Lawns provide many benefits. Being surrounded by lawns and green spaces can be good for your health as well as the health of the environment.
Research shows that green spaces can contribute to a healthier life. Lawns add visual green areas that help reduce stress levels and lower depression rates. Lawns also contribute to a boost in higher quality of life.
Lawns provide open areas for sports and recreation. Studies suggest that kids who play in green spaces have better focus and reduced rates of ADHD and lower rates of obesity. Having a lawn for children to play on promotes healthier activities and outside play.
Not only are lawn beneficial for outdoor play and recreation, they also serve an environmental purpose.
Lawns are more than just the look of a beautiful green carpet. Lawns clean the air of dust, pollen, and pollution. The blades of grass act as tiny air filters trapping airborne irritants. Like all living plants, the grass in lawns also trap carbon dioxide and release oxygen. We know oxygen is essential for life and is necessary for our existence. We also know that increased carbon dioxide levels are damaging our planet. Lawns that are properly maintained can help reduce carbon dioxide levels that contribute to climate change.
Lawns also have a cooling effect. In the heat of summer grass stays much cooler than concrete and other hard surfaces. Houses and buildings surrounded by lawns require less energy to cool than those surrounded by concrete.
Lawns also filter out noise. Grass acts as an insulator absorbing sound. Sounds bounces off hard surfaces and buildings creating much more amplification; however, in areas with more grass sounds are dampened and much less annoying.
Lawns trap stormwater runoff by slowing the flow of water. As it rains, water washes away bare soil or runs down hard surfaces into storm drains. This contributes to water pollution as the water picks up contaminates from hard surfaces and washes them into our waterways. However, grass slows the runoff process and allows the water to drain slowly into the soil; it is then filtered by the grass blades and the root system.
A lawn provides a structure to prevent erosion. Grass holds soil in place and protects the ground from washing away. With heavy rains, bare soil can wash away and like mentioned above, can carry contaminates into storm drains.
Lawns also provide a home to millions of microorganisms to survive in the soil below. When microorganisms in soil decompose organic matter, they use the nutrients for growth and release excess nutrients into the soil where they can be taken up by plants. Lawns provide organic matter for the microorganisms and provide protection for the soil they call home.
Some have demonized lawns for their excessive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers; as well as lawns often being over watered. However, properly cared for lawn require less pesticides (if any) and require much less water. A healthy lawn only needs about one inch of water per week; most watering can be accomplished with rain and only occasional sprinkling. It is best to water a lawn for a longer period of time, but less often; usually one day per week, two times per week during hot weather. Watering daily not only waste water as most of it evaporates or runs off of the lawn; overwatering also invites fugus and other diseases and pest that only require more pesticides to treat. Also watering for less time, but doing so daily never allows the water to penetrate deep into the soil. Watering deeply encourages deeper root growth which leads to a healthier lawn; and thereby less watering.
Organic lawn care is an option for those concerned their lawn might be doing more harm than good. By caring for a lawn organically one can eliminate toxic chemicals and pesticides. Some natural lawn care options other than chemicals are aeration, over-seeding, compost top-dressing, and organic fertilization; which is a safe natural slow release fertilization. This option provides a safe and healthy lawn for you and your family to enjoy without the fear of deadly chemicals and pesticides.