It’s that time of year right now – the weather is a bit chillier, and the grass needs a bit of extra attention. However, seeing as there have been a lot of strict rules implemented in regard to water usage in states like California, sometimes we can’t really tend to our lawns as we would like to. This can certainly get frustrating for the sticklers amongst us who like to have that perfect leafy green grass.
Finding solutions to that doesn’t always feel easy. Obviously, the solution isn’t to start illegally watering the lawn more often. Instead, you could consider going with an artificial grass option. Ever heard of turf?
Well – you probably have. It’s the stuff used in most sports fields, like football stadiums. What a lot of people don’t realize is that we can also have it installed in our yards and even inside the home (in a recreation room, for example). So, if you want to learn more about how that works, check out this page and continue reading!
What is Turf?
The first question at hand is what turf is in the first place, right? Well, obviously it’s artificial grass. Looking beyond that, though, what else is there to know?
The purpose of turf is to mimic the appearance of natural grass, without some of the harmful effects on the environment that caring for lawns can have. Did you know that one of the biggest consumers of fresh water in the world are golf courses and suburban lawns? Insane, right?
Beyond that, though, there is also just the fact that turf is much easier to maintain. One of my least favorite things to do is mow the grass, and I know that I’m far from alone in that. Even on the mowers that you don’t have to manually push, it can be a real pain.
For most HOAs, though, it’s an important part of maintaining curb appeal. Why not skip the trouble of constantly trimming the yard and keeping it perfectly watered and kempt, right? Before you do that, though, you probably want to know what turf is made out of.
Most of the time, there are going to be a variety of “ingredients” within the turf that you get. Plastics, recycled materials, and more are typically incorporated into the many layers that make up a row of artificial grass. If you aren’t sure what’s in the type you opt to get, you can always talk to the retailer.
This is especially true when it comes to artificial grass in San Bernardino, CA, considering how many regulations there are in the state. This is mostly in terms of what can enter the environment, but thankfully there are ways to get totally recycled turf.
Environmental Concerns: How Legit are they?
To be clear, I’m purely referring to the worries that some people have about turf being harmful to the environment. While it’s certainly a valid thing to be concerned about, when you start to look into it further, you can see that there are actually a few reasons why this stuff can help with environmental concerns.
How does that work, you’re probably wondering. Most of it really does come down to water usage! I don’t mean to harp on it, of course, but it’s a huge concern right now in California. As you can see here, https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/12/california-drought-shortages/, it’s a situation that the state is carefully monitoring.
Naturally, that means that using precious water for things like keeping the grass green is definitely not a priority. That’s where turf comes in. Since you don’t need to keep it watered for it to retain its appearance, you’re saving a ton of resources!
On top of that, though, there’s also the fact that you can have turf made out of those recycled plastics. You’re reducing your own carbon footprint that way, since nothing new has to be created to make the artificial grass. Recycling is one of the best ways that we can do our part, so why not extend it to our yard care?
Is it Worth it?
One of the main drawbacks about going through with something like this is the costs that are involved. The actual rows of turf can be expensive, and so can the installation fees. That means that anyone who wants to get it has to consider whether or not it will be worthwhile for them.
The fact that artificial grass lasts so long is certainly a point in its favor. After all, if you don’t constantly have to keep making those payments like you do for the natural grass care products, in the long-term it kind of saves you some costs. Of course, at the end of the day, it will be up to you to decide.
