Artificial vs natural grass for a Houston yard

By August, a lot of Houston lawns are thin, brown and patchy. If yours is one of them, you’ve probably asked yourself whether artificial turf would be less work.

It can be, but not in every yard. The answer depends on how much sun the yard gets, who uses it and how the ground drains, whether you live in Katy, Cypress or somewhere else around Houston.

I’ll compare the two on each of those points, say which one comes out ahead, and then tell you which I’d pick for your kind of yard.

Real grass stays cooler

Start with heat, because it’s the first difference you’ll feel in July.

Turf is made of plastic, and in full sun its surface gets hot. A review of 23 studies found that artificial sports fields ran about 17 to 61 degrees hotter on the surface than natural grass.

Those were sports fields, not backyards, so your yard won’t match those numbers exactly. It’s still a big gap, and I’d test turf with my hand before anyone runs out on it barefoot.

Real grass wins on heat. If you want turf anyway, plan some shade over it. For a spot that stays cool under bare feet, I’d pick travertine, a natural stone that stays cool underfoot in Houston heat.

Heat is where grass is strongest. Water is where turf comes out ahead.

Turf wins on water and in heavy shade

A green lawn in a Houston summer takes a lot of watering. Turf doesn’t need any water to stay green.

That difference shows up on the water bill. Outdoor use is more than 30 percent of an average home’s water, according to WaterSense, the EPA’s water-saving program.

St. Augustine, a grass you’ll see all over Texas, is thirstier than some. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the free lawn-and-garden advice service run by Texas A&M, says it isn’t as drought tolerant as bermuda or buffalo grass. Its advice is to water only when the grass looks stressed, soak the soil about 6 inches deep, and then wait.

In a bad drought, you may not get to choose how much you water. The City of Houston’s drought plan can make cutbacks mandatory, and other cities and utility districts have their own plans. Turf isn’t affected by any of them.

Shade is the other place grass has trouble.

St. Augustine handles shade better than other warm-season grasses, but it still wants sun. Texas A&M’s Galveston County office says shade tolerant doesn’t mean it does well in shade.

So under a big oak, I’d expect thin, patchy grass no matter how you water it. Turf stays green there.

Neither one comes out ahead once the yard gets heavy use.

Kids and dogs wear out both

A dog that runs the same line along the fence every day will wear a trail into grass. Kids who play in the same spot all summer do the same thing.

Turf won’t turn to mud, but you’ll still be rinsing it and picking up after the dog. It isn’t hands-off either.

My recommendation for a busy yard is a hard surface where the traffic is. A patio on a deep, compacted base takes the running and stays flat on Houston clay, so the lawn doesn’t have to do every job.

That leaves the work you’d do every week.

Turf wins on weekly upkeep, if the ground drains

Grass needs mowing. Texas A&M says to cut St. Augustine at 2 1/2 to 3 inches in sun, or 3 to 3 1/2 inches in shade, and never take off more than a third of the blade at once.

Add watering and weeds, and that’s a lot of summer Saturdays.

Turf skips the mowing. It doesn’t skip drainage.

Houston clay swells when it’s wet and shrinks when it’s dry, and a yard that holds water stays soggy under grass or turf. St. Augustine doesn’t tolerate waterlogged soil, according to Texas A&M’s lawn care guide.

The risk I see is a quote that never says what goes under the turf or how the water leaves the yard. I’d ask about both before you sign.

There’s one more question to answer before you buy either one, and it isn’t about the grass.

Check your HOA before you buy either

If your neighborhood has an HOA, its rules can make this decision for you.

Texas law protects some lawn choices. Section 202.007 of the Texas Property Code says an HOA can’t ban drought-resistant landscaping or water-saving natural grass, though it can ask to review your plan first.

Artificial turf isn’t named in that law, so it comes down to your own HOA’s rules. I would read them and ask your HOA how its own review works before you buy anything.

Once you know what your HOA allows, the choice comes down to your yard.

Which one I’d pick

Here’s how I’d decide for a Houston yard, using the comparisons above.

• If your yard gets full sun and the kids play barefoot, I’d keep real grass.
• If a big tree shades most of the yard, turf is the better fit.
• If water bills or watering limits worry you, turf comes out ahead.
• If the dog has already worn a trail, I’d put a patio or a path there and let the lawn be.

For a lot of yards, the best answer is less lawn. Beds of native and Texas-adapted plants around a smaller lawn take less water, and our Hill Country plant mix gets watered once a week in summer and not at all in winter.

If heat is what worries you, shade helps too. An insulated roof keeps the patio surface under it cooler than an open structure under the same sun.

If your lawn is the part of the yard you’re ready to change, start your landscape plan and I’ll help you work out where the grass, the beds and the patio should go.

Frequently asked questions

Is artificial grass hotter than real grass?

Yes. A review of 23 studies found that artificial sports fields ran about 17 to 61 degrees hotter on the surface than natural grass. I would check turf with your hand before the kids or the dog go out on it in summer.

What is the downside of artificial grass?

Heat is the biggest one, since turf’s surface runs much hotter than grass in full sun. It also still needs rinsing and cleanup after a dog, and the ground under it still has to drain. Your HOA’s rules decide whether you can put it in at all.

Does rain drain through artificial turf?

It depends on the ground under it. Houston clay swells when it’s wet and shrinks when it’s dry, and a yard that holds water stays soggy under turf or grass. Ask any quote to say what goes under the turf and how the water leaves the yard.

Does artificial grass save water?

Yes, because turf doesn’t need water to stay green. Outdoor use is more than 30 percent of an average home’s water, according to the EPA’s WaterSense program.

Will St. Augustine grass grow under a big tree?

It handles shade better than other warm-season grasses, but it still wants sun, so expect thin grass under heavy shade. Texas A&M’s Galveston County office says shade tolerant doesn’t mean it does well in shade.

Can my HOA stop me from putting in artificial turf?

It can, depending on your HOA’s rules. Section 202.007 of the Texas Property Code stops an HOA from banning drought-resistant landscaping or water-saving natural grass, but artificial turf isn’t named in it. Read your HOA’s rules and ask before you buy.