Artificial Turf vs Real Grass – Pros and Cons
If you have just built a new house or redesigned your yard, the Lawncare Man tells us you need to think about lawns. What sort of lawn do you want, what sort of grass do you want, or do you want to use artificial turf?
While most people choose to buy roll on turf from a turf farm, artificial lawns are becoming more and more popular.
Artificial turf has a few pros when compared to real grass, but it also has plenty of downsides. If you are looking at installing a new lawn, it is important to consider the pros and cons of both. In our opinion, they are as follows:
Artificial turf:
When you think of artificial turf, you probably think of sports fields or hockey pitches. Really, you wouldn’t be too far wrong. As far as artificial turf for residential use goes, it is generally made to look a bit more like real grass, but is still obviously fake. Some of the pros and cons of artificial turf include:
Pros:
- Artificial turf doesn’t need mowing, which means that you can simply lay it, and forget about it. You don’t have to buy a lawnmower or whipper snipper, and you don’t have to waste time mowing.
- Artificial turf doesn’t need fertilising or watering, again, saving you a lot of time and money.
- Artificial turf has a consistent, uniform look throughout.
Cons:
- Artificial turf feels fake, and may be looked down on by kids.
- Artificial turf will wear out eventually, and replacing it is a lot harder than simply seeding a new lawn.
Real Grass:
Most people choose to plant real grass simply because, well, because it’s real! Real grass needs a lot more maintenance than artificial turf, but it is more pleasant for children and pets to play on. It is softer, and is generally easier to fix if damaged.
Pros:
- Real grass is soft, easy to install, and is suitable in almost all environments.
- Real grass grows, which means that it won’t start looking worn out or damaged after a year or two. If, for example, you have to dig it up to get to pipes underneath, it will simply grow back and repair itself eventually.
- If your lawn starts getting thin or patchy, you can fix it by simply watering, fertilising, and/or reseeding.
Cons:
- Real grass needs a lot of maintenance. It needs to be mowed regularly, edged to prevent it getting into garden beds, and watered in summer. Weeds need to be controlled, and you might find yourself spending a lot on fertiliser and weed control.
- Real grass can look average if you don’t put a bit of effort into keeping it looking good.
Final Word:
As you can see, real grass will suit some people, while others will be much better suited to using artificial turf. Think about how much time you have to maintain your lawn, and how much use it is going to get from pets and children.