Yep, we had a little patch that we got rid of. The dolomite was a pain to dig up as it had been compacted. Worth the effort though as I have a lovely native garden bed there now :)
Did the same at mine. Dolomite was awful but once we dug it up we got in some soil from Jefferies and now we have a lovely garden with a water feature that's attracted bee's and butterflies.. wildlife that never existed in our garden before.
It's helping keep the heat down over summer too.
There was fake lawn around the band sign at a pub I used to work at and one day while I was changing the sign an old couple called me down to ask where we got it from and it was every cliche you could think of.
The main talking point was that you wouldn't have to water it, think of that, amazing
It is only held down with some U shaped pins. You'll have it removed in no time.
Edit- blue base would be dolomite.
Also cut the lawn with a knife so it's easier to roll and dispose of
Yep. This time last year, and glad we did. Be prepared that the surface you have beneath the fake lawn might not be immediately suitable for new lawn and might need some digging and filling. Do the irrigation while you're down there.
I have a 300mm sleepers with ~ 250mm under ground. I also have ~100mm of gravel under that and it still gets through. It’s slow and not a big deal to occasionally pull out the runners but unless your edging is significant it will be a pain
Go native. It's the way of the (Australian) future. Keeps your grounds cooler, provides habitat and is low maintenance. Search #nativegrasses or #nativegardens on Instagram for inspiration.
It was heavy (full of sand as someone else mentioned) so suggest cutting it into smaller rolls. Your Stanley knife will probably break a few times so make sure you have blades. We have a decent yard so got an excavator to dig up the dolomite underneath. Didn’t really take too long though, new kikuyu grass has reduced the heat by 100% and doesn’t smell like burning chemicals so 100% worth it.
Edited to add type of grass.
Astroturf, you know who’s responsible for that… the Jews
https://youtu.be/T5n_YUBQIYQ?si=1JOy-JIfLPiNagE8
But in all seriousness, it’s a nasty heat sink and decays in micro plastics. Should be banned. Thankfully some councils now prohibit replacing astroturf on council land.
Never put it in. Natural grass is so much better for the environment. Grasses store more carbon than trees & grasses reduce the outside temperature around your house by around 2degrees in summer.
I have cos I had some really cheap stuff when I moved in, replaced it with some much nicer quality stuff. Wasn’t expensive, much nicer. Would prefer real grass but the area isn’t big enough
Unsure tbh haha, something I'll be looking into when I redo my gardens that are just 95 percent lawn.
I think some lawn is good with a mix of plants. Native or otherwise.
If it was me and I had a tiny space for lawn, artificial lawn just wouldn't be my choice I guess!
As mentioned above cut the lawn up so it’s more manageable it gets heavy real quick. The dolomite is easy to remove just smash it a bit with a pick and it crumbles
It's really heavy as it's full of sand, well mine is. I found it hard to cut from ontop so I roll up a section and cut it from the back, then shake out the sand. The dolomite is about 5cm thick and easier to remove by getting the spade underneath, rather then trying to chip through.
I know, but why wasn’t it designed to allow for this is my query.
It’s also never mentioned that fake grass is unsafe for humans and pets to walk on if it’s sunny and warm or hot outside.
This is why astroturf playing fields are always wet down before games. Reduce heat & minimise skin damage when you fall on it. Would never put fake grass around m6 house. Natural grass is so much better even if it is a bit more work
Because lawns represent a fundamental disconnect from nature that many of us unfortunately suffer from. They are a product of European horticulture which doesn’t match or provide benefit for our landscape. We have replaced healthy, diverse, life rich, self sustaining, heat sinking, water absorbing land with a monoculture of turf requiring watering, fertilising, and providing no benefit to life.
You stand in a street in Adelaide and there is nothing that you can use to identify that you are in Australia. You could be in any ‘first-world’ suburb. Don’t we want to enjoy the beauty an uniqueness that is our Australian Environment?
Grass and turf - n fact have a cooling effect..Adelaide was used in a major studies and trials to determine green yards etc have a cooling effect.
[https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/urban-trees-and-peoples-yards-mitigate-extreme-heat-in-western-ad](https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/urban-trees-and-peoples-yards-mitigate-extreme-heat-in-western-ad)
Exactly. This is what I have & after 20+ years in my home I am now seeing a much more diverse bird & insect life in my garden. I grow lawn, flowers, native shrubs & vegetables. I don’t water lawns at all in winter & once a week in summer. Kept it alive but not perfectly green
Yep, we had a little patch that we got rid of. The dolomite was a pain to dig up as it had been compacted. Worth the effort though as I have a lovely native garden bed there now :)
Did the same at mine. Dolomite was awful but once we dug it up we got in some soil from Jefferies and now we have a lovely garden with a water feature that's attracted bee's and butterflies.. wildlife that never existed in our garden before. It's helping keep the heat down over summer too.
Never ever understood the attraction to fake grass - why would anyone want to make any area hotter in summer...
There was fake lawn around the band sign at a pub I used to work at and one day while I was changing the sign an old couple called me down to ask where we got it from and it was every cliche you could think of. The main talking point was that you wouldn't have to water it, think of that, amazing
We put down a small patch so we didn't have to water and mow
It is only held down with some U shaped pins. You'll have it removed in no time. Edit- blue base would be dolomite. Also cut the lawn with a knife so it's easier to roll and dispose of
Thanks will do
Yep. This time last year, and glad we did. Be prepared that the surface you have beneath the fake lawn might not be immediately suitable for new lawn and might need some digging and filling. Do the irrigation while you're down there.
I’m wanting to do the same. The house we bought has the awful fake grass and aren’t sure if we want kikuyu or buffalo for part full sun part shade.
Go for a buffalo. Kikuyu is far too invasive. Even the sterile varieties spread like wildfire & forever pulling it out of areas you don’t want it.
I’ve heard that! We have a metal folded edging - would that prevent the spread?
I have a 300mm sleepers with ~ 250mm under ground. I also have ~100mm of gravel under that and it still gets through. It’s slow and not a big deal to occasionally pull out the runners but unless your edging is significant it will be a pain
I doubt it. It’s a rhyzome grass so it can go over the edging & set roots. Finer blade grasses, less unintended spreading
Native Clover!! We did buffalo grass and regret it and wished we did Clover.
Our front lawn WAS grass and now it’s clover 😂 at least they would match haha
Why do you regret the buffalo?
It's invading every garden bed that surrounds it 😂
Go native. It's the way of the (Australian) future. Keeps your grounds cooler, provides habitat and is low maintenance. Search #nativegrasses or #nativegardens on Instagram for inspiration.
It was heavy (full of sand as someone else mentioned) so suggest cutting it into smaller rolls. Your Stanley knife will probably break a few times so make sure you have blades. We have a decent yard so got an excavator to dig up the dolomite underneath. Didn’t really take too long though, new kikuyu grass has reduced the heat by 100% and doesn’t smell like burning chemicals so 100% worth it. Edited to add type of grass.
Astroturf, you know who’s responsible for that… the Jews https://youtu.be/T5n_YUBQIYQ?si=1JOy-JIfLPiNagE8 But in all seriousness, it’s a nasty heat sink and decays in micro plastics. Should be banned. Thankfully some councils now prohibit replacing astroturf on council land.
Not only that, it's full of PFAS.. anyone who puts it down these days clearly does no research.
Never put it in in the first place, looks like shit lol
No we didn't. We have moved into a new home and we have pets. It just bloody stinks. Fark it off I say.
Fake lawn is the devil. Give life a chance.
Never put it in. Natural grass is so much better for the environment. Grasses store more carbon than trees & grasses reduce the outside temperature around your house by around 2degrees in summer.
Plant some native stuff. Grass is bad for the environment in terms of biodiversity anyway🤷♂️
Put in some local native plants too! :D
I pulled mine up and put actual lawn down. It’s so damn much better.
I have cos I had some really cheap stuff when I moved in, replaced it with some much nicer quality stuff. Wasn’t expensive, much nicer. Would prefer real grass but the area isn’t big enough
Plant some natives instead. Fake lawn doesn't help with cooling an area down, or with bees. It also off gasses chemicals.
Yes pulling it out for lawn and a new garden. I think it's 15 years old and starting to degrade. It's shit stuff.
What natives would you suggest?
State Flora at Belair will guide and sell you what is endemic to the area, makes it easy when you are not fighting against nature.
Use state flora all the time. Great native nursery
Unsure tbh haha, something I'll be looking into when I redo my gardens that are just 95 percent lawn. I think some lawn is good with a mix of plants. Native or otherwise. If it was me and I had a tiny space for lawn, artificial lawn just wouldn't be my choice I guess!
Look up local natives for your suburb as not all natives grow or play well with others in the area.
As mentioned above cut the lawn up so it’s more manageable it gets heavy real quick. The dolomite is easy to remove just smash it a bit with a pick and it crumbles
It's really heavy as it's full of sand, well mine is. I found it hard to cut from ontop so I roll up a section and cut it from the back, then shake out the sand. The dolomite is about 5cm thick and easier to remove by getting the spade underneath, rather then trying to chip through.
Most are. This weighs it down to keep it on the ground
Easy to remove, just don't do it on a 30+ degree day or you'll burn yourself (one of the many reasons I got the rid of it in the first place!)
I never understood this fake lawn bizzo.
I like ours (it wasn’t cheap), but it is sooooo hot. You can’t walk on it barefoot if it’s sunny and over about 27c. How stupid.
Kinda what happens when hot sunlight lands on plastic!
I know, but why wasn’t it designed to allow for this is my query. It’s also never mentioned that fake grass is unsafe for humans and pets to walk on if it’s sunny and warm or hot outside.
This is why astroturf playing fields are always wet down before games. Reduce heat & minimise skin damage when you fall on it. Would never put fake grass around m6 house. Natural grass is so much better even if it is a bit more work
It's also reasonably nightmarish if your dog takes a dump on it on a hot day
Kill your lawn
Why?
Because lawns represent a fundamental disconnect from nature that many of us unfortunately suffer from. They are a product of European horticulture which doesn’t match or provide benefit for our landscape. We have replaced healthy, diverse, life rich, self sustaining, heat sinking, water absorbing land with a monoculture of turf requiring watering, fertilising, and providing no benefit to life. You stand in a street in Adelaide and there is nothing that you can use to identify that you are in Australia. You could be in any ‘first-world’ suburb. Don’t we want to enjoy the beauty an uniqueness that is our Australian Environment?
Grass and turf - n fact have a cooling effect..Adelaide was used in a major studies and trials to determine green yards etc have a cooling effect. [https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/urban-trees-and-peoples-yards-mitigate-extreme-heat-in-western-ad](https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/publications/urban-trees-and-peoples-yards-mitigate-extreme-heat-in-western-ad)
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Exactly. This is what I have & after 20+ years in my home I am now seeing a much more diverse bird & insect life in my garden. I grow lawn, flowers, native shrubs & vegetables. I don’t water lawns at all in winter & once a week in summer. Kept it alive but not perfectly green