Faux Lawns in Albuquerque Neighborhoods

Albuquerque, New Mexico (The Tribune) -- This is not your father's AstroTurf®.

Artificial grass looks a lot more realistic than it used to, but it's still - well, plastic and startlingly green.

In Albuquerque, N.M., a small but growing number of homeowners are installing residential-use artificial turf in their yards. They say they want to conserve water and labor and still have a lush yard they can play on.

But in one Albuquerque neighborhood where two artificial grass lawns have sprung up, the neighbors are talking.

A short poll, kept anonymous to preserve neighborhood peace, revealed strong opinions.

"When they first put it in, I thought, 'Is this for real? Are you really doing this?' " one neighbor said.

Jeff and Suzette Burns say they have gotten a lot of positive comments about their artificial grass since it was installed a year ago.

Burns says his family moved to the neighborhood because the well-established lawns in the area reminded his wife of her native Pennsylvania. But he said he didn't want to spend the time necessary to maintain a traditional yard.

"I'd rather go down to the park and play with my boys than work in the yard," Burns said. "And I don't like desert landscaping. This was another option."

Carol and Joel Barkoff installed artificial turf at their home a few months ago after their sprinkler system broke. They didn't want to xeriscape their yard because they wanted their grandchildren to have a place to play. "The kids can roll around in the yard," Carol Barkoff said. "We love it."

Brian Karmie, co-owner of AstroLawn®, in Albuquerque, said residential-grade artificial turf has been available for only three or four years. It takes a while for people to get accustomed to the idea and look of fake grass, he said.

"It's just starting to catch on and become a landscape option here," Karmie said. "We installed a couple of hundred yards last year and we'll do 50 percent more this year."

Randall Leff, vice president of Real Turf,also in Albuquerque, said his company's business has quadrupled during its three years of existence.

AstroLawn® and Real Turf charge between $5.50 and $7.85 to install a square foot of artificial grass.

The turf the companies install is made of polyethylene "blades" that are individually woven into a perforated backing. The blades are designed to tear into thinner strips as they wear, making it more realistic looking. The product is laid on 3 inches of fine gravel to allow for drainage.

Sand or rubber granules or a combination of both are raked into the grass fibers to hold it down - five pounds per square foot. Leff says the rubber makes the turf impact-absorbent and can't be seen in the lushness of the blades.

Cleanup consists of using a plastic rake or leaf blower to get debris off and an occasional rinse to get rid of dust and dirt. The turf is guaranteed for at least 12 years, although Leff says it often lasts up to 20 years.

The drawbacks? The plastic grass can get pretty hot when the sun hits it. Then there's the unrelenting green - even in the dead of winter. And don't forget the neighbors.

On the positive side, artificial grass saves water. People with large lawns can spend up to $200 a month to keep their yards green in the summer, said Kathleen Yuhas, Albuquerque's water conservation officer.

Yuhas said people who maintain high-water landscaping use "a shocking amount of water" - up to 80 percent of all water consumed in Albuquerque during the summer.

Landscaper Tim Leatherman isn't worried about losing his business to artificial turf. "If you don't want to mess with a yard and don't mind the funky green, it's great," he said. "But it just looks fake. I just don't like it."

For additional information concerning ASTROLAWN® please contact the following:

Andy Belles (800-723-8873 / 706-277-8873)

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