Inside: 3 Environmental Benefits of Having a Healthy Lawn. Collaborative post.
When it comes to lawns, there is a lot of debate when it comes to whether it’s actually good for the local ecosystem or not. Plus, you need to worry about the Homeowner’s Association sort of group, the fees they’ll penalise you for, and your home value overall.
Generally speaking, it’s hard to balance wanting to help the environment while at the same time trying to keep your home (and those around you) at a high value. But at the end of the day, what matters is how you’re taking care of your lawn.
What goes into it, whether it’s artificial grass versus real grass, flowers versus no flowers, concrete, and bricks versus dirt and plants? All of this is going to matter greatly. So, when it comes to the environmental benefits of a healthy lawn, particularly with grass, is there any?
While using the lawn mower weekly can get annoying, at the end of the day, a nice grassy green lawn is better for the environment, and here are some of the reasons why!
Able to Help Reduce Air Pollution
Whether you have empire zoysia grass or any other type of real grass, you can count on it to help with air pollution. In fact, most plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees included help with this. Grass helps reduce air pollution by pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere during photosynthesis. It also filters out dust and smoke particles, as well as pollen and other allergens, making the air more breathable.
A lush lawn also absorbs noise, improving the quality of life in residential areas. Additionally, a healthy lawn can reduce erosion by helping soil stay in place during rainstorms. A lot of people forget that water can still carry chemicals (acid rain), but plants- grass included can help. A thick lawn naturally breaks down these chemicals before they reach rivers, creeks, lakes, and oceans.
Helps Cool the Air
While everyone knows that getting under the shade can help you cool off, did you know that grass can do that too? Think about it, backyards that are covered in bricks and concrete tend to soak up the heat and will basically bake.
If you’re ever on a patio (or out in the city), you’ll probably notice that for yourself too. It just feels so much hotter. Grass acts as a natural evaporative cooler, cooling the air around it. To a degree, the grass can help keep your house cool, so you would be saving money on running fans and AC.
Helps Absord Noise Pollution
So many people forget about noise pollution, but it’s just about as important as other forms of pollution. The grass isn’t as good at absorbing noise as a tree, but it doesn’t bounce sound off like brick and concrete does. Some wildlife (mostly insects) use noise or vibrations to communicate. So having grass is going to help them out immensely.
What matters, in the end, is having a healthy lawn, one that’s watered regularly, where all plants (except for weeds) can thrive. You can have a beautiful lawn while still being eco-friendly, it’s all really a matter of how you take care of it.