Is artificial grass superior to natural turf?

“The main difference between artificial grass and real grass is that one is real and one is artificial.” This statement is often thought of by many in the debate of Artificial Grass vs. Natural Grass.  While technically this is the case, it is not the only difference. 

When looking to remodel your garden, we get that it can be tough to know whether to go for real grass or artificial. What are the benefits? How would it look? What’s the difference? Here at Cheshire Artificial Grass, we get asked these questions all the time. So what are the differences between real and artificial then?

Creating your dream garden is exciting. Whatever the size, space or aesthetic you’re going for, you want to get it right. While artificial grass is an unnatural product, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come without lots of pros. Okay, sure, you might not get that freshly cut grass smell, and your initial investment may seem expensive, but it can save you a lot of money in the long run.

The benefits of real grass…

Let’s start by talking about the benefits of real grass… 

Natural products tend to be better for the environment… Grass does remove CO2 from the air, but growing grass also produces CO2 – this is called a ‘carbon cost’. How much CO2 is being produced in growing and maintaining the grass? Red more and visit this source garden myths.

Tending your garden can be therapeutic… Natural lawns require a lot of maintenance, but for those that enjoy gardening, this can be quite a healthy, calming hobby. Weeding, mowing etc. can be a nice way to spend your day (if you’re into it). With artificial lawns you don’t need to spend time with this upkeep. Although, you can still ‘garden’ through cleaning and flower pots. 

The benefits of artificial grass…

Artificial grass can last you many happy years, without too much upkeep of expensive products…

When laid correctly, artificial grass can last you many happy years, without too much upkeep of expensive products – meaning you get a beautiful lawn all year round, with minimal effort on your part. Imagine, looking out your window – a cup of tea in hand – to a perfect lawn. Perfectly level, always green, no puddles or mud, with grass that looks just as amazing as it did when it was first laid. It’s not unattainable… or too good to be true. With artificial grass professionals, this could very much be your reality. 

Believe it or not, artificial grass is actually much easier to install. In reality, stalling natural grass can be a bit of a pain – there’s a lot of prep that needs to go into it. You’ve got to weed, prep the soil, do a bit of digging and level out the ground. Once it’s been delivered, you need to get it down within 24 hours and then water regularly for it to root. All of that disappears when choosing artificial grass – you could lay straight onto concrete if you needed!

When looking to lay natural grass, there’s a lot of preparation in getting your lawn ready. There is then a lot of upkeep in keeping it looking fresh. So, while it may be cheaper initially, the money and time spent on mowing, watering, and general upkeep can be expensive and time consuming. Not to mention that once we get our classic British downpour, your lawn can end up being a muddy, patchy mess.  

Key Takeaways:

• Minimal Upkeep
• Looks great all year round
• Cheaper in the long run

The issues that arise with real grass, simply don’t exist with artificial grass.

In a lot of ways, when looking at artificial grass vs real grass… artificial grass is like real grass, it is just more controlled, creating a far more durable product. Put simply, the issues that arise with real grass, simply don’t exist with artificial grass. This means that yourselves, your kids, your pets can enjoy your lawn all year round, without ruining the grass.

Not only would you not have any of the issues mentioned before, you won’t have any mud coming through the house, or pollen stains to worry about… Not only does artificial grass prevent stains, it is also stain resistant! You won’t be getting any discolouration from your pets, nor would you see any patches creep up from over playing.  So whether you’re sunbathing, BBQing, or playing, you can rest easy knowing that your lawn will remain perfect, alongside your shoes and clothes. 

For any of you dog owners out there – a big old tick for artificial grass is that it cannot be dug up. So your pup can’t go digging in the garden making holes and creating a mess. 

Key Takeaways:

• No discolouration from pets
• No patches from over playing
• No Mud

Nowadays the products are so realistic, most people can’t tell the difference between artificial grass or real grass…

Artificial grass has come a long way. Back in the day, an artificial lawn looked, well, artificial. Now, it includes different length fibres that come in a wide variety of colours – with some containing browns to give a more natural look. Nowadays the products are so realistic, most people can hardly tell the difference. 

Artificial grass can be so effective in creating an open feel in your garden. As we mentioned right at the beginning, you can lay it on anything, instantly changing your outdoor space. Being outside in summer is perfect, and if you have an outdoor space already – no matter the size – laying grass can be a huge game changer, and laying artificial grass is an easy and effective way to green up your garden.

Key Takeaways:

• Looks just as real
• Can create an open feel 
• Can be installed on hard surfaces

Artificial Grass vs Real Grass: The overall verdict…

The answer to artificial grass vs real grass comes down to a few basic things:

• What will you be using your garden for?
• How much time can you dedicate to maintaining it?
• Who will be using your garden?

And understanding these things will help you better decide whether to go real or artificial. 

Overall, the benefits of artificial grass comes down to efficiency. If you have a large garden, it can be a great investment as you don’t need to maintain it like you would with real grass. You’ll get a perfectly level, gorgeously green lawn all year round. If you have pets or kids, your artificial lawn is durable enough to withstand all the things pets and kids get up to outside. You won’t see any discolouration, no chances of finding holes dug or patchy bits from kicking a ball around and over playing. 

Artificial grass comes with no surprise weeds popping up, no muddy, sludgy lawns from rain, just a great lawn ready for you to enjoy any time of year. If you’re interested in finding out more about how artificial grass can spruce up your garden, or seeing how it might be right for you then get in touch with our team and we will be happy to help!