Homeowner learns hard lesson after making harmful landscaping mistake: 'I'm looking into removing'
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Artificial turf seems like a cost-effective and low-maintenance lawn alternative, but the reality is far different.
A Redditor, posting in the "r/landscaping" subreddit, is finding this out the hard way: "My turf year by year is getting hotter and hotter, so now I'm looking into removing."
Worse still, simply removing the turf will not improve the lawn's viability or aesthetic appeal. Artificial turf, despite its short-term glamor, is responsible for long-term damage, specifically to the underlying soil.
Another user's response summed things up accurately: "It's easy, but if you want healthy grass, you need to remove the base and subbase. Probably about 8 inches down."
Turf is a multilayered product, with "grass" blades composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, or nylon, and infill materials typically manufactured from used, recycled tires or coated sand.
Unfortunately, these materials are just like everything else, degrading over time and leaching harmful chemicals (PFAS) into the topsoil.
Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?
The Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute goes into extensive detail on PFAS from artificial turf, and there's very little redeeming value in the stuff.
Removing the turf is only one step. Afterward, the top six to eight inches of soil must be removed, which is not an easy task for a decent-sized lawn.
After removing the turf, testing the soil, and removing the requisite layers, a natural or native lawn is the best option to restore the soil to its maximum efficiency. The reason is simple: Native plants are already adapted to their respective regions.
Growing native plants provides a massive biodiversity boost, which includes microbes that enhance the nutrients in the soil.
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According to the Alluvial Soil Lab, native plants strengthen soil structure, boost microbial life, enrich organic matter, and optimize nutrient cycles.
Native/natural lawns and gardens also attract pollinators, a major component in the food chain that is dwindling in certain areas throughout the world.
Regardless of the direction the original poster chooses to go, the responses offered plenty of advice: "If budget and access permit, rent a bobcat. Good luck!"
Hopefully, the OP will get things in order and return the area to its natural state.
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Homeowner learns hard lesson after making harmful landscaping mistake: 'I'm looking into removing' first appeared on The Cool Down.
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