Moving into a new home means you have a slew of issues to deal with. One homeowner took to Reddit to get advice for how to best care for their yard.
The r/arborists community on Reddit is all about the trees, how to care for them, how to protect them, and what the field is like. Homeowners and gardeners will often ask for help with a tree dilemma. From pruning mishaps to mulch buildup, the folks on this page are willing to lend a hand.
A Texas homeowner asked the community for some advice with their shady backyard: "Bought this house a few years ago. … We have … dense shade majority of the day. Long story short can't seem to grow grass. And we are looking to add artificial turf."
The post includes a photo of their yard, which features several large trees and barren dirt with a few shrubs. Their main concern was how the trees would be affected if they decided to get artificial turf. Luckily for the trees, the OP said, "I would rather have mud and shade than heat and grass."
Artificial turf is fake grass made from plastic. The New York Department of Health wrote, "The fibers are typically made from nylon, polypropylene, or polyethylene and are connected to a backing material." The base material of most of these faux grasses often comes from recycled tires, and while recycling is important, these rubbers can be risky.
Artificial grasses have negative environmental and health impacts. Firstly, covering the ground in plastic means little can grow. Sports fields that are covered in this material can't provide food or shelter for pollinators and other native fauna.
Most plastics and rubbers contain "forever chemicals," also known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that can leach into our environment. The EPA has linked PFAS to reproductive issues, cancer, and a plethora of other health concerns. There is evidence that athletes of all ages are being exposed to these chemicals because of the widespread use of artificial turf.
Even with a shady yard, there are plenty of grass alternatives that can thrive in your area. Native plants are the most likely to succeed, though if your goal is to have a yard to play in, you may have to choose strategically for shorter plants.
The general consensus from the arborists community was that artificial grass is not the way to go and would likely harm the OP's trees.
"Unfortunately, artificial turf will prevent water and nutrients from reaching the trees and cause them to die, maybe slowly, maybe quickly," one person wrote.
Someone else suggested, "I would just mulch it with pine needles. … They make a great mulch that you can walk on and not track around property."
Another commenter felt that mulching would be the right move, saying: "Astro turf will definitely kill the trees. Mulch the whole area and call it a day. Zero maintenance and the trees will benefit."
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