Astroturf v Grass

[StampOnTheGround]

Hello!

Myself and DH are discussing the garden, one of us wants to replace the grass with AstroTurf and the other doesn't.

Can anyone tell me the pros/cons and what you prefer so we can try and come to a final decision?

Thank you!

I think people underestimate the work that goes into laying astroturf - it's a bloody big job. I would personally put that energy and cost into a robo mower. That has an initial outlay of cost and energy in the same way (you have to bury wires around the border of the lawn), but will have a much nicer outcome. Much nicer under your toddlers little toes.

Once it has been down awhile you will find it hard work to keep it clean and looking good. You won't be able to walk or sit on it with bare feet or skin in the summer as it gets hot. It doesn't let water drain properly, and it will be a desert for wildlife. Once the novelty wears off you will likely regret your choice.

OP I was going to dig up my lawn and replace it with gravel because I have a lot of moss plus wanted to have more plants in my garden as you can grow some plants in gravel.

The person who put in my fence said not to bother as the moss makes lawns look greener.

I have used weed and feed plus randomly dug out the weeds but in reality I shouldn't have bothered as a couple of my friends just have large lawns with weeds and moss in them. The weeds also make lawns look greener.

They are pretty dreadful but not quite so bad.

It is really easy to do a natural alternative, ivy is a menace but there are lots of beautiful and less thuggish alternatives. We have clematis, climbing rose, everlasting sweetpea, honey suckle, wisteria, climbing hydrangea, and Virginia creeper, (probably other stuff too the garden isn't my domain) on trellis to provide a screen in our garden. It looks beautiful, and is good for the wildlife too.

Agree Reugny. Who decreed that lawns have to be just one species of plant? And what are they gonna do if we defy their edict and allow dandelions ??

I hope you win this one OP. Plastic grass is really dismal. Awful stuff.

I see so many people say that artificial grass floods gardens. Why? Properly fitted artificial grass is very permeable. The rain just goes through it like normal grass!

We have it and we love it. Nothing grows on our soil. And we even tried the old clover lawn and that didn't even sprout! We have plenty of wildlife, no flooding as it's a permeable surface and a garden that is used by kids all the year round.

Something to consider:

www.gardeningetc.com/news/artificial-grass-can-devalue-your-home#:~:text='For%20family%20homes%20where%20young,'

@OhhhhhhhhBiscuits we have it too, well laid in a miniscule garden and drainage is no issue, we have invested heavily in creating amazing beds with lots of insect friendly plants and have lots of birds and wildlife.

Only a tasteless moron with no regard for the environment would lay plastic grass.

Well I'm a tasteless moron then. Luckily I'm a tasteless moron who doesn't resort to insults.

I find it interesting that the plastic grass layers insist that they have created amazing insect friendly wildlife havens in other areas of their gardens - many are claiming this on this thread.
It doesn't ring true at all though because any person that aware of the needs of wildlife would not even contemplate draping plastic all over their garden in the first place. 🤔

My Dad has it.

He needs to hoover it and pick moss out of it. Mowing would be far faster.

Plus all the environmental reasons.

We inherited AstroTurf when we moved in. It gets so hot in the sun and it stinks. It is appalling for the environment and it looks shit. We have removed it.

I'm another one who hates plastic grass! We're in the middle of a big garden project & will hopefully have a lovely big lawn at the end of it, I can't wait.

This.

Hoover the grass 😂😂 I've no idea where people get this from.

Jesus and Hazel

Thanks I'll look into those alternative. It's a trick area as September to March gets zero sunshine. Plus we have some of those low storage boxes which double as seats so would like assume have to put the panting container on top thus losing the seats. In a way I like the way the fake panels look fake, weird I know especially as a garden lover.

But yea I'll definitely look at those especially as being next to the back patio door any lovely smells are a bonus. Plus more bees 🐝❤️

It's got no roots to take the water up, though. Rain on plastic grass is like rain on bare earth - it runs off the surface quicker than soil with plants.

Yours might not because of the plants around it, but that doesn't mean the criticism is wrong.

I don't think it's that it necessarily means YOUR garden floods. It's that any and all paved areas/tarmac/artificial grass/gravel etc increases the speed at which rain reaches the rivers, and therefore increases the likelihood of flash flooding around rivers during heavy rainfall.

There are no pros to artificial grass. Awful stuff.

Either have grass, or go for another option, such as decking, gravel, paving or something.

I think plastic grass is horrible. And very environmentally unfriendly.

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/mar/29/it-would-survive-nuclear-armageddon-the-rise-and-fall-of-plastic-lawns

Plastic does not belong in the garden. Environmental disaster and not practical either

Grass seed is cheaper.

Vastly

@TinyTopknot I don't think anyone says it is ideal but trying to plant other insect friendly plants and shrubs is a conscious effort to mitigate the negative impacts.