Does the term, “fake grass” conjure up images of bright green, plastic, stiff blades of grass seen in front of a mobile home with a pink flamingo? Synthetic grass has come a long way. Since its rise to prominence in 1966, when it was installed into the Astrodome in Houston, TX, the primary use of synthetic grass was for sport fields and putting greens, but due to improvements in the quality and variety of artificial grass, its use has been expanded to many residential and commercial lawns.

There are different myths concerning synthetic grass. Bjorn Nelisse, owner of Green Gardening Today, will help dispel some of the myths and explain the truth about artificial grass.

MYTH: It does not look real. Thanks to technology, synthetic grass easily blends into a natural lawn. There are a variety of materials used depending on the use of the grass, a high traffic lawn, putting green, or just an average yard. The process thatches together a variety of green and brown yarns to give the lawn a natural look. The grass blades also come in varying lengths. “Materials currently used are more forgiving and softer than those used in previous years,” said Bjorn.

MYTH: Artificial Turf is not safe. The safety of synthetic grass was validated on July 30, 2008 when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released the results of its study of lead in artificial grass, it concluded that, “young children are not at risk from exposure to lead in these fields.” Lead is no longer a pigment ingredient in artificial turf. For 40 years, under EPA oversight and OSHA regulated manufacturing of synthetic turf, there have been no reports of ill effects related to any materials associated with synthetic grass.

MYTH: Environmental concerns with artificial grass. “Synthetic grass has many environmental benefits,” explains Bjorn. There is no use for pesticides and fertilizer, which reduces the use of chemicals and reduces the rate of nitrate levels as well as contaminated ground water run- off. Yard maintenance, mowing and trimming, uses fossil fuels and emits pollution, which is not necessary with artificial turf.

“When using synthetic grass, there is a significant reduction in water usage” said Bjorn. The Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA) estimates the average lawn requires 10,000 gallons of watering every year. With recent droughts and frequent water restrictions imposed, this greatly eases the demand for water in counties.

For more information on this company, please call visit their website at www.greengardeningtoday.com.

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