Caring for an artificial lawn
Although artificial lawns or ‘fake turf’ are often considered to be a low maintenance option compared to real turf, they actually require a lot of upkeep to keep it looking in top shape. Here we have outlined some of the most common issues people have with artificial lawns and how to deal with them.
General Maintenance On An Artificial Lawn
Although artificial lawns don’t need mowing there are other general maintenance tasks that need completing. To begin with any dry mess that may have appeared would need to be brushed or vacuumed away (depending on the type of artificial lawn that you have). When it comes to wet mess on the artificial grass it would need to be washed away ensuring that everything has been cleaned or disinfected off the surface as there are no soil microbes to degrade organic waste, like there is with ordinary turf.
Fallen leaves don’t blow away easily, the artificial lawn can act like Velcro causing them to stick. It’s essential to clean these away to avoid them becoming a slip hazard and also breaking up into small pieces. Over time these bits form a layer that becomes the perfect home for weed seeds to germinate and grow. Older lawns that are not brushed regularly will often sprout as many weeds as real lawns.
Weed Control On An Artificial Lawn
Having an artificial lawn does not mean that you will be completely weed free. Even if you lay a heavy duty weed membrane, there is a high likelihood that you will still have weed growth through your artificial lawn. At ProGreen we have a variety of solutions that can help with weed control. The glyphosate will not harm the artificial turf however we would recommend doing a small test patch just to make sure. Here are suggested products for general weed control:
Cleaning Up After Pets On Artificial Turf
Dog dirt can be hard to clean off of an ordinary lawn although after a rain shower it generally will get washed into the soil below. With an artificial lawn this does not happen. If the area is not cleaned afterwards, the germs will just stay in the area and if it rains, the bacteria can spread across the artificial lawn.
Many also have issues with dog urine on artificial turf. Over the summer months, if it has not been cleaned, the smell can become overpowering and extremely unpleasant. For this reason it is essential that if you have pets, you need to spray and disinfect artificial grass.
Here are some of our product suggestions for cleaning and disinfecting your artificial grass:
