Installing Artificial Grass

[ethantodd]

I’ve been thinking about installing artificial grass for my yard, but I’m not sure about the pros and cons compared to natural grass. Can I get some advice on whether artificial grass is a good option and what to consider before making the switch?

This is the Gardening section. It'll be like rage bait on here. Post in home dec / diy etc

Don’t. Other than it not growing it needs just as much maintenance, but needs it all year round.

My neighbour is thinking of ripping theirs up because it absolutely stinks. The previous owners did nothing to maintain it at all.

Cons:
Terrible for wildlife
Ugly as fuck
Stinks
Gets hot in summer
Seriously ugly as fuck

Pros
???

We are looking to move and immediately discount any property with artificial grass.

We put some down over a very hot, blindingly bright paved terrace and whilst it cut the glare it is as hot as the terrace ever was.
Ours does not smell.
Wildlife did not use the terrace anyway.
It was not cheap, but we wouldn't do it again. We should have had much darker paving for the terrace. 😎
We certainly wouldn't replace a lawn with it.

No

Just don’t do it! Totally naff looking and terrible for the environment.

You wont get much love on here for artificial grass. MN hates it.

I have it, and it has saved our garden! Before it was a swamp and no grass grew. We even tried a clover lawn and that was just a mud bath after 2 years. Now the garden is used by the kids all year round, there is no mud.

It doesnt get too hot for us to use, it doesnt stink either but then we dont have dogs so I cannot comment if that makes a difference.

We have a lot of boarders and a lot of pots etc..... and do get a lot of wildlife in the garden.

Yes it isnt zero maintenance but a brush 4 times a year and then use a garden vac to get it all clean and its done. Nothing else needs doing.

It’s brilliant, you don’t need to mow it, it never gets muddy, can be cushioned so ok for falls, perfect all year round.

Do you have children?
are you interested in their long term health ?
if yes , don’t get artifical grass

I wouldn't buy a house with it. It looks awful. It's plastic and doesn't degrade and can't be recycled. It costs a lot to get rid of. You garden will become an ecological desert.

There are no pros.

You wont get much love on here for artificial grass. MN hates it.

It's really not just MN.

Naff and terrible for the environment. It should be illegal to use it.

Lowers the value of your house...

It’s awful. So so sick of it! It holds onto smells so if a cat or dog wees on it then you’ll be able to smell it forever. It’s bad for the soil and uninhabitable for wildlife. I use it on my balcony because I obviously can’t plant real grass on it, but my dog weed on it once and when the sun shines it’s hideous!

Artificial grass is the devils toilet!
Don't do it.

I’d go for gravel over artificial grass, better for the environment and can be planted up to look lovely (see Beth Chatto gardens for inspiration).

Cats seem to really like shitting on it, so if you have any visiting your garden I wouldn't.

This.

Carcinogenic
terrible for the environment
terrible for nature
plastic pollutant
ugly as hell

I find it very ugly.

Covering the outside of your house in plastic is vile

Just no! All fake plastic grass contains PFAS forever chemicals that leach into the soil and our water. It makes its way into humans and animals eventually.

Apart from the fact the blades of ALL types of plastic grass contain PFAS forever chemicals. These leach into the ground water and us eventually.
Terrible stuff.

I put artificial grass in the same category as helium-filled balloons.

In both cases, what would possess anyone from paying a penny piece for something so ugly and damaging to the environment