Have you ever driven past a home that had the greenest grass on the block? These lawns happen one of two ways, artificial grass or meticulous real grass lawn maintenance. When pairing the two contenders against one another, the installation of artificial grass can take away the time-consuming maintenance required by a naturally occurring lawn. Artificial grass also referred to as artificial turf or AstroTurf (named by Monsanto), is made of synthetic fibers. Believe it or not, artificial grass maintenance is not as hard, but it isn’t as easy as you may assume. You will still spend time tending to it, but not nearly as much as you would your living grass.
Using Artificial Grass Maintenance Equipment Vs. Live Lawn Care Equipment
No matter which style of lawn adorns your home, you will need to make sure you have the equipment to take care of it. To understand the differences in maintenance, let’s assign a yard to each of two neighbors. Lawn “A” is the artificial yard, and Lawn “B” is the live lawn.
To maintain Lawn “A,” the neighbor will have to at least monthly, preferably weekly:
- Remove any debris from the grass that may have accumulated. Debris can be anything that has blown in or fallen off of trees. Clearing debris helps keep the artificial grass from being damaged.
- Rinse the turf regularly. By rinsing the lawn with cool, clean water, dust and pollen are eliminated. However, if the lawn is in an area that receives rain regularly, this step won’t have to be carried out as often.
- Using a brush, in high-traffic areas, brushing the synthetic fiber against the grain to help stop it from matting can help keep the lawn looking healthy and fresh. This technique is called cross brushing. This step is best done with an artificial grass maintenance brush.
- If necessary, the use of a cleaning solvent can be used on the artificial grass. These products can help sanitize and keep the grass’ hygiene safe by removing bad odors, pet urine, and any mold that may have grown. The use of these types of cleaner or cleaning agents can keep your lawn fresh longer than using water washing alone.
- The initial cost for having artificial grass installed can range from $3,000 to $7,000 depending on the size of the yard and the materials. This price is dependent on many factors, but these figures are to give an idea of a typical range. The cost to maintain an artificial lawn is pennies compared to the amount that it costs to maintain a real yard.
To maintain Lawn “B,” the neighbor will need to juggle maintenance items on a varied schedule. The components of lawn maintenance and their preferred timeline are:
- Watering is the component that needs to be done the most for a live yard. If the grass becomes dry, it will die. As a general rule, it is better to water heavily if the grass needs it than to water it lightly more often. Light watering doesn’t penetrate the soil deep enough to facilitate the root growth needed for healthy grass. When the grass begins to change color, or it does not spring back after being walked on, it needs to be watered. Depending on the climate and the soil, the need for watering could be as much as every three days or as little as once a week.
- Lawns with live grass need to be mowed at least once a week. The frequency will be dependent on the rate at which the grass grows and how the weather facilitates growth. Mowing too short can cause problems with the soil overheating and can cause the grass to dehydrate quicker.
- Later in the Spring and Fall, a transition to different grass can help a yard survive the climate changes. The transition is between what is called “winter grass” and “summer grass,” and vice versa. The process is often done using sod, which is pre-grown patches of grass with a soil backing to them.
- Several times a year, it is worth fertilizing the lawn. Fertilizer provides necessary nutrients to the grass and soil that they may not be getting from water or on their own. Fertilizer can keep the grass thick and vibrant. Consider fertilizing the action of feeding your lawn a large meal.
- Weeding is an ongoing process, but once your lawn is established, you should not have to spend much time at all dealing with it. Most grass can weed itself by growing thick, allowing no room for the weeds to grow. If you find that patches of weeds are sprouting in your lawn, it may be a sign that your yard is not getting the nutrients it needs, or you are cutting your grass too short.
- If you are paying someone to maintain your yard for you, the price can be steep. On average, if you pay someone $40 to mow your yard weekly, for an entire year, you could be spending $1,280 or more just on getting the lawn mowed. This does not include any other maintenance. On top of other maintenance, you could be paying thousands a year for maintaining a lawn.
Providing Quality Artificial Grass Maintenance
When properly maintained, artificial grass can last over ten years and even up to 20 years. Knowing the correct way to install it and to care for an artificial lawn is the secret of success with the continuing maintenance. There are different products available for use when removing the debris from your artificial grass. Many people like to use the vacuum for cleaning up debris. The problem with using one of these is that it can also remove necessary infill. Using a handheld blower to push the debris into a pile is more efficient. Using a plastic or synthetic rake can help collect the debris and smooth out any infill that may have moved.
