[Closed] Real turf vs Artificial grass

I don't fully understand your post but it sounds like you've lifted some slabs to reveal a load of builders crap. You can turf over this but it won't thrive (aka it'll just die). I can't begin to cope with the idea of a sheet of green plastic so I'd go with stones. Or put the paviors back.

I work in a garden that has artificial grass front and rear. I have no idea of the quality of it, or what qualities are available. It shouts out a mile away "artificial". It just looks plain wrong. It isn't firmly fixed all over and I can feel it lifting. If it gets cut then there are big problems in repairing it to be an exact match. It feels wrong to walk on. It attracts just as much dirt, fallen leaves and general detritus as a "proper" lawn. For the work I do it is really a hindrance; I have to be super careful with all my gear not to damage it. I know a lawn will repair itself. This stuff won't.

It's just awful.

But the lady who owns it is a widow, and they had it installed when her husband was long term housebound so it saved them the trouble of mowing it. I can see the sense in having it in her situation. She has said that grandkids can get burns from it, but I can't comment on that.

I'm probably a traditionalist (and worked in garden maintenance and build) so just don't like it. I'm sure it has it's place in the world, but having seen it in close up there's no way I would ever consider it for my garden, whatever I was doing. There are so many more practical alternatives.

Decking?

There should be a law against artificial grass.

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I hate plastic grass..for starters it's bloody plastic ..and there is too much of the bloody stuff already without adding to the problem..

My gripe against plastic "grass" is that it is something pretending to be something else. It doesn't get anywhere close to resembling the real thing, so if you want an artificial wash 'n' wipe covering then why pretend it's grass. Personally I find a normal grass lawn the easiest, self-repairing surface imaginable. A quick once over with a flymo once a week in the season and the job's done.

Are there any positive stories of plastic grass?

Lack of space for a mower, plus lack of inclination to do much with a (small) lawn at a new house have me wondering if it might be better than paving it?

Are there any positive stories of plastic grass?

Yup. On sink estates it is a good place to store a couple of old motorbikes and a clapped out transit van.

Artificial stuff quite handy on the rough old floor in our shack even if it doesn't all match:[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47967599001_6f78b21dd0.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47967599001_6f78b21dd0.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

We've got a small patch about 4m x 3.5m.Ideal if you've got kids imho.No mowing,zero maintainance and I don't get muddy or slip on it when it's wet when I need to get into the shed for bikes,chairs,tools toys etc.2 or 3 times a week or my daily trips to the recycling bags and bins.It dries in minutes so the kids are on it all the time,playing, doing gymnastics which you can't do on a hard surface. Our neighbours had turf laid and it does look nicer sometimes in the year but not in the summer if it's been really dry and certainly not in winter and one side is patchy as it doesn't get the sun but crucially it's only really usable for a very small part of the year.Our other neighbour hadn't actually realised my "lawn" was artficial until he asked me how i kept it looking so green in winter.It doesn't move but I can easily roll it up in 10 minutes if I wanted to.I don't live on a sink estate and don't own a motorbike.I do have a 3 piece suite and an old fridge but I keep them in the front garden.

We covered a nasty concrete bit of our garden with fake grass. It’s the best thing we’ve done. It’s gone from a slimy mess 9 months of the year to a lovely outdoor room. It’s outside our kitchen window and is bright all through the winter. The bit we walk on a lot to the rest of the garden isn’t wearing down to mud, there’s no cutting and it’ll last forever.
In the right place it’s great.
The rest of our garden is a wild flower and wildlife haven and we have a lot of bees etc coming to he pots we have everywhere. It doesn’t need to be a barren space.

