The Death of Grass

Let me start off by saying the restaurant where the oak tree being profiled below has some of the best food in South Florida. This isn't a hatchet job on them - my wife and I frequently eat there and we absolutely love their food. This is meant to serve as an illustration of how something that initially seems like a good idea is in fact, short sighted thinking. Probably falls under the category of human hubris. You know, barreling forward with something  that we don't consider the long term impact of on other species. 

Not too long ago, I was sitting at a restaurant in Florida when I found myself staring at an outdoor play area designed for small children. And perhaps they even let large children there too.  The kids were having fun, running around, and being kids. But my attention kept drifting toward a large live oak tree they were gathered under. This tree stood out—it was unhealthy, especially when compared to the other thriving oak trees around it, which were 50 to 100 feet away.

Why was this one tree so sickly when oaks are typically robust and resilient? My gaze kept moving between the ailing tree, the healthy ones, and then back again to the sick oak. Finally, I noticed something—the tree’s base was covered in artificial grass. Duh. There it was.

Trees are perfect, self-sustaining systems. They feed and nurture themselves naturally. This poor oak couldn’t feed itself or draw nutrients from decaying organic matter surrounding it. Its leaves would fall to the artificial surface, and then I imagined they vacuumed up to keep the area all neat, orderly, and pretty. No wonder it was sick. And here's the kicker. I can almost guarantee that after a year, the owner will be discussing the sick tree, and a landscaper will tell him we have to feed the tree, that's why it's not heathy. The next step of course would be for the landscapers to recommend feeding the tree, you know, with nitrogen based plant foods that can leach down into the aquifer and our drinking water.

While this may not be the best picture, it clearly illustrates how this tree differs from the healthy ones seen in the background. Looking at the ground, it’s easy to see there’s simply no space for natural processes to sustain its life. And yes, this means less grass and fewer actual plants to produce oxygen for the world.

Unhealthy tree on the left, Trees surrounding it are healthy.

Months after seeing this, I visited a botanical park in Port St. Lucie, Florida that I hadn't been to  recently. I enjoy my visits there, particularly because right next to the garden is a beautiful Ficus tree and I have a thing about Ficus trees.  To my surprised a park had been built out in the area next to the garden, putting in more parking and plans to build a restaurant.

I