduce herbicide and fertiliser use.
Artificial turf can be difficult to permeate into soil, leading to garden flooding during heavy rainstorms. Additionally, this prevents carbon sequestration processes as well as decreasing rain infiltration rates.
One of the primary arguments in favor of switching to fake grass from natural lawns is the claim of reduced maintenance needs, yet this may not always be true. Mowing is one of the primary sources of air pollution and may pose health concerns for children and elderly individuals. Furthermore, its operation consumes fossil fuels while producing greenhouse gases; manufacturing artificial grass also creates chemicals which seep into soil before entering waterways before ultimately reaching oceans and damaging ecosystems.
Maintenance
People often switch to astro turf by Quick Grass in order to reduce the time and effort spent mowing, watering and trimming their gardens. But this does not excuse them from maintaining an attractive looking lawn as gathering spaces for family and friends – so it must remain clean in order for visitors to feel safe using the area.
Artificial grass is easily maintained – just like any garden or terrace. A quick rinse with the hose once or twice weekly should suffice to clear away dust and dirt accumulation on the turf, helping prevent build-up of organic matter that could block drainage systems and encourage weed growth.
An extra power broom may be useful in deep cleaning your synthetic lawn on occasion. Resembling a rototiller, this tool removes debris that has been blown onto the turf as well as fluffing up any infill material, keeping your artificial turf looking its best longer. Furthermore, power brooms can help clean away oil or grease spillage that could otherwise seep into its infill material and stain your fake lawn’s appearance.
Apart from that, be sure to regularly collect any stray pet waste or other solid waste so as to prevent detracting from the overall aesthetics of your lawn, as well as reduce residual odours that could potentially cause discomfort for both pets and humans.
Clean your lawn regularly using products designed for synthetic grass to keep it smelling fresh and make removing urine stains easier. This will also keep it looking beautiful!
Finally, it is advisable to utilize a moss and weed killer on your artificial lawn in order to get rid of any unsightly growth that might detract from its overall aesthetic, or be harmful to children and animals. Doing this will prevent build-ups of unwanted plants which detract from its overall look as well as being dangerous for health reasons.