The rest of our garden is a wild flower and wildlife haven and we have a lot of bees etc coming to he pots we have everywhere

photos?  My wife likes the idea of that but I suspect it means that our garden turns into even more of a jungle.   concept is good though

We ended up getting ours rather reluctantly: But two young dogs had destroyed our lawn and when it rained it resembled a canine recreation of the Somme. Including craters. We got some quite expensive stuff and it was professionally laid, so it doesn't seem to lift and has been pretty durable so far. It looks ok. I wouldn't say you would notice that it wasn't real at a quick glance. The neighbours have all been pretty complimentary about it.
It's the sort of thing I can see that if everyone used would probably have a negative impact on the local ecology, but as above, the other bits of our garden are as wildlife friendly as I can make it. You have to factor in that the amount of mud the dogs were bringing in meant the hard floors were having to be mopped twice a day, and carpets needed to be cleaned twice a week which isn't exactly a boon to the environment.
Haters are gonna hate, but ultimately you have to go with what is practical for you.

With fake grass you certainly get what you pay for, as aboce, done right it looks good, done cheap it looks like the front of a greengrocers. You can't just bang it in any surface either, it needs a proper sub base.

Lawns are a bit rubbish in my opinion. Not usable all year round, require maintenance and storage for a mower and strimmer. Never understood the obsession with them either. Must be soo green and perfect. It’s just odd.

I’d prefer any other surface except block paving in my garden. Unfortunately for me they are the two things I have. Both utter shite. YMMV

Strip of grass and one of stones around the heavy use "lounge"area?
Reasonable amount of muck(& light) and the lawn will grow imo.
Different grasses? I love my tiny chamomile patch. 🙂
The birds love to feed on our lawn, no way would I replace it with an artificial one.

I'm getting artificial grass when I finally get around to getting my garden sorted, the only downside I see is it's hideously expensive. The quality stuff has lots of shades, different materials and blade heights and is pretty convincing - sure I've not seen any that I've had to touch in order to double check it wasn't really but it's close enough.

For me I'm just lazy, I can only access my garden through a garage, have no interest in gardening so just want somewhere for the odd BBQ, sun-bathing and bike washing (although that's on a deck). Sure I'll need to rake leaves off it, clean cat & bird crap off it and occasionally wash and re-sand it but that's still less hassle than a lawn (which is currently mostly brambles and weeds anyway).

Decking?

Indeed. Everyone who puts down artificial grass needs decking.

A relative of mine who is, shall we say, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, put down artificial grass in their garden under their climbing frame. Which has a plastic slide. It basically acts as a massive Van der Graaf generator, so the more laps a child does , the more they charge up. Pretty funny to watch the hair getting more vertical, then the resulting yelps and sparks when the discharging high 5s take place.

Decent artificial grass is fantastic stuff. We put some down in our shady rear garden/yard that saw a lot of traffic and it was perfect.

I think it was this stuff
https://www.lazylawn.co.uk/product/wonder-yarn/

and it's a far cry from the rubbish that is obviously artificial.

Lawns are a bit rubbish in my opinion. Not usable all year round, require maintenance and storage for a mower and strimmer. Never understood the obsession with them either. Must be soo green and perfect. It’s just odd.

Lawns don't have to be bowling greens. I just mow our communal lawn once a week in season (April to October), less if it's very dry. I leave some areas to grow wild and only mow those from September on. No kids or dogs though.

If you like artificial grass then go for that. The only downside is if you don't like the look/idea of it, and you'll already know that. The wildlife value of a mown lawn isn't too great so if that is a factor but you want artificial grass then have some tubs of lavendar etc. for the bees.

Last year i dug out the back garden and replaced with mainly slabs. Left a 3x3m area flat concrete slab and covered it with best artificial grass i could find. Best thing we ever did in the garden. It looks real, it drys quickly so you can sit on it etc, lawn mower is going in the bin when front is made the same and i can quickly roll it up to do important bike maintenance matters in the sun!

Key i think is to get the best quality, the cheap stuff is as bad as you think it will be.

Artificial grass is the '19 version of stone cladding ...

Bloke over the road from us hoses his plastic front garden down once a week to wash his dog's shit off it. He's a dick. Plastic grass is for dicks.

This is why the planet's ****ed.

Out here grass doesn't do well - in summar it dies because it's too hot and sunny (and you have to water it every day); in winter it dies because it's too cold and covered in 3' of snow. So people gradually are switching over to astroturf in places.

