Nowadays, more and more regions across the U.S. are experiencing prolonged droughts and water restrictions – all of which are turning their yards brown. A quick and sustainable solution to this problem is to paint the damaged lawns green. Surprisingly, this is not a new idea. Hollywood productions and golf courses have been spraying turf since the 1950s. Although it sounds strange, it makes a lot of sense. Paint eliminates the need for harmful fertilizers, reduces water usage and the organic formulas used are harmless to people and pets.
Depending on local conditions, landscape experts say a painted lawn can last 2-3 months. They recommend not waiting until your grass turns brown to apply the paint. It will look more realistic when covering green grass. There are a variety of products available and a range of paint intensities. Some have more binders in their concentrates, making the colour more opaque, while others are thinner and act more like a dye. For those on a tight budget, there is even a DIY recipe consisting of three ingredients – lawn fertilizer, Epsom salts and green food dye.
Some golf courses have been painting their fairways for years, saying it makes for good business. “Painting instead of overseeding fairways,” says Travis Crosby, the superintendent at Heritage Oaks Golf Club in Brunswick, Georgia, “allows us to achieve our aesthetic and playability goals over the course of the entire year.” It also means golf courses no longer have to shut down for several days during the overseeding process.
So if your yard looks sluggish and needs some sprucing up, consider painting your grass “fairway green” or “perennial rye.” You know what they say – the grass is always greener…