[imagesource:treepeople]

If you’ve decided to switch over to artificial grass because your pooch keeps digging up the lawn, or just because you got fed up with trying to keep anything alive in your backyard, you may want to think twice before heading to Builders for a roll of astroturf.

Unless you shell out a huge amount for real-looking fake grass, it’s fair to say that most artificial grass looks ugly. Despite the aesthetics, it also poses risks to human and environmental health.

Recent research has linked artificial turf in sports fields to cancer, as well as research into the transport of “forever chemicals” like PFAs into streams and soil from all that plastic substrate. Artificial turf is after all a petroleum-based product.

Besides the health issues, most people are also not aware that artificial turf needs to be watered as well to maintain its lifespan, and also just to cool it down enough to walk on during hot summer days.

Besides not nearly replicating the feel of grass between your toes, it’s also terrible for biodiversity and contributes to flooding since the water has nowhere to absorb. Meanwhile, there’s also no food for important pollinators that help bring life to a garden.

And if you thought artificial grass was an answer to your pooch’s spelunking, know that dogs are attracted to peeing on artificial grass for some reason, and without ‘properly’ disinfecting your fake grass, horrible smells and even maggots are going to be a thing. Unfortunately, artificial grass traps both human and animal waste, and can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, like staphylococcus.

As someone who has been in a five-year war with my patch of patchy lawn, I can see the allure of artificial turf. Maybe the trouble of keeping your fake grass maggot-free is worth it. If you agree, check out the cool video below that shows you how to correctly install it.

But is there really a substitute for the feel of grass underfoot, or the smell of a freshly mowed lawn?

[source:thecooldown]