Gardening is one of the most rewarding hobbies you can undertake, but it requires a lot of time and effort to maintain a healthy and beautiful outdoor space. Many gardeners have turned to plastic artificial lawns as a solution to the maintenance problem. These products promise to reduce water usage and reduce maintenance time. However, installing plastic grass is not the ideal solution for your garden. In this blog, we’ll explore the reasons why installing a plastic artificial lawn is a bad idea.
1) Plastic Artificial Lawns Harm The Environment
Choosing to install a plastic artificial lawn can be detrimental to the environment. Artificial grass is made from non-biodegradable materials, which means that it will not break down and decompose like natural grass. These materials will remain in landfills and ultimately harm the environment. Furthermore, creating and disposing of plastic artificial lawns can result in emissions of harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases.
2) They Are Bad For Soil Health
Natural grass provides various benefits to the soil ecosystem. It holds soil in place, introduces natural nitrogen-rich fertilizers, and promotes soil organisms’ growth, such as earthworms. Plastic artificial lawns, on the other hand, do none of these things. They tend to trap heat and decrease soil aeration, resulting in a weaker ecosystem’s growth. This weakens the soil nutrients, microbes, microflora, and water holding capacity.
3) Synthetics Lawns Increase Urban Heat
Most plastic artificial lawns are dark and absorb the heat from outside, causing an upsurge in local urban heat issues. This heat concentration can increase the temperature of the surrounding area. It has significant implications for the environment, including increasing power consumption and lowering air quality.
4) They Are Expensive
Plastic artificial lawns cost far more than natural grass, and they also require specialized equipment and trained labour to set up. Additionally, the cost of repairing any damages caused by pets, weather, and sunlight can add to the overall cost.
5) They Don’t Look Real
Lastly, the most practical benefit of natural grass is its visual appeal. Synthetic lawns tend to look fake, and they can negatively impact the aesthetics of your garden. Most of them are textured to look like real grass, but upon a closer look, you will know they are not natural.
While plastic artificial lawns may seem like the perfect solution to a low-maintenance outdoor space, they are not a good idea. These synthetic grass installations can harm the environment, soil health, affect heat concentration, cost a lot, and don’t look real. If you want to maintain a healthy and visually appealing outdoor space, it is best to look for other sustainable alternatives such as a xeriscape or low-maintenance garden. Maintaining healthy turfgrass without plastic lawns is achievable and highly rewarding.