Artificial grass is the latest trend in landscaping, but how much do you really know about it? There’s plenty of information out there a lot of which you can find on our own webpages. Here are some grassy facts you might not be aware of…

Astroturf is named after a company…

It’s used as a blanket term for fake grass but AstroTurf is actually related to a specific brand. Originally called ‘ChemGrass’, Monsanto re-branded after their grass was installed at the Houston Astrodome stadium in 1966. It remained the top brand for artificial sports turf for much of the twentieth century until the early 2000s.

Fake grass is produced in a very similar way to carpet…

If you look at in a very basic way, artificial grass is like outdoor carpet only it has the capability to allow water to drain through. A lot of artificial grass terms are described in carpet measurements – the yarn is made of plastic, the pile height refers to the length of the grass from backing to surface. It’s even produced in carpet factories because the system of stitching and threading the plastic fibres is so similar!

There are a few different types of artificial grass…

Artificial grass and installation comes in different varieties: in-fill, non in-fill, sports and hybrid.

  • In-fill grasses have a material added to the top to weigh the grass down and keep the pile vertical.
  • Non in-fill grasses do not need material added to the top and are pinned down.
  • Sports grass is generally longer and has an additional performance in-fill to support players running around. (These are known as 3G or 4G pitches just to catergorise them even more!)
  • Hybrid grass is a mixture of real grass that has fake grass stitched into it.

You’ve probably watched a game on an artificial pitch and not even realised…

Artificial grass is very common in US stadiums where NFL games are played but it is also common at UK football grounds, with most of the top premier league clubs playing on grounds with artificial grass present.

1 in 4 gardens has done away with natural grass…

These days most people don’t bother with natural grass, opting for more dynamic and easier to maintain gardens. Artificial grass requires very little attention and keeps your garden green and covered all year round.