Garden

[JustJazzmom]

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@gardenman wrote:

Painting the grass isn't for everyone, but it is a viable option and is becoming more and more common. I'm not saying it's the best option, but it is an option. It lets you combine the advantages of zoysia and overcome the negative of the brown, brown grass of home. The specialty grass paints are a tad pricey these days, but those prices will fall over time. I've never painted a lawn myself, but it's becoming more and more common and since the paint is applied with a lawn sprayer it's no more challenging than the fall fertilizing of a conventional lawn.

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I would be loath to do this because when it finally comes off, the paint chemicals eventually go into our soil and waterways. 

This is not a solution that is environmentally friendly IMO. 

[Lucky Charm]

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

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@gardenman wrote:

Painting the grass isn't for everyone, but it is a viable option and is becoming more and more common. I'm not saying it's the best option, but it is an option. It lets you combine the advantages of zoysia and overcome the negative of the brown, brown grass of home. The specialty grass paints are a tad pricey these days, but those prices will fall over time. I've never painted a lawn myself, but it's becoming more and more common and since the paint is applied with a lawn sprayer it's no more challenging than the fall fertilizing of a conventional lawn.

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I would be loath to do this because when it finally comes off, the paint chemicals eventually go into our soil and waterways. 

This is not a solution that is environmentally friendly IMO. 

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I first thought of that, too. 

But I truly LOATHE Round-up and/or anything equivalent.

I would NEVER use that as I live so close to the ocean and bays.

I've already read about how to get rid of it safely, by laying down plastic. 

This is my first lawn in about 15 years as my homes have soft sand, crushed shells and rocks for our landscaping.

No grass, other than ornamental and shrubs.

Anything that may come up, gets pulled by hand.

I have heard of painting grass before in CA because of the drought.  I can't imagine the ingredients are more harmful than Roundup.

[JustJazzmom]

Try also several layers ply of newspaper below the plastic too. You may have to wet the newspaper after it's over the grass and maybe use metal landscape stakes to hold the plastic in place. 

[gardenman]

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

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@gardenman wrote:

Painting the grass isn't for everyone, but it is a viable option and is becoming more and more common. I'm not saying it's the best option, but it is an option. It lets you combine the advantages of zoysia and overcome the negative of the brown, brown grass of home. The specialty grass paints are a tad pricey these days, but those prices will fall over time. I've never painted a lawn myself, but it's becoming more and more common and since the paint is applied with a lawn sprayer it's no more challenging than the fall fertilizing of a conventional lawn.

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I would be loath to do this because when it finally comes off, the paint chemicals eventually go into our soil and waterways. 

This is not a solution that is environmentally friendly IMO. 

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I don't really see a huge environmental issue with these products. The lawn paints are typically dyes and made with food safe dyes. (I know they call them paint, but they're really a dye.) Those green cupcakes and what not you'll be eating for Saint Patrick's day likely have the same dye as most of the lawn paints, so if you're willing to eat food safe dyes, there's not much risk in putting them on your lawn. If you eat green M&M's, you're likely eating the same dye you'd be putting on your lawn. Now if you don't eat colored food, it's a different story, but if you eat green food, you're probably already eating the same dye you'd be aplying to your grass.

Ponds, including ponds used for fish production are typically dyed using food safe dyes (black or blue are the preferred colors) and the dye has no effect on the water quality or the quality of the fish caught from the ponds. If you've ever eaten tilapia, you've likely eaten fish that came from a dyed aquaculture system. People routinely swim in dyed ponds with no ill effects. (Typically without knowing they're swiming in dyed water.) Generations of rabbits inhabiting golf courses have eaten dyed grass for decades now and as far as I know they're not showing any signs of trouble from it.

Now a conventional lawn, cared for in a professional manner, likely is a bigger environmental hazard than a dyed green zoysia lawn. The pros recommend four feedings a year with weed and pest management either included or applied as needed. Runoff from fertilized lawns leads to all kinds of environmental issues which is one of the selling points of zoysia over conventional lawns.

There are lots of reasons not to paint a lawn, but the environmental issue shouldn't be one of them. Chances are you're already eating what you'd be putting on your lawn and if it's safe to go into your body, it's probably safe to put on your lawn. And a little dye goes a long, long way, so it's not like you're putting down tons of the stuff.

[JustJazzmom]

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@gardenman wrote:

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

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@gardenman wrote:

Painting the grass isn't for everyone, but it is a viable option and is becoming more and more common. I'm not saying it's the best option, but it is an option. It lets you combine the advantages of zoysia and overcome the negative of the brown, brown grass of home. The specialty grass paints are a tad pricey these days, but those prices will fall over time. I've never painted a lawn myself, but it's becoming more and more common and since the paint is applied with a lawn sprayer it's no more challenging than the fall fertilizing of a conventional lawn.

---

I would be loath to do this because when it finally comes off, the paint chemicals eventually go into our soil and waterways. 

This is not a solution that is environmentally friendly IMO. 

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I don't really see a huge environmental issue with these products. The lawn paints are typically dyes and made with food safe dyes. (I know they call them paint, but they're really a dye.) Those green cupcakes and what not you'll be eating for Saint Patrick's day likely have the same dye as most of the lawn paints, so if you're willing to eat food safe dyes, there's not much risk in putting them on your lawn. If you eat green M&M's, you're likely eating the same dye you'd be putting on your lawn. Now if you don't eat colored food, it's a different story, but if you eat green food, you're probably already eating the same dye you'd be aplying to your grass.

Ponds, including ponds used for fish production are typically dyed using food safe dyes (black or blue are the preferred colors) and the dye has no effect on the water quality or the quality of the fish caught from the ponds. If you've ever eaten tilapia, you've likely eaten fish that came from a dyed aquaculture system. People routinely swim in dyed ponds with no ill effects. (Typically without knowing they're swiming in dyed water.) Generations of rabbits inhabiting golf courses have eaten dyed grass for decades now and as far as I know they're not showing any signs of trouble from it.

Now a conventional lawn, cared for in a professional manner, likely is a bigger environmental hazard than a dyed green zoysia lawn. The pros recommend four feedings a year with weed and pest management either included or applied as needed. Runoff from fertilized lawns leads to all kinds of environmental issues which is one of the selling points of zoysia over conventional lawns.

There are lots of reasons not to paint a lawn, but the environmental issue shouldn't be one of them. Chances are you're already eating what you'd be putting on your lawn and if it's safe to go into your body, it's probably safe to put on your lawn. And a little dye goes a long, long way, so it's not like you're putting down tons of the stuff.

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None of the Cooperative Extensions who are the Pros as far as I am concerned, are recommending those 4 step feeding/ weeding products in our area. The current standard for fertilization is 1# of nitrogen to your lawn as part of a 3 part application series. Some areas like where I live are recommending for cool season grasses 2 applications of nitrogen. Zoysia is not a cool season grass and requires 1 application typically around the 4th of July in our area. 

Not a fan of dyed anything for our landscape, period.