The question many people spend hours and hours debating with themselves for, do I go artificial or do I keep it real?
Well I've put together some pros and cons to both artificial and real grass. There are a lot of benefits to both real and artificial grass, lets be honest, there are many other thing you want to be doing rather than mowing the lawn. There are a few key questions you should ask yourself before you purchase any form of grass:
- How much free time do I have to maintain the garden?
- Is the space in the sun light and has good air flow?
- How much money do I want to spend?
- Do I have children or pets which will use this space?
PROS OF ARTIFICIAL GRASS
- Little to no maintenance, once it's down you don't have to do any mowing, seeding or weeding. Perfect if you don't want to waste time on grass.
- Perfect for high traffic or pets.
- Walk on the grass at anytime of the year without worrying that you'll step into a hidden swamp
- In small gardens or spaces, artificial grass is perfect. This is as you don't have to worry about mowing the small space and you can just leave it to look good.
- If there is no sunlight hitting your garden artificial grass might be the solution for you as real grass will be not very healthy or perhaps even die in darkness.
CONS OF ARTIFICIAL GRASS
- Slightly more expensive to purchase the grass and lay it down.
- Going artificial is not a permanent solution. Artificial grass will have to be replaced around the 8 year mark. So there is a likely hood that it is not a one off payment.
- To look the best it has to be laid out on a even surface and artificial grass is not ideal for slopes or surfaces on an incline.
PROS OF REAL GRASS
- Real grass is a lot better for the environment, artificial grass is made out of plastics which damages the world. Where as real grass produces oxygen, a lot of oxygen. An acre of grass will give off enough oxygen for 64 people a day.
- Having a well maintained lawn will also support the plant and insect life. Giving small insects more space to live!
- Laying down real grass is cheaper than artificial grass, so if you are on a strict budget, maybe real grass is the way to go.
CONS OF REAL GRASS
- Maintenance, you will need to set some time aside to keep your real lawn looking fresh! This includes mowing, weeding and perhaps re-seeding parts of your garden.
- And with maintenance comes the tools and equipment you may need to up-keep your grass. There are hidden costs to real grass such as a lawn mower and grass feed.
- Real grass doesn't last long with high traffic or extreme water fall. One summer BBQ or a flood can make your lawn look like a swamp!
Hopefully this article has helped you decide which type of grass you want. In my opinion artificial grass looks better but in the 21st century, in todays day and age we really need to focus on helping the environment.