Last Updated on December 15, 2023 by Brian Beck
The modern synthetic lawn is a high maintenance proposition. The reason being is that the absence of microbiology in the soil creates a system that is dependent on human intervention as there is not a relationship in the soil that would otherwise cycle nutrients into the plant, digest organic material back into the soil and protect the plant against disease and weeds. It needs to be understood that the primary driving reason behind these issues is directly related to the use of synthetic products which kill off the microbiology.
What is even more misunderstood are the costs associated with perpetuating this system. I have written about this before in another blog. I believe that on the conservative side most people are losing about 20% on their lawn in inefficiencies and as much as 50% on the extreme end of the spectrum. These costs are real and are often discounted as being the norm or the price to endure for having a lawn but much of these costs are hidden secondary costs that are not necessary. A biological lawn on the other hand is much, much more efficient and removes toxic materials out of the equation. Once you repair the soil and reestablish the relationship between the root and the soil you can begin to realize the cost savings and begin to enjoy an environment that is a lot less chaotic. Here are some of the things that are part of that equation:
It begins with the soil. Do you aerate, power rake your lawn? Do you spray for weeds, or treat the lawn for disease? These procedures are largely not needed if you have a healthy soil. What did that cost you last year?
The irrigation system is one of the biggest failures in the system that is costing you big time. The premise of having an irrigation system is the get the water to the plant root as efficiently as possible. Not only are irrigation systems turned on late in the season, they are rarely checked for efficiency and proper operation. The water is usually applied in a shallow manner which evaporates and does not get into the soil (if it can in the first place) and trains the roots to be subjected to the summer heat. What is left to survive is subjected to an early shut off of the irrigation which denies the lawn a chance to develop a root structure in the early and mid fall season. If that was not enough, the lawn is forced to endure 6-7 months of the driest time of the year ensuring that there will be lawn repair waiting next spring or at the least some major catching up.
Once you add in the cost of maintaining the lawn with the out of date, non-automated, once per week paradigm with a gas powered mower that YOU have to be behind and you can quickly draw a conclusion that you are hemorrhaging money and don’t even realize it (Seriously, call us about the robotic mowers too. We are in that as well).
So, if you want to persist in the toxic paradise that has you bound at the ankle like a slave, keep on keeping on. But, if you want a more efficient system without all of the chemical baggage and water bills from outer space, you might want to reevaluate your options.
