What Are The Benefits of a Healthy Lawn?

If you ask homeowners to list the benefits of a healthy lawn, they will probably just answer that their lawn provides their home natural beauty and a place for their family to hang out. They may not be aware of additional environmental benefits beyond aesthetic appeal. Let’s examine several benefits of a healthy lawn.

Healthy Lawns Increase Your Home Value

A vibrant lawn adds to the value of a home. In fact, studies show that a healthy lawn and professional landscaping usually increases property values by 15-20% on average! A home with a healthy lawn listed on the real estate market will be easier to sell and will potentially sell at a higher price compared to a home with a lawn in poor condition. It’s all about first impressions!

Healthy Lawns Prevent Erosion

According to the University of Minnesota, maintaining a healthy lawn (or turfgrass) prevents erosion of the soil and is important for protecting air and water resources. A healthy, dense lawn absorbs rainfall more effectively than a field of wheat or hay. By absorbing the rain, the lawn prevents runoff and erosion of soil. The roots help keep the soil in place.

Healthy Lawns Trap Dust and Dirt

A yard without a healthy lawn may have exposed soil. When the wind blows, that soil can cause dust and dirt to be released into the atmosphere. A healthy lawn will trap the dust and dirt helping to keep the air clean. In addition, dust created by cars on adjacent roadways can be trapped by the grass and washed down into the soil.

Healthy Lawns Help Purify Water

The roots off the grass help filter the water as it travels through the soil. This helps remove pollutants from the water, purifying it. Healthy lawns work to purify water that flow into underground aquifers. A healthy lawn’s roots and supporting soil microbes act as huge filter that captures and breaks down many common environmental pollutants.

Healthy Lawns Have a Cooling Effect

Summers in the Washington DC area can have days where the temperature is above 90 degrees. A healthy lawn, shrubs and trees actually provide a cooling effect. This keeps the adjacent home cooler than it would be without the healthy lawn. In fact, it is estimated that the temperature can be reduced about 10 degrees which helps save on air conditioning costs.

Awesome Healthy Lawn Statistics

And here are some super cool statistics about healthy lawns we found on The Lawn Institute’s website:

• A 50 foot x 50 foot lawn releases enough oxygen for a family of four, while absorbing carbon dioxide, ozone, hydrogen fluoride, and peroxyacetyl nitrate.
• A dense, healthy lawn prevents run-off, absorbing rainfall 6 times more effectively than a wheat field and 4 times better than a hay field.
• Healthy lawns helps control pollution, trapping much of an estimated 12 million tons of dust and dirt released annually into the US atmosphere.
• The front lawns of eight average houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning, while the average home-size central air has only a 3 to 4 ton capacity.
• Healthy lawns and beautiful landscaping increase a home’s property value by 15 to 20% on average.

While a healthy lawn is certainly more enjoyable for the homeowner, it is also better for the environment and property values. Maintaining a healthy lawn helps protect water, air and soil resources. For assistance keeping your lawn healthy in the Washington DC and Baltimore area, call us Rasevic Landscape Company 301-951-1244 or contact us online.