How Long Does Grass Live?

Let’s face it; there are times when our lawn grass will show signs of age. Due to its limited lifespan, it can leave you wondering, “How Long Does Grass Live?”. This article was made to help answer that question.

We’ll explain the lifespan of both natural grass and artificial grass. And we’ll show some ways on how to improve its longevity. By the end, you’ll know your grass’ lifespan and create the right strategy to help you live longer.

How Long Does Grass Live

On average, grass tends to live for up to 3-5 years. The grass’s life quality will determine if it will grow into a healthy lawn or change into yellow colors and die off. To ensure the longevity of your grass, make sure that it’s properly watered and taken care of.

Artificial turf grass is known for its different life cycles. Natural grass requires constant care by a gardener or lawnmower, or else they will die off. With Artificial turf grass, the grass can live for approximately 20 years.

Utilizing your grass’ longevity requires information about their lifespan and proper techniques to care for them.

Type of Grass And Their Lifespan

Artificial Grass

Artificial grass is used on UV-heavy lawns. This grass can last longer than natural grass, making it a good choice if you know many activities will occur on your lawn. If maintained correctly, the grass can last up to 25 years.

Artificial Turf

Artificial Turf is created out of jute, polythene, and nylon. Any artificial turf has a lifespan of 15 years. This form of grass is not affected by weather changes over time and lasts for many years.

Turf Grass

Turfgrass is useful for lawn use. This is a very narrow form of grass, an essential trait for lawn grass. When having turf grass, you want to keep its temperature between 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keeping its temperature at this level will give it enough air moisture for proper growth. They are suitable for colder climates, where the plants will live for around a few years, then they will die.

Grass Seeds

Grass seeds are the most natural form of growing lawn grass. You place the seeds in the ground and allow for them to grow. If you have a tight budget and don’t want to use artificial grass, grass seeds are your best option.

When using grass seeds, you have to consider their climate sensitivity. It’s better to grow the grass during the spring or fall.

Factors Affecting The Grass

You’ll have to consider many things when thinking about your grass life expectancy. Here are some of them.

Sunlight

Without sunlight, natural grass seeds have no form of growth. Sunlight starts the photosynthesis process of grass, giving them the nutrients needed to turn green and grow healthy.

Spring and Summer are the most sunlight-heavy seasons for your grass. During the fall and winter seasons, you’ll want to ensure that your grassroots aren’t negatively affected by the drop in temperature.

If you’re growing plants on your lawn, give them at least 12 hours of exposed sunlight a day. That way, your plants will continue to live and receive enough nutrients from the sun to reproduce.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are important in the plant’s reproductive and growth cycle. When there is an excessive amount of carbohydrates, it’s stored for later usage. Turfgrass produces carbohydrates and stores them in the stolons, roots, rhizomes, and crown.

When the carb production isn’t sufficient, the grass uses the remaining carbs left in its soil. Here are some additional purposes of carbohydrates

Dormancy survival
Pest Protection
Maintenance and Plant Growth

Environment

The environment has a direct impact on your grass. For instance, colder climates are more fatal to natural grass. You have to make sure that the environment is safe and abundant enough so your grass will have the nutrients needed to survive.

If you want a more environmentally friendly lawn, go for one with natural grass. This will absorb carbon dioxide and oxygen, essential for the environment. Doing so will aid in filtering the rainwater before it drowns.

Watering Frequency

Just like sunlight, your lawn grass needs water to survive. This means that you’ll need to help filter the nutrients and help the grass grow properly. Expect to use at least 0.5 million gallons of water for natural grass. Artificial grass is more water-efficient, only requiring about 5 thousand gallons a year.

Weather Sensitivity

Colder weather elements such as snow and ice can be dangerous for your lawn grass. Natural grass can be difficult to maintain during the winter and need extra care. However, excessive heat during the summer can dry out your grass.

Artificial turf is the better option because they are easier to maintain. They are desired to cope with any form of weather and still remain in good condition. If you’re concerned about your grass’ lifespan, then you should consider getting artificial turf.

Maintenance

Is your lawn properly taken care of? How often do you water your lawn? By considering maintenance, you can have more longevity in your lawn. For artificial turf maintenance, you’ll have to brush the surface and clean out the debris.

While natural grass requires high maintenance and care procedures, it does regenerate over time. You’ll have to brush the surface and clear the debris with other turfs. Make sure your grass has a sufficient amount of fertilizer, pesticides, and water to ensure it lasts longer.

Does Grass Ever Die?

Natural grass is more likely to die than artificial grass. The grass needs more maintenance (i.e., sunlight, water, etc.) to stay healthy. If you cannot meet those requirements, then the grass will die off.

The grass will stay alive for 25 years if maintained correctly with artificial grass. To increase the likelihood of survival, you should make sure that it has an accurate installation process. Doing so prevents the grass from expiring or losing its aesthetic value over time.

How to Improve Grass Lifespan

Improving your grass lifespan is an important task for any lawn owner. Here’s how to do so:

Remove Debris & Leaves

While it’s okay to have a few leaves lay on the ground, an excessive amount of them will ruin the appearance of your lawn.

However, debris is more dangerous as it can contain bacteria or parasites harmful to your lawn. To prevent this, remove debris through a plastic rake or broom. If any airborne seeds fall into your lawn, then you can remove them by hand.

Brush Your Lawn

If you’re keeping your lawn clean, make sure you brush it time through time. Get a stiff broom, and start to brush through your natural or artificial lawn.

With artificial lawns, you’ll notice the grass fibers moving in a different direction. This is normal as it will require you to brush it in the other direction. Through lawn brushing, you’ll give your lawn the ability to stay clean in the long term.

Remove Stains

One small stain can lead to a disaster on a lawn. To solve this common problem, you must treat them immediately after they’ve occurred. However, if your stain has been hardened or dried, you can use a knife or plastic spatula to aid it.

You can use household detergent/liquid to help deal with any stains on your lawn. Once the stain is removed, use a cloth to dry it off and prevent it from coming back.

Make Your Lawn Is Burn-Proof

When getting lawn grass, you should get a fire-resistant one. If artificial grass is fire resistant, the heat will contact the fibers. If the temperature is too hot, the heat will burn the lawn.

Once a fire happens in an artificial lawn, it will suffer from permanent damage. While you can still get it repaired, you’re better off avoiding this scenario in the first place.

Rotate Heavy Equipment

Artificial grass is versatile and can be used for a myriad of activities. You can use it for sports or relaxing with your friends and family in the afternoon. To prolong the lifespan of your artificial lawn, you should ensure that it wears quickly.

How do you do that? By changing the lawn’s equipment over time. For example, you can have your lawn be used for football during the summer season, but switch it to a more reserved area for the fall. Through heavy equipment rotation, you’ll give your grass enough time to recover from the sudden changes.

Conclusion

To conclude, it’s always a good idea to check on your lawn grass often. While it does have an extensive lifespan, lack of property care and maintenance will increase the chances of dying. So keep your lawn grass adequately maintained and cut so it can continue to add beauty to your backyard.

F.A.Q

How Long Does Blades Of Grass Live?

Blades of grass last for around 40-50 days. The longevity of your blade of grass will depend on how often you water it and protect it from outside ailments. Ensure that it gets the correct amount of sunlight to ensure that it lives longer.