Natural Vs Artificial

Ah, the garden debate: Natural grass or Artificial grass? Both enhance a garden visually, but the two are very different. 

Here at GreenThumb, of course we’re biased to natural grass. We not only appreciate how a garden is visually enhanced by a healthy lawn, but also the wellbeing benefits of nearby nature, and the positive impact of grass to wildlife and the environment. 

However, we will admit it… caring for your lawn can be time consuming and to our surprise is not something everyone enjoys. Artificial grass can be the easier option for some, but don’t be fooled! It may be low maintenance but that doesn’t mean ‘no’ maintenance! 

Before you make your decision, we’ll explain the pros and cons of both Natural and Artificial grass. 

Natural Grass – Pro’s 

• You should never underestimate the power of natural grass! It truly is fantastic. 
• Grass actually cleans our atmosphere by trapping dust and smoke particles. It absorbs pollutants such as carbon dioxide creating cleaner air for us to breathe!
• An average lawn can provide enough oxygen for a family of four. 
• Grass can redirect the flow of water, slowing it down and allowing more water to be absorbed by the soil. This helps in preventing soil erosion and some flooding. 
• Grass stays cool during hot weather; up to 30 degrees cooler than hard landscaping surfaces. 
• Great for nature! Grass supports biodiversity and essential habitats. 
• Natural grass has also been proven to benefit our mental health. Even just spending 20 minutes a day outside can help relieve stress and anxiety, improve our mood and boost feelings of happiness, improving our general well-being. Gardening is a source of relaxation, accomplishment, and comfort. Love your garden and it will love you back!

Natural Grass – Con’s 

• Growing means mowing: a potential drawback to a real lawn is that it will continually grow. Natural grass will need to be cut regularly and to a suitable height for its health.
• Can be damaged by pets, children equipment etc. 
• Time consuming: all good things take time, and often a bit of work! A lawn at its best has proper nutrition, with few weeds, moss, pests, and disease, as well as good soil performance and low thatch levels…sound complicated? GreenThumb can take all the hassle out of lawn care – and will let you know the best watering and mowing practices to create a long-lasting lawn we both love! 

Artificial grass – Pro’s 

• Low maintenance.
• Does not require mowing, watering, nutrition, or sunlight.
• Consistent appearance: being made of lifeless material, for the majority of its lifespan, the colour etc. of an artificial lawn remains the same.

Artificial grass – Con’s 

• Expensive to install, repair, dispose of or replace. The cost to purchase artificial grass is much more expensive than the cost of re-turfing your lawn, especially because artificial grass isn’t forever. Ideally, it needs replacing every 8 years. 
• It’s not maintenance free! Requires cleaning, sweeping, weeding and damage prevention. 
• Not a weed-free guarantee! Weeds can grow through an artificial lawn. 
• Moss can also survive on artificial grass, not just real lawns! 
• It can get very hot to walk on as it reaches considerably higher temperatures than real turf, artificial grass of low quality, or installed without a sand infill can be very hot to the touch in summer.
• It can cause friction burns, especially with children playing on the turf. 

Most importantly artificial grass has a negative environmental impact. It’s a petroleum-based product made from plastic, with zero climate benefits and will ultimately end up in landfill. It’s also detrimental for nature! Replacing natural grass with sterile plastic plants provides absolutely nothing for wildlife, it deprives living things of food/habitat they would otherwise utilise in a real lawn

Overall, the decision is yours. Your individual needs, priorities, and vision play a part in choosing what’s best for your garden. 

Ultimately, we feel natural grass far outweighs artificial grass. After over three decades and carrying out millions of lawn treatments each year, our first-hand experience caring for different types of grass has taught us - natural is better.  

If you need help with your lawn, please speak to your local GreenThumb branch: www.greenthumb.co.uk/branch.