Forget Plastic Grass : Plastic Grass is Not the Solution

Every day we find various ways to conserve water, but our most water guzzling features is one that many southern Californians are having a hard time with: it is the grass!

We are asked to get rid of our grass and we should, but what are the alternatives? The main alternative is to plant drought tolerant plants and native plants that do not need much water, but many people are switching to plastic turf! Mistake. Eight months ago I started an experiment: I placed a piece (about 2 feet square) of fake grass outside the back door to my garden. I figured that it probably gets as much use as anywhere else. Everyday I step on it with dirty shoes, leaves fall on it and dust and dirt deposits itself on it. After eight months I might say that it looks awful: it is dirty and dusty, the grass is totally flat, leaves accumulate and break down and inbed themselves in it, and the only way I can clean it is to pick it up and beat it the old fashion way, like a carpet. Obviously I do not want to wash it because it would defeat the purpose of the water savings! But if you put fake grass on your yard thinking that you can clean it you are in for a surprise, you may have to vacuum your yard.