Artificial Grass VS. Natural Grass

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It has always been a matter up for debate among homeowners across the country. Which is better: Artificial grass or natural grass? Both types of lawns bring their own advantages and disadvantages to the table. 

Deciding which is better depends on several factors, such as initial costs, ease of maintenance, ongoing care costs, and personal aesthetic preferences. Artificial grass can handle everything that natural grass can, and even more in some cases. 

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Continue reading as we delve into the significant differences of these lawn types and determine which one is best for your lawn!

Initial and Ongoing Costs

Installing artificial grass costs significantly more than a seeded or even sod lawn. The good news is that the cost of maintaining an artificial lawn is little to none. 

With natural grass lawns, you can have seeds planted or lay sod, which costs much more than planting seeds. After this relatively low installation cost, you’ll have ongoing expenses to maintain the lawn with equipment, fuel, and supplies for mowing, trimming, weeding, feeding, and re-seeding the grass over the years. 

The savings that you’ll experience with an artificial lawn will make it pay for itself! 

Maintenance Requirements

The maintenance requirements for these two lawns are one of the most significant differences between them. Natural grass demands hours of work every week to keep it looking managed and beautiful. Natural grass needs to be trimmed at least weekly unless the weather is overly dry. During the hot months, it will need to be watered to maintain its lush, green appearance. Even one week off will allow your lawn to become overgrown and make your entire property look worse. In dry weather, slacking on maintenance will result in a brown, dried-out grass that looks just as bad as an overgrown yard. 

Artificial yards only require a minimal amount of maintenance. Occasionally rinsing the yard off will remove any dust, dirt, or possible odors caused by pet waste. High traffic areas where the turf has been flattened can easily be fluffed up again with light raking. During the Fall months, you’ll just need to rake or blow off any fallen leaves that have accumulated on the lawn, and that’s all there is to maintaining an artificial yard.

Water Usage

When you’re maintaining a natural lawn, you can expect to use a lot of water. The EPA estimates that nearly one-third of all residential water use is dedicated to landscape maintenance nationwide, totaling almost 9 billion gallons per day. Talk about a high water bill! Aside from skyrocketing water bills, that amount of wasted water is unbelievable. 

With an artificial yard, it doesn’t require any water to maintain its green appearance. The only water that you’ll need is merely enough to rinse any soiled areas off with a hose. Pet owners may need to use water more frequently to account for pet waste, though it’s still nowhere close to the amount that natural grass requires. 

Appearances

Today’s choices in artificial grass are incredibly realistic, in some cases, almost indistinguishable. The main difference between the appearances of artificial and natural lawns is that artificial turf always looks beautiful no matter the season. It’s always the same color, height, and texture all year long. 

Natural grass can vary drastically in tone, moisture, height, thickness, and more, all in the same yard. Seasonal issues can devastate a real lawn and even kill it. Pets take their toll as well, creating yellowed and brown spots due to urination. Not to mention, grass only stops growing when it’s dead. The only way to achieve a uniform look to a natural lawn is to continually mow it. 

So, Who Won?

By analyzing the major differences between these grasses, artificial grass requires less maintenance, time, and money to keep it looking as beautiful as natural grass. The advantages of artificial generally outweigh those of natural grass. 

However, we’re talking about your personal lawn, so it’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons of both types of grass and decide which is best for you. How much money and time are you willing to invest in your yard? Are you a pet owner? Do you have children? The choice is ultimately yours to make.