The average home within the beautiful Okanagan, and many other cities across Canada, comes with its share of beautiful yard space and accompanying turf. This grass can be found on lawns, athletic fields, parks, and many other recreational areas. In fact, Canada alone has over 6.2 million maintained lawns (StatsCan, 2014). With ongoing research, turfgrass is proving to have benefits that go beyond that of just aesthetic, but also continue to benefit the environment, house value, and your overall health.
With all that said, and with growing technology advancements, homeowners now have the option to fill their yards with real growing grass or artificial grass. In this blog, however, we will break down the key benefits associated with having real, natural grass, compared to the alternative; artificial grass.
Let’s get going!
Environmental Benefits
The impact that natural turf grass has on the environment is important. After all, the environment is essential for quality of life and health. Keeping that in mind, turfgrass is a living organism. Natural turf utilizes photosynthesis and releases oxygen into the air, improving air quality. Even more interesting, turfgrass measuring in 2,500 square feet produces enough oxygen for a family of four to breathe.
Putting it more into perspective, one soccer field can offset the carbon produced by a car driving 3,000 miles (SportsTurf, 2018). Compared to the alternative, artificial grass provides no air quality benefit.
Besides just the benefit of reducing carbon dioxide, natural grass is proven to be a filter. By this we mean, of course, turfgrass traps dust and dirt released annually within the atmosphere. Purifying the air where possible!
Water Absorption
Even more ideal in heavy rain seasons, healthy grass and mulch will do an excellent job in absorbing rainfall. Beneficial microbes and a thick root system of natural grass actually filters water as it passes through, removing some potentially damaging bacteria going into storm sewers systems. For example, a 2,500 square foot lawn can harvest over 1,000 gallons of rainwater before runoff occurs (Lawn Institute, 2021). This strong water absorption can even help with fire resistance. All the more reason to keep your lawn healthy and happy!
Value & Appeal
Another great benefit to natural turf is the overall community appeal and property benefit. It will come as no surprise to hear that one of the most effective ways to boost curb appeal for a home is through landscaping. By landscaping, we mean increasing the attractiveness of a lawn through property yard adjustments. As well, manicured lawns are important factors for families to consider
when purchasing plots of land.
Of course, real lawns provide obvious value but they also come with added appeal. Nothing quite beats running in natural grass during a hot summer day and feeling the cold crisp grass beneath your feet. The feeling of having natural grass for children to play around on, not only adds personal value to your home but can even trigger stress relief. That’s just added comfort that comes with real grass!
Commercial Projects
Turfgrass is extensively used for recreation and sport activity spaces. This could include; football, soccer, rugby, golf, baseball, and much more.
Whatever your commercial project can include, natural turfgrass is reliable and provides a natural surface in stadiums, courses, and more. As mentioned previously, the added benefit of real turfgrass is the cooling effects it holds. Consider a stadium, in comparison, a single high school baseball stadium can provide up to 70 tons of air conditioning (SportsTurf, 2018). That’s a lot of cooling!
Conclusion
With all the reasons stated above, we hope this blog was able to help you understand the large benefits that come with having natural growing turf. Whatever your project includes, let natural grass improve your quality of life, home value, and overall health.
If you are looking to understand turf varieties, and more on how it can benefit your home or commercial project, then contact us today!
At Lavington Turf Farms, we understand the importance of having a well-kept space, and with our knowledge of high-quality turf, we provide our customers with significant results all year round.
Service Area
We proudly serve the following areas: Vernon, Coldstream, Lumby, Salmon Arm, Sorrento, Revelstoke, Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton, Kootenays, and Caribou, all the way to the USA Border.
For more information or a free quote for your project, please visit this page on our website.
References:
https://www.stma.org/eight-benefits-of-natural-grass/
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/16-002-x/2007002/10336-eng.htm
