Turf wars: Here’s why pristine green grass yards may not be best for our environment
.jpg "A few dandelions in the mix? That might be OK for many homeowners.")
We may not realize it, but there is a cultural war brewing. I realize this is not the best opening line based on the current state of our society. But this cultural war is not political.
It is the debate over the future of the all-American lawn.
The zest for the picture-perfect lawn took root during the growth of the suburbs in the 1950s, when owning your home and tending your plot of land became the American dream. Manicured lawns trace their roots back to England, where high society made lawns a symbol of wealth.
The American lawn has evolved over the years as research improved cultural practices. Pesticides and fertilizers made it easier to achieve perfection. Although these made it easier to grow a monoculture of grass, it may have become an unrealistic goal to have a weed-free, pest-free carpet of green.
The problem is that monocultures — defined as all one species — go against nature. Nature thrives on rich diversity. Diversity supports a wide range of beneficial plants, insects and animals that all interact as part of a healthy ecosystem. Any species invading a monoculture is a threat and could be considered a pest. It must be eradicated.
A movement has been growing for the past few years to move away from the idea of a beautiful green carpet lawn as the ideal monoculture. Instead, we are seeing more people accept a less-than-perfect, or much different, look.
Does every weed need to be killed? Is a weed potentially a food source for a beneficial insect? Must fertilizer be required to help the grass grow more? The consequence is frequent mowing, which releases harmful carbon into the atmosphere. Does the lawn need to be watered during times of drought? What’s wrong with a brown lawn? All good questions with no simple answers.
The new all-American lawn ranges from the carpet of green to a few weeds, and from a a mix of plants that are bee friendly to a “lawn” without grass, only a range of native plants. These changes will force us to think differently. They will cause us to be more accepting. They will cause us to rethink property values. They will require cities to rewrite codes to allow this diversity.
Since diversity is good for a healthy environment, I ask this question: Is there anything wrong with everyone having their own unique vision of a beautiful lawn? Gone are the days where lawns are cookie-cutter and treated the same with the green carpet goal. The lawn these days is a personal choice. Beauty and function should be in the eye of the beholder, not societal pressures.
As with any movement, we can go too far. There is value in a lawn or ground cover. Lawns and cover prevent soil erosion and help protect our water. They have a cooling effect and offer many other benefits. Most importantly, they provide a place for us to play, relax and escape.
A lawn or ground covering is a must for a healthy environment. Each of us must decide our definition of a lawn. No matter your style or goals, it will take inputs and maintenance to be successful. Just simply walking away from maintaining a lawn ground cover is not an option.
Dennis Patton is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Have a question for him or other university extension experts? Email them to garden.help@jocogov.org.
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 5:00 AM.