When it’s time to landscape a backyard, one of the most common questions is whether natural grass or artificial turf is better. Choosing natural or synthetic is a big decision that will significantly impact your yard’s look, feel, and maintenance requirements.
Making the right decision can impact how you enjoy your outdoor spaces. In this blog, we’ll discuss both options and weigh their pros and cons to help you make an informed choice.
Natural Grass
Natural grass is a go-to choice for most homeowners who want a lush, green lawn. It offers numerous benefits that appeal to those who want to create a beautiful, inviting yard suitable for entertaining guests, playing with children, and relaxing outdoors.
Advantages of Natural Grass
Countless natural grass species thrive in different climates and environments depending on your specific needs. Many people choose natural grass due to its:
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- Environmental Benefits: Natural grass shares its main benefit with other foliage: It turns carbon dioxide into oxygen and acts as a carbon sink. This process improves air quality and provides a natural cooling effect.
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- Cost-Effective: If you’re happy to start from scratch, grass seed is initially less expensive to purchase in bulk than large sections of artificial turf, which can be costly.
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- Natural Feel: Nothing beats the feeling of walking barefoot on soft, cool grass. A lush backyard lawn provides the ultimate comfortable surface for relaxation and play for adults and children.
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- Biodegradability: Natural grass breaks down quickly, and when it comes time to replace your lawn, old grass can be composted to reduce waste.
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- Flexibility: With natural grass, you can easily update your landscape by adding or removing plants, trees, or hardscaping features without permanently altering pre-sized material like you need to with artificial turf.
Disadvantages of Natural Grass
While the advantages can make natural grass seem the obvious choice, some potential drawbacks may make you view it differently. The common disadvantages of natural lawns include:
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- Maintenance: Natural grass requires regular upkeep such as mowing, watering, fertilizing, and weeding to keep it looking its best. This ongoing maintenance can be time-consuming and expensive.
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- Water Consumption: Depending on your climate and the grass species you choose, natural grass can require immense amounts of water to stay green and healthy. These demands can be challenging, especially in dry seasons when many areas struggle with droughts and water restrictions.
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- Pests: Natural lawns always attract various bugs, some of which can harm your lawn. Insects like grubs, chinch bugs, and mole crickets thrive in lush lawns and can quickly decimate a lawn you’ve worked hard to cultivate.
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- Weather Sensitivity: Extreme weather conditions like hail, snow, and heavy rain can damage natural grass, leading to mud, brown patches, or bare spots. Weather damage can be difficult to undo and often requires replanting.
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- Allergies: Grass pollen allergies are quite common, and even having grass near their house can trigger sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, and painful rashes in allergic people.
Challenges and Considerations in Natural Grass
While natural grass offers a beautiful, living landscape, it also comes with a few challenges that homeowners and property managers should consider before choosing it over artificial grass.
1. High Maintenance Needs
Maintaining a healthy natural lawn takes time, effort, and money. Tasks like regular mowing, watering, fertilizing, aerating, weed removal, and pest control are necessary to keep the grass green and lush. Without consistent care, your lawn can easily develop bald spots, weeds, or diseases.
2. Significant Water Consumption
Natural grass lawns require a large amount of water, especially in dry or hot climates. This can drive up your utility bills and put stress on local water resources. During droughts, watering restrictions can make it difficult to maintain a green lawn.
3. Weather Sensitivity
Natural grass changes with the seasons and is affected by weather conditions. Heavy rain can lead to muddy patches, while extreme heat or cold can cause browning, thinning, or dormancy. Maintaining a beautiful lawn year-round is not always realistic in every climate.
4. Environmental Concerns
While natural grass provides oxygen and helps reduce heat, keeping it healthy often involves using chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides that can run off into local waterways and harm the environment.
5. Allergies and Pests
Natural lawns can harbor insects, weeds, and pollen that may trigger allergies for some people. Lawn pests like grubs or moles can damage grass roots and create unsightly areas that need repair.
What is Artificial Turf
Artificial turf is a man-made surface that mimics the look and feel of natural grass. It’s made from synthetic fibers, usually a blend of polyethylene, polypropylene, or nylon, which are designed to withstand outdoor conditions and heavy use.
Originally developed for sports fields in the 1960s, artificial turf is now widely used in residential lawns, commercial landscapes, playgrounds, rooftop gardens, and indoor sports facilities.
Advantages of Artificial Turf
Many of the problems with natural grass can be solved by using artificial turf instead. They offer numerous benefits for homeowners who want the aesthetic appeal of a lawn without constant supervision. The main reasons for the increase in synthetic grass popularity include:
- Low Maintenance: Once installed, artificial turf requires minimal upkeep. Besides the occasional hose-down, this option doesn’t need to be mowed, watered, fertilized, or weeded to stay beautiful.
- Water Conservation: Watering large lawns can be unnecessarily wasteful in areas where water is a precious commodity. Artificial turf offers an alternative that never requires watering, making it the ideal environmentally friendly option.
- Durability: High-quality artificial turf looks fantastic for several years and may last 15-20 years with proper care. Synthetic grass may wear down over time but never develop bare or brown patches under heavy foot traffic.
- Consistency: Artificial turf stays green and uniform year-round despite changing weather. Many homeowners want a yard that maintains its appealing appearance no matter the season, and turf fulfills this desire because it isn’t impacted by extreme weather like natural grass.
- Versatility: Artificial turf can be installed anywhere, even in areas where natural grass struggles to grow, like shaded areas. It also provides an alternative for areas like rooftop gardens that could become dangerously heavy with natural grass.
- Allergy Friendly: Artificial turf eliminates sneeze-causing allergens for those with grass pollen allergies, making it more appealing to spend time outside. Depending on the quality of the turf used, it can even be soft enough for children with allergies to play on safely, providing the same comfortable surface that natural grass does.
Disadvantages of Artificial Turf
Artificial turf is growing in popularity because it has many incredible benefits, but several disadvantages can impact your choice. Some reasons homeowners choose natural grass over artificial turf are:
- Initial Cost: The upfront cost of installing artificial turf is significantly higher than natural grass, especially for large yards. However, you will save thousands of dollars on long-term maintenance, which may make the investment worth it.
- Heat Retention: Synthetic grass typically becomes much hotter than natural grass in direct sunlight, making walking and sitting uncomfortable. This issue is especially notable when families want to spend time outdoors in summer.
- Environmental Concerns: Modern artificial turf is often made with recycled materials, but it isn’t biodegradable and may contribute to microplastic pollution over time as it degrades. Turf is also difficult to dispose of when it’s time to replace it.
- Lack of Benefits: Unlike natural grass, artificial turf provides no environmental benefits, such as oxygen production and carbon dioxide absorption. While it looks similar, synthetic grass is still plastic and won’t positively impact your yard’s ecosystem.
Challenges and Considerations in Artificial Turf
🌱 1. Upfront Cost
Challenge: Installation can be expensive compared to laying natural sod.
Consideration: Although maintenance costs are lower long-term, the initial investment (materials + professional installation) can be significant.
☀️ 2. Heat Retention
Challenge: Artificial turf can become very hot in direct sunlight, sometimes too hot to walk or play on comfortably, especially in warmer climates.
Consideration: Cooling infills, shade structures, or watering the surface can help but don’t fully eliminate heat buildup.
♻️ 3. Environmental Concerns
Challenge: It’s made from plastics and rubber infills, which raises sustainability questions.
Consideration: It isn’t biodegradable, so disposal at end-of-life can be an issue. Some newer products use recyclable materials or plant-based alternatives.
💧 4. Drainage & Hygiene
Challenge: Poorly installed turf can have drainage issues, leading to standing water or odors.
Consideration: Regular cleaning is needed to remove debris, pet waste, or bacteria buildup.
🦶 5. Comfort & Safety
Challenge: While safe for sports, turf can cause more friction burns or abrasions than natural grass.
Consideration: Quality shock-absorbing infills and modern turf designs reduce this risk, but it’s still something to know for playgrounds or pet areas.
Three Main Differences Between Artificial Grass and Natural Grass
When it comes to creating a lush, green lawn, you have two main choices: artificial grass or natural grass. While both have their benefits, they are very different in how they look, feel, and function. Knowing these differences can help you decide which option is right for your home, garden, or commercial space.
Here are the three main differences between artificial grass and natural grass you should know.
Maintenance Requirements
One of the biggest differences between artificial grass and natural grass is the level of maintenance they require.
Natural Grass:
Natural grass needs regular mowing, watering, fertilizing, and weeding to stay healthy and green. Depending on the climate, you may also need pest control or reseeding. Maintaining a natural lawn can be time-consuming and costly, especially during dry seasons.
Artificial Grass:
Artificial grass, on the other hand, is low-maintenance. It doesn’t need mowing, watering, or fertilizing. You may need to brush it occasionally to keep the blades standing upright and rinse it now and then to remove dust or pet waste. Overall, it saves time, water, and money in the long run.
Environmental Impact
Another key difference is how each type of grass affects the environment.
Natural Grass:
Natural grass produces oxygen, helps cool the air, and absorbs carbon dioxide. However, maintaining a natural lawn often requires large amounts of water, fertilizers, and pesticides, which can harm the local ecosystem and contribute to water waste.
Artificial Grass:
Artificial grass conserves water and eliminates the need for chemicals. However, it is made from synthetic materials like plastic and rubber, which require energy to produce and are not biodegradable. Some modern options are made from recycled or recyclable materials to reduce environmental impact.
Maintenance and Durability
Appearance and feel are important when choosing between artificial and natural grass.
Natural Grass:
Nothing beats the fresh smell and cool, soft feel of real grass under your feet. Natural grass changes with the seasons and weather, giving your yard a living, ever-changing look. However, it can develop brown patches, weeds, or muddy spots if not properly cared for.
Artificial Grass:
Modern artificial grass looks impressively realistic and stays green year-round, regardless of weather conditions. It doesn’t get muddy or patchy, and it stays lush even in high-traffic areas. While it can’t perfectly replicate the natural scent or feel of real grass, high-quality turf comes close with soft, multi-tone blades.
Final Thoughts on Artificial Turf vs. Natural Grass
Ultimately, your choice between natural grass and artificial turf depends entirely on personal preference. Both options offer incredible pros and considerable cons that can affect your decision. By carefully considering your climate, free time, environmental priorities, and budget, you will be left with the option that makes the most sense for your needs and circumstances.
Contact Intu Nature for advice on either option or installation quotes. Our expert landscapers understand the ins and outs of landscaping, from lawns to lighting, to help you create the yard of your dreams.