But it's just wrong - it's basically laying a giant sheet of green plastic down on the ground. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'm mulling over some kind of wild alpine meadow type thing (ie long grass, flowers, no need for mowing)

I was trying - and failing - to think of a slightly nicer version of what Kayla1 said.

I just mow our communal lawn once a week in season

An hour a week? Mine gets done when I can no longe see my five year old when he’s playing. Not a fan of artificial grass, but I’d happily have concrete or dirt.

Just stick some potatoes or something in, or scatter some wild flower seeds about if you can be arsed. Anything's better than covering the surface of the planet in (more) plastic.

An hour a week?

It's a lawn, not a football pitch.

Our back garden is pretty small, but I've still got turf. It does take a hammering over winter with 'use'. Just got it 'perfect' and my son's invited a load of mates round tonight for a party in the garden - going to be trashed by the morning, but hey ho.

Still prefer the real stuff, even if it's hard work.

Plastic grass is for dicks.

Are you calling me a dick?
Maybe say it to my face?

Just stick some potatoes or something in

what, for an outdoor lounge, with seating and maybe a fire pit?

I don't even think real grass is an option for th eOP given the ground conditions he described..

Are you calling me a dick?
Maybe say it to my face?

Have 'im, Darren!

Plastic grass for indoors only-or to cover an area that was previously concrete etc. For the love of god don’t replace a lawn with plastic....and what kayla1 said.

Kayla 1 - is a woman.

I detest artificial turf. It's bad in so many ways. The producing of it for one.

Real turf doesn't have to be hard work. Our lawn attracts insects, worms, birds and wildlife. There are areas I leave overgrown where tall grasses and wild flowers have popped up. Grass like trees gives off clean air. It looks so much better and doesn't matter if a few leaves or bird droppings fall on it.
I don't know what happens to rain on artificial lawns.

For me it's the real stuff everytime.

Edit; YOu don't have to water the grass in the summer, in fact don't. It will repair itself come autumn.

Are you calling me a dick?

Meh.

Bloke over the road from us hoses his plastic front garden down once a week to wash his dog’s shit off it. He’s a dick. Plastic grass is for dicks.

This is why the planet’s ****.

I agree with the sentiment, if not perhaps the delivery...

I leave a big chunk of our lawn to grow long in the summer. The birds love it, the bees love it, it just seems like one less thing that humankind is saying '**** you, nature, we know best' to.

There's enough concrete, asphalt, and plastic in the world already.

Heads up (nearly said <stw>PSA!</stw>) that this topic is discussed on Raido 4 Gardeners' Question Time today (Sunday) at 2p.m.

I’m really against plastic grass. Considering the alarming decline in insects and birds in this country, and the alarming rise in people buying fake lawns, laying down a sterile sheet of plastic is not a good thing for the environment.

Apparently it's pretty bad for harbouring germs whereas in real turf they are dispersed and eliminated.

Lawns are a bit rubbish in my opinion. Not usable all year round, require maintenance and storage for a mower and strimmer. Never understood the obsession with them either. Must be soo green and perfect. It’s just odd.

My ‘lawn’, for want of a better word, is two small patches of grass divided by a short path of paving slabs, it’s shaded on either side by hedges, and one end by a rather lovely 15’ Acer that’s now around 30 years old. It gets cut once or twice a year, if it’s lucky, and even less often now it’s being invaded by cowslips, and moss, and the hedgehogs seem to enjoy romping around in the grass now it’s getting longer.
Now I need to get a lot more wild flowers growing in it, like buttercups, moon daisies/oxeye daisies, pink campion, and a wider variety of grasses.
I’ll have even less reason/desire to cut it then.

Some friends had their stone chipped garden swapped for artificial turf, works well for them and looks okay, he does hover it now and again though which makes me laugh...

I’ve had plastic grass this last autumn. It’s ace. We had drainage issues and now we have a non muddy, quick drying garden that the kids and dog can use all year round without hassle.

