A Bit On Artificial Turf

At Halcyon Yard Solutions LLC we have a bit of a different approach than most landscaping companies. We actually care about the environment. In our line of work it is extremely hard to do everything 100% environmentally safe. Sometimes our clients request the chemicals we advise against. And they are allowed to do that. It is their yard.

Some folks, especially in high drought areas of California feel like Artificial Turf is the future of a happy, always green yard. We would like to touch on some reasons why at Halcyon Yard Solutions LLC we hope deeply that isn't the case.

You see, in the wild where nature thrives there are very few open squares of real lawn anywhere, let alone artificial turf. There are fields of dandelions, and wildflowers that help with the natural ecosystems that in turn help ours.

One of the first things we would like to touch on is that artificial turf does absolutely nothing positive for those ecosystems. There is only the benefit of requiring less water.

⚠️Currently Artificial Turf and its components are being studied for direct links to cancers in pro baseball players.⬇️ https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/10/phillies-ball-players-cancer-artifical-turf

Below we will share some of the other reasons why we hope artificial turf is not the future.

1. Hotter yard temperatures

In the summer months, artificial turf can get significantly hotter than real lawn, especiallyin direct sunlight. It holds no moisture. This can actually raise the temperature in your yard by 5-10 degrees.

2. Melting

Artificial grass does not flame up, but it can melt if something such as a hot charcoal falls on it or under reflected sunlight from a window.

3. Odor build-up

If you don’t clean up messes on artificial turf, they will fester. Certain types of infill are prone to holding odors, too. Artificial Turf is not a doggie cure all.

4. Disinfecting

If artificial turf isn't cleaned often with the proper disinfectant cleaners, your yard can actually be harboring bacteria making it unsafe for bare feet. These disinfectants are in question for causing toxic water runoff.

5. Plastic lawns kill soil life

By creating a dense plastic barrier on top of compacted soil and sand, no organic material gets to the soil. Natural materials feed the soil life, like worms and microorganisms that keep soil healthy. The soil underneath the artificial turf becomes completely nutrient deficient for any future planting, or for surrounding plants and trees with roots under the turf.

6. Kills insect ecosystems

It restricts access to the soil beneath for burrowing insects and to the ground above for soil dwellers such as worms. It restricts access to natural materials like leaf litter and grass clippings – essential for feeding soil organisms like worms and microscopic animals.

At Halcyon Yard Solutions LLC we want you to have the yard you want, so if you do already have an artificial turf we are comfortable doing maintenance on your yard, but disinfecting of any artificial turf would be outside of our scope of work.

These are the reasons why we don't install artificial turf at Halcyon Yard Solutions LLC.

It's bee-cause we care. 🐝💚🪻