Artificial grass is a popular alternative to natural grass, offering many benefits, such as low maintenance, water conservation, and a year-round green look. However, just like any backyard landscaping project, weeds can be a concern and can grow through nearly every type of landscaping without proper prevention.
With over a few thousand professional artificial turf installations, we have seen our fair share of poor-quality jobs and will explain some of the ways you can prevent weeds in your artificial grass.
Do Weeds Grow Through Artificial Grass?
Weed growth in artificial turf is rare because a properly installed base material layer combined with high-quality turf makes it nearly impossible for weeds to grow through your turf. If you use the wrong base material or install it properly weeds can still poke through your artificial grass.
If weeds start to show through, most people simply pull these out or spray a mild weed killer, but this isn’t a long-lasting solution and you will want to ensure that this aspect is taken care of well in advance. Instead of dealing with weed problems at a later stage, it is crucial to take preventive measures to restrict the presence of weeds in the first place.
Base Material
Choosing the proper base material, installing the correct amount of material, properly grading and compacting the material are all critical elements to preventing weed growth after artificial turf installation. You’ll want to ensure that base material is ~90% compacted to create a dense barrier that helps eliminate weed growth. It is always best to hire an expert who has experience properly installing base material to prevent weed growth.
Proper Turf Products
High-quality manufactured artificial turf that is installed correctly has dense fibers and a strong backing that makes it more challenging for weeds to grow through.
Infill Material
Certain kinds of infill materials also allow for weeds to germinate. However, weeds that grow in the infill do not root underneath the artificial grass and if the infill doesn’t support the growth of weeds, you won’t see any weed growth in your grass.
Furthermore, irregular maintenance, along with using low-quality grass, gives weeds underneath more access to water, fewer levels to penetrate, nutritional support, and less tightly woven backing. All of these factors create favorable conditions for weeds to thrive.
How To Prevent Weed Growth In Your Artificial Turf?
The best way to prevent weeds in your turf is to hire a reputable local turf company that will take all the proper measures to get the longest life out of your turf project. However, maybe you are installing your own turf, what can you do to prevent these pesky weeds?
Preparation For Artificial Turf Installation
We excavate the area to remove all surface weed and spray a weed killer. The base material is then added, which acts as an additional layer to make it difficult for the weeds to make their way upwards.
Check out our full article on how to prepare the ground for artificial grass installation.
Artificial Grass Weed Barriers
Another option is to use a weed barrier that helps restrict weed growth. While not necessary for the majority of artificial turf installations, weed barriers are a good option for yards that are highly susceptible to weed growth.
Use Of Weed Killers
Weed killers are a no-brainer to have during the installation and to treat pesky weeds that make it through your artificial turf. We recommend spraying this down before laying your artificial turf to kill any remaining weeds. If by chance weeds still get through, the use of weed killers on artificial grass is completely acceptable.
Most weeds will struggle to grow through a proper artificial grass installation due to a barrier laid during installation but in some cases, weeds can still grow through your artificial grass.
This highlights the importance of a proper artificial turf installation and the difference it can make ot the long-term look of your lawn.
Maintenance Of Your Artificial Turf To Prevent Weed Growth.
After your turf installation is complete there are some quick and easy housekeeping items you can regularly do to prevent weed growth.
Brush Your Turf
Brush (synthetic bristled and not metallic ones) the grass regularly to remove any airborne seeds or dust, and this will stop the weeds from popping through the grass.
Regular Care
Prune and trim any overhanging trees or hedges you may have on the property to stop the accumulation of leaves and stay on top of weeds. You may also use a leaf blower once or twice every few days.
Have More Questions?
We’re one of the most trusted synthetic grass companies in Texas focused on customer service, quality control, as well as water conservation.
Get in touch with us at DFW Turf Solutions to learn how we can help give you the artificial turf of your dreams.