I miss mowing the lawn. I don’t have any environmental concerns as we’re talking 8x10m and the flower beds are still full of bees and other insects.

It’s right for us, but not for everyone

Seriously mate, get a delivery of a couple of tons of decent topsoil. Once in place (get the kids to help) rake it level and seed it. A natural surface is what you need. I seeded a new lawn last year and it has totally transformed it.

Lol at some of the judgemental pricks on this thread. Once you're living in a zero impact commune making your own clothes from hemp then you can criticise someone for laying a few sq. m of artificial grass. Also if you think a well manicured lawn provides much benefit for insects you're mistaken, there's very little bio-diversity there. A wild garden much more so but then they're much less usable, great if you've got a big enough garden to have both both a lot of people don't.

Or - laugh at people who want to remove plants and increase the amount of plastic.

If everyone did this then biodiversity would suffer significantly. while gardens are not great for wildlife they have more compared to plastic covered ground.

Well the OP isn't even talking about removing grass/plants, in my situation I'll be removing a mass of brambles - sure that's actually probably a decent environment for insect and birds but I want my garden back so I can use it. I could put lawn down and spend time maintaining it, end up likely letting it get in a mess and the brambles reintroducing themselves or just put artificial grass down and be done with it. If my garden had easy access I'd use it more often and be more inclined to maintain it but it doesn't.

Plastic grass won't stop brambles, mares tail etc, I've seen that shit going through tarmac. A lawn on the other hand, mown regularly, won't have any of that as you're constantly cutting the new growth off and it can't establish and will eventually die off.

Does anyone have a good alternative to artificial grass?

I've tried a proper lawn twice (seed and turf), it just doesn't grow. We currently have most of the garden covered in wood chip but that has disadvantages too. Would love something as simple to look after as fake grass, but not stones as the kids still need to play on it.

Why does it not grow? lack of sun? poor soil?.

I hate plants.

I spent this weekend cutting down and shredding  a 20 foot high privet  hedge that was out of control at the back corner of my garden.

Trees are the enemy.

Why does it not grow? lack of sun? poor soil?.

Lack of sun in one part of the garden, the soil always seemed too damp as well. Also needs to contend with a trampoline sat on it now, which would make matters even worse. The wood chip we have is perfectly practical for us, but it does tend to walk through the house, and isn't the nicest thing to look at.

Will probably plant the whole garden with paved or gravel paths through when the kids have outgrown the trampoline etc, but for now we need a low maintenance surface.

judgemental prick

All I see is right-minded people trying to do the right thing and stop selfish, lazy arseholes from ****ing the planet even more for future generations.

stevenk, sounds like plastic grass would work then, my mate has it, it's been really well done tbh, has a little boy that is footy mad and a dog, grass would be destroyed quick smart.

What about that resin stuff you see on driveways? can look nice.

@kayla1

I congratulate you on your entirely plastic-free existence, or does your doing the right thing only extend as far as judging how other people live...

Anyway unless people with a natural lawn that cut it (electricity/petrol), or use feed (chemicals), or weed killer (chemicals) are also on your shit list then maybe expand the amount of people you're judging to be planet-ruining dicks and arseholes.

I don't know how you want me to answer. Of course we have plastic in our lives, it's inescapable for lots of things (my bank card, the (second hand) computer I'm typing on, the seat on my bike) and jolly useful when it's used right (medical applications, polytunnels, food storage) but laying down a sheet of sterile plastic over a patch of ground, no matter how small, is selfish and lazy. Artificial grass just isn't a correct or sustainable use of plastic.

I will list the things we (me and my OH, not the royal 'we') do to minimise our impact on the planet if you like, or we can take to this thread-

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/savetheplanettrackworld/page/6/

if you'd prefer and you can list the stuff you do as well while we're there. This isn't virtue-signalling, it's me trying to make a point.

