Choosing the right grass to suit you and your family's needs is not an easy decision. Herein lies the debate of Natural Lawn versus Artificial Lawn. So which is your best option? Well that depends on many factors such as: location, cost, maintenance, durability and your individual needs and what landscaping look you are trying to achieve.
The Pros and Cons of both Natural and Synthetic Lawn
NATURAL LAWN | |
PROS | CONS |
Aesthetics: The look and feel of a well maintained natural lawn has great appeal. | Aesthetics: During winter months, natural lawn is often not looking at its best and will not grow well in shady areas. Excessive weeds can spoil the look of natural lawn. |
Environmental factor: Natural grass provides oxygen for better air quality and serves as a natural filter for the environment. It helps reduce temperatures and erosion from storm water run off providing drainage. Natural grass provides food for animals and insects and stimulates biological life. | Environmental factor: Beautiful natural green lawns can come at at cost to the environment. High water usage in dry climates isn't great for the environment and the chemicals from fertilisers and pesticides pollute the groundwater. Lawn mowing equipment can be an air pollutant for the environment. |
Durability: Natural lawn will last forever if maintained well. | Durability: Natural lawn is not as durable as Artificial lawn, especially in high traffic areas. Durability of Natural lawn is dependent on where it is located and the amount of care it gets. Pet urine can cause brown spots in the lawn. |
Maintenance: The process of maintaining a natural lawn can provide the opportunity for exercise and relaxation outdoors. | Maintenance: To keep natural lawn looking at its best, it needs to be watered, mowed, edged and fertilised regularly, along with weeding, weed killer and soil wetting agent. Thatching and top dressing are recommended at times also. It takes dedicated time and effort to keep a natural lawn looking great. |
Cost: The cost of natural lawn installation is usually less than the cost of artificial lawn depending on the lawn chosen and there is always the option to grow from seed or runners to save costs even further. | Cost: There is the cost of lawn installation as well as the ongoing maintenance costs to consider such as water, fertilisers, weed killers and pesticides along with mowing and maintenance equipment. |
Position: Natural lawn grows best in full sun. | Position: Some areas are too shady for natural lawn to grow and high traffic areas provide a challenge. |
| Allergies: Many people are allergic to Natural grass or find that it causes irritation. |
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SYNTHETIC LAWN | |
PROS | CONS |
Aesthetics: Artificial Lawn looks green all year round and appears neat and tidy and uniform. It is available in different shades, thicknesses and lengths to suit personal preferences and needs. Newer varieties appear very realistic. | Aesthetics: In some cases it can appear to look 'fake', creating an unnatural feel. |
Environmental Factor: As no watering is required, it saves the use of thousands of litres of water each year, assisting environmental water shortage problems. Minimal maintenance saves power and equipment usage helping reduce carbon emissions. Some manufacturers now use recycled materials in their Artificial turf and use sustainable materials for production. | Environmental Factor: Some synthetic lawns are manufactured using petrochemicals, however newer varieties are now being made with a large percentage of sustainable materials. Artificial lawn absorbs heat and can be hot to touch in full sun. |
Durability: Artificial lawn is extremely durable for families with pets and children. It serves well in shady areas of the garden where natural grass won't grow and is very durable in heavy traffic areas. | Durability: Artificial lawn lasts around 7-15 years so will then need replacing. |
Maintenance: The maintenance of Artificial lawn is very minimal. Only requiring a light sweep or blower vacuum and hose if required. Any damage can be repaired similar to carpet. | Maintenance: Dog or pet urine can become an odour issue with Artificial lawn, however there are products available to help such as pet infill. |
Cost: Even though synthetic turf might have higher upfront costs for supply and installation, it makes up for it in the very low cost of maintaining it. With very little maintenance costs compared to natural lawn, it is considered to pay for itself within 5 years when comparing the maintenance costs of natural lawn. | Cost: Synthetic turf has a higher upfront cost for supply and installation than natural turf. |
Position: Artificial lawn can be installed in most places of the garden including shaded areas and around the pool. | Position: There aren't any cons! Artificial lawn can be installed almost anywhere! |
Looking at the Pros and Cons of both types of lawn, there are a lot of factors to consider. People often have a preference for one or the other and many opt for Natural Lawn in one area of the garden and Artificial Lawn in another. The choice is yours!
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