OPINION: It’s time to move on from grass lawns

As summer is starting, people have started to take care of their lawns. Grass lawns are a big part of American culture. When someone thinks of the “American Dream” they probably think of a big house with the white picket fence that has a big, green, lush lawn. While these lawns can look nice, the amount of upkeep they take alongside their environmental impact make grass lawns one of the worst options for a lawn. 

Grass lawns take a lot of upkeep, and are inconvenient to have. Grass lawns need to be mowed once or twice a week, and during summer some lawns need to be watered every day. While this may not seem like a lot of time, doing this every week for three or four months adds up. It takes a lot of time to keep a grass lawn looking nice.  

Also, the constant watering isn’t good for the environment. Grass needs one to one and a half inches of water every week to keep it green. While that can be rainwater, a lot of places it doesn’t rain enough or at a consistent rate to keep the lawn looking nice, so someone would have to water it themselves. In a state like Idaho that doesn’t have any water issues, this doesn’t really matter, but in the southwest and other parts that are struggling with water, this amount of water can really matter. 

On top of the amount of water being used being an issue for the environment, grass lawns also cause other issues. People like to use dangerous pesticides on their lawns to keep weeds from growing. Then, when there is rain or excess water, those pesticides wash off the lawn and into the rest of the ecosystem, which is harmful. Grass also really limits natural plant growth and natural wildlife. This harms the natural ecosystem. 

There are a few grass alternatives that could be a replacement for grass. While none of the alternatives are perfect and all have downsides, a lot of grass alternatives are better than grass lawns. 

The best alternate lawn is a moss lawn. Moss lawns require no mowing, very little water and can deal with foot traffic. While moss does need some water when it is still being developed, once it is fully settled, the water needs of the moss are very low. Moss lawns also help produce a ton of oxygen while filtering air pollutants. 

Moss lawns do have some downsides, however. The biggest being moss lawns really do best in the shade. It can be tough trying to grow a moss lawn where there isn’t much blocking the sun. There is a solution to this, however. If there were more trees planted in your lawn, not only would this help block the sun for the moss, it would also help the local ecosystem. 

While grass lawns can look nice, it’s time they are moved on from. They are not as sustainable as other alternatives, and just don’t provide the same benefits. Grass alternatives like moss are much more sustainable than traditional grass lawns. 

Mark Warren can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @MarkWarren1832