Very happy with our artificial turf rear garden. 7x4m so not huge. Had turf previously but combination of children, dogs, rabbits and poor drainage left it pretty much bare earth and as the main entrance to the house and access out to the garage it was dragging mud everywhere we didn't want it.
Now the children can play out there all year round and in all weathers. Trampolines and slides don't leave dead patches underneath. Chairs can be left out and used regularly. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice lawn, but this just works better for our situation.
We still have a small lawn and border plants out the front so still get the joys of mowing with a little hand-push mower. Takes longet to get the stuff out of the garage and drag it round than it does to cut it!

People are always going to hae different opinions about things, it's what makes life interesting. But why people have to be so agressive about it is beyond me.

I’ve tried a proper lawn twice (seed and turf), it just doesn’t grow.

Sods law! I'm forever pulling grass out flower beds. My neighbour, whose "lawn" is just feet away, over a wooden fence, cannot grow any sort of a lawn. It's all dandelions at the moment. Every couple of years he buys a new load of turf (it is a tiny patch, so not that expensive) and within the year it's back to dandelions and bare patches. The flower bed my side of the fence grows grass vigorously. It may be what is underneath his patch if for instance it was the base of an old building. Shade can be dealt with to a degree by choosing grass varieties for shade but they aren't as hard wearing. If there are kids and dogs all over it then you are on a hiding to nothing. You need one of those rubber play-area things but they probably cost a fortune and you've probably got the best non-environmental disaster option already with woodchip. Woodchip will drain freely and will harbour some wildlife. Slabs and the like are almost as bad as green plastic carpet.

It's not a difference of opinion though, is it? It's people trying their ****ing hardest not to leave a mess behind them for others to clean up when they're gone, banging their collective heads against the wall trying to get the message across to lazy, selfish arseholes who couldn't give two shiny shits about anyone else, as long as their house is clean.

I [i]properly[/i] ****ing despair.

All I see is right-minded people trying to do the right thing

& you think shrieking "You're a dick!" will achieve this aim?

Probably not, and I think I may have well have been a dick myself in this instance, rule #1 and all that. Apologies for the language I used but not the argument behind it.

Best thing we ever did with our back garden was artificial grass. Had it professionally laid with a 70mm base and a quality grass which has a mix of shades. Like some others have mentioned it isn't fixed down, you can lift it if you so wish but this doesn't happen by accident. We have gone from a lawn/mud slide and dog prints all through the house, to a 365 days a year usable space.
We use it for the table tennis table, gym workouts, football, dog play, sunbathing, basically everything you would want a lawn to do in britain. Only thing I had to remind myself not to do was BBQ on it.
It isn't the most eco friendly solution so we have created a wildflower section using BeeBombs which is 2mx12m so we still have the wildlife. All those spouting off up there^^ about how anyone using plastic grass is a dick, will still be jetting off on a plane to sunny climes so their eco stance is not valid.
If you choose to go ahead get it done properly unless you know what you are doing, so many things can go wrong, if you want any tips on what we paid, or how it was laid etc. just give me a shout

It’s nothing to do with being judgemental. The OP (who I respect and have a lot of time for) asked “what would STW do” and some of us said we wouldn’t use fake grass because of the impact on the environment.
Even small gardens support our ecosystem, so with the increase in people having fake grass, it will probably have a negative impact.
You can be as defensive as you like about lawn mowers and weed killers etc, but you can’t escape the fact that there ain’t no photosynthesis going on in a fake lawn. Even a manicured lawn takes in carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.

We've gone artificial - best thing we ever did. Quite a big lawn and in the winter just got churned up by the child, his friends, the dog etc.

Now he can play on the lawn whenever - no need to wait for it to dry, no mud traipsed though the house and the 'lawn' gets so much more use because of it.

Got decent stuff and had it professionally laid. Couldn't be happier.

And by the way, deflection is not a valid response.
It’s equivalent to a motorist who when criticised for driving dangerously close to a cyclist responds with “well, I’ve seen cyclists jumping red lights!”

Lawn's will always be hard work if it's used. Mine has a some more damaged parts after my lads's party, and it's only 3x4m in the back garden. I'll seed patch, and fed, and it will be fine.

Depends upon use/traffic. Ours isn't used loads (no young kids now) but a party will bugger it up for a while. All year use, then a good artificial turf will be good. I've seen quite a few that come with the 'yellow' dead blades in - looks so realistic in a small space.

Got decent stuff and had it professionally laid

Casting aside my utter hatred for artificial grass and everything that it stands for...what the hell is professionally laid?!

Disclaimer: I don't blame people that have used it because they considered their options and in the end it's the what made sense for them over....it's no worse than a load of slabs (of which I have plenty)..but it's not a replacement for grass 🙂

Professionally laid as in, erm, laid by someone who knows what they are doing opposed to me. There are a few things that can go wrong and a number of tools/machines that I don’t own which make light work of the job. Seaming i is a work of art unless you want visible seams, cutting the right size to allow shrinkage without making it look shit while you wait for it to shrink. Levels for drainage are another thing you need to get right, there is a lot more to it than just rolling out some plastic carpet. That said if you are a competent DIY enthusiast with the time to do it then I am sure it’s achievable. Personally I am a bit shit at things like this and it’s an expensive thing to get wrong.

Indeed. Everyone who puts down artificial grass needs decking.

The opposite.

Dad fell over on decking. Slipped on the desperately slippy stuff.

They had artificial grass cover it.

I've slipped on decking too. No love from me.

Indeed. Everyone who puts down artificial grass needs decking.

The opposite.

Dad fell over on decking. Slipped on the desperately slippy stuff.

They had artificial grass cover it.

I’ve slipped on decking too. No love from me.

That's not how I read the previous post... In this case, though, it sounds like you got an advance decking as a sort of down payment for your crimes against grass 😀

I wonder if there’ a correlation between plastic grass users and e-bike ownership? 🤔😉

If your garden isn’t suitable for grass what would the STW collective recommend instead? Our lawn, a mixture of dirt, moss, dandelions and rocks with a sprinkling of grass, needs replacing. I don’t want plastic grass. I need something cheap that can take a beating from small children and is low to no maintenance.

some topsoil and the correct type of grass for the conditions.

I need something cheap that can take a beating from small children and is low to no maintenance

Probably only wood chips or stones if you want something vaguely natural, not particularly environmentally friendly either though. You won't find a real grass that will take a beating with little or no maintenance, so you'll need to put some effort in for that to be an option.

I wonder if there’ a correlation between plastic grass users and e-bike ownership?

Na, a lack of imagination and a 'do it all' solution? surely they'll be gravellers.

will still be jetting off on a plane to sunny climes so their eco stance is not valid.

Nope. I haven't been on a plane in nearly 13 years and won't again unless I absolutely have to because flying's shit for the environment. We walk or cycle most of the time too and only use the car a few times a month when we have to.

Owt else you want to try?

If your garden isn’t suitable for grass what would the STW collective recommend instead? Our lawn, a mixture of dirt, moss, dandelions and rocks with a sprinkling of grass, needs replacing. I don’t want plastic grass. I need something cheap that can take a beating from small children and is low to no maintenance.

How big's your garden? Pump track?

I don't think you get enough light in that back yard to grow grass well enough SaxonRider. I'd pave it and put loads of planters in for your foliage requirements.

Just put in the artificial grass and ignore the twonks who want to make an issue of it.

Lawns piss me off. I've seen the effort that neighbours regularly put in to get rid of the interminable moss and weeds and I, frankly, have neither the time nor the inclination. Maybe something to consider for when I'm too old and decrepit not to be out enjoying the actual countryside, or my life has become otherwise too boring and that's the best I can come up with to pass the time.

All those spouting off up there^^ about how anyone using plastic grass is a dick, will still be jetting off on a plane to sunny climes so their eco stance is not valid.

So unless we live our lives in an entirely sustainable and environmentally friendly way, we aren't allowed to have opinions on making small changes to reduce our impact?

Thanks for the heads up. I used some electricity writing this post, so I guess there's now no point doing anything eco friendly. Think I'll go home and carpet my lawn.