A turn for the turf

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/04/2015 (3854 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This is the time of year when residential lawns bear little resemblance to their pre-winter state.

Did yours look lush and green last summer? No matter. Melting snow in spring may reveal a daunting combination of bare spots, snow mould, a maze of meandering vole trails and, in the case of front yards, mounds of caked sand and salt along property edges.

Some areas may even be completely stripped and ragged thanks to ruthless gouging by indiscriminate operators of snow-clearing equipment.

Restoring lawn to a smooth, green carpet is one of the first chores of spring. Initial steps begin with removal of debris, raking, aerating and dethatching, followed by reseeding any bare or brown spots. Next begins the regimen of mowing, fertilizing, watering and weed removal. The latter could be trickier this year, with the new pesticide regulations now in effect. Should we just dig up our lawns and replace them with something else that won’t consume so much of our valuable time?

Many neighbourhoods are home to a variety of alternatives to traditional lawns, from landscapes dotted with boulders and ornamental grasses to a series of raised vegetable beds separated by pea gravel or mulch pathways, or even an entire sweep of naturalized perennials extending right to the curb’s edge, complete with a sprinkling of weeds competing for light.

Paving paradise remains the least attractive option. For a small but growing number of homeowners who want the look and feel of grass without the maintenance, artificial turf is finding its way into the landscape.

Last month, HJS Wholesale — a Winnipeg-based distributor of horticultural products and supplies to greenhouses and nurseries — co-hosted a seminar on how to install synthetic turf with a company called Ez-grass. Attended by numerous local landscape designers and this curious garden writer, the expectation of our local landscape industry is there will be more clients this year who will be interested in some form of artificial turf in a combination of residential and commercial landscapes.

While backyard putting greens and pet areas are at the top of the synthetic-grass wish list, artificial turf is also being seen as an alternative for areas in the landscape that are hostile to anything more than a few patches of struggling grass blades.

Derrick Oxford, vice-president of Ez-grass, has operated his company since 2007 in Western Canada, Ontario and Quebec, sourcing raw products from Denmark and Germany that are then assembled in Shanghai. Oxford says in 2014, his company’s sales of artificial turf doubled compared with 2013.

Since 1966, when artificial turf was first used in Major League Baseball in the Houston Astrodome, the product has undergone decades of scrutiny, with countless studies and articles examining pros and cons. In addition to improvements in texture and overall appearance, says Oxford, more recycled products are being used in the manufacturing process.

Some municipalities in Canada have bylaws that restrict residential installations to backyards and side yards, while other municipalities permit front-yard installation, including or excluding public right of way.

I contacted the City of Winnipeg and learned there is nothing in the Manitoba Building Code or the city’s Building bylaw that regulates the use of artificial turf in landscaping applications. Additionally, there is nothing in the Neighbourhood Liveability bylaw that specifically prevents the use of artificial turf, as long as it does not cause other problems addressed in the bylaw, such as grading, drainage and weed control.

In some urban centres in Canada, such as Victoria, B.C., there are examples of traffic medians and a three-kilometre length of boulevard made over with artificial turf. In Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., artificial turf is being tested on a few medians. Airports, restaurants, rooftop gardens, school playgrounds and sports fields are just some of the examples of commercial applications.

The choice of synthetic grass over real grass can be driven by the potential for savings in both maintenance and water usage.

Oxford stresses proper installation.

“It is the pre-installation phase that is most critical,” he says, adding installing artificial turf is best left to the professionals. The exception might be the do-it-yourselfer who is experienced in laying carpet and installing patios.

The product comes in rolls that measure approximately four metres by 15 metres and weigh anywhere from 136 kilograms to 317 kg depending on the grade selected.

Procedures include excavating the existing lawn, addressing drainage considerations, preparing the base with a layer of aggregate material such as crushed stone or decomposed granite, and compacting the layer so it is perfectly level.

The artificial turf must be unrolled and left in the sun for a couple of hours so it is easier to work with. There will be some expansion and contraction. Installing it involves a range of steps that include cutting, stretching, overlapping, securing it with spikes and in some instances creating a division of sorts, such as a row of pavers, so your neighbour does not mow it along with their lawn.

The turf is top-dressed with silica sand and brushed with a power broom until all the fibers stand upright.

What could go wrong in the installation process? Grain direction is everything, says Oxford, so no part of the finished product looks different from any other.

In Canada, the field is now crowded with companies that are supplying synthetic grass. Not so much in Manitoba.

Dave Anhill, co-owner of Synthetic Turf Winnipeg, says compared with other major cities, a smaller number of Winnipeg homeowners have embraced the concept of artificial grass.

Last spring, he installed synthetic turf in Dan and Lori Neufeld’s north Winnipeg backyard.

Dan Neufeld raved about the experience in a recent interview, and says he and his wife, daughter and family pet all enjoy their new, smooth, soft terrain.

What about the expense of artificial turf, which costs more than sod or lawn seed?

Neufeld says he tried and failed numerous times over the years to grow grass in his backyard, which is shaded by mature trees that surround his property. While his neighbour’s lawn is flat and brown and in need of some reviving, Neufeld revels in the summer-ready colour and manicured look of his landscape and says the expense was worth it.

He expects to spend about an hour or this spring raking up areas of debris, then using a leaf blower before finally brushing the turf with a broom.

What are some of the things you need to know if you are contemplating installation of artificial grass?

It can really heat up under a hot afternoon sun. Installers and suppliers agree fake grass will need to be hosed down to cool it off if you are planning to walk on it.

Expect the colour to fade over time, up to 10 per cent. Chris Spicer, sales representative for Consolidated Turf, which carries a product called EasyTurf, says his product has a lifespan of up to 20 years and is 100 per cent recyclable.

While EasyTurf contains a weed barrier, weeds can still pop up around the edges. Spicer says pet areas benefit from timely cleanup. Hose off urine and scoop up poop as it happens.

Is fake grass tacky? If you can tell at first glance it’s fake or has been installed by someone who should have called a professional, then yes, it is going to look just as tacky as poorly installed indoor carpet, with undulating ripples and rolls. And similar to indoor carpet, the level of performance of artificial turf will always be dependent on its quality.

Despite strides by the artificial turf industry to improve the look and feel of synthetic grass and combine varying degrees of recyclability along with claims of substantial savings in watering and maintenance, can it really claim the product is environmentally friendly?

No, but then, neither are all of the myriad practices such as mowing or whipper-snippering with gasoline-powered equipment, exorbitant watering or usage of chemical fertilizers or herbicides and pesticides that sometimes go into maintaining the greenest lawn on the block.

Fake grass is nowhere near being on the verge of becoming the groundcover of choice in our part of the world. It has, however, staked its ground amongst the multitude of hardscaping options for today’s consumer and will no doubt continue to generate plenty of discussion on both sides of the fence.

NOTICE: Love lilies? Plan to attend the Manitoba Regional Lily Society’s Spring Seminar on Saturday, April 11 at Canad Inns Polo Park. Visit www.manitobalilies.ca for more details.

colleenizacharias@gmail.com