We all love trees! They look beautiful and add character to your yard while providing shade during those hot summer months. They also work great for dividing properties or blocking surrounding areas of your home that are unpleasant to look at. Kids love them too since they’re able to climb them and swing from them for some added backyard fun. So yes, you do want them part of our backyard oasis. More and more people are also moving towards artificial grass as well. However, there has been some talk about how you can have both trees and artificial grass. That is totally false, you can definitely have trees and artificial grass as well. Let us explain these false statements further.
Tree roots will damage your artificial grass: FALSE
The way tree roots work is they grow down and out to search for moisture and to gain stability. Some types of trees do have very shallow roots. Over a period of time, the roots start to push up through the soil. This is where people assume it’s all trees when in reality it’s not. Conifers are known for doing this as well as several others. Try avoiding these varieties in areas where you’ll have your artificial grass. You also shouldn’t plant them near your driveway, sidewalks, or patio areas because the roots can also push up concrete and pavers.
If you’re looking to plant some trees near your artificial grass then don’t worry. Your artificial grass will be just fine if you’re being mindful of the ones to stay away from. You still have a ton of beautiful varieties to choose from no matter what the size of your space is.
Artificial turf will choke out your trees: FALSE
This statement is absolutely not true. Artificial grass is not a plastic barrier and it will not choke out your trees. Artificial grass is specifically engineered to have exceptional drainage. The backing of the artificial grass is where you can find small holes allowing water to flow through, soil to be moistened and roots to be fed. So you don’t need to worry about suffocating your tree. As a matter of fact, you could install fake grass right up to the tree’s trunk because there is no worry about potential mower damage.
Be sure to give your trees a well around their base. You don’t want to put the turf right up against the tree trunk. You’ll end up having to adjust your artificial grass to accommodate the growth. This allows for happier, healthier trees. Also, your “well” doesn’t have to be a perfect circle. You can give it a nice free-form shape, add some drought-resistant perennials, a ground cover, and maybe some path lights to add some character to it. Whatever you decide to add have fun with it and customize it to your style.
Tip for bulging surface roots: Create an “island garden” effect that reaches past all visible roots. Use planter edge bricks to create a divider and fill the area around the tree with a natural mulch such as shredded bark. This hides the roots and gives enough space for artificial grass to not be damaged by the roots.
You can’t remove the leaves from artificial grass: FALSE
This one is almost silly. That would mean that you wouldn’t be able to ever remove debris from your turf. This statement is definitely false. There are several solutions to this. You can use an air blower, a power broom and there are also several rake types that can be used on artificial grass. You can remove leaves, debris and so much more!
There are many perks of having trees and artificial grass at your home. It actually increases the value of your home to have both. You will still have to maintain your natural trees and plants in the area but you won’t have to worry so much about maintaining your turf. People can come up with some crazy statements about artificial grass. If you’re questioning anything, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional at Artificial Grass Turf Warehouse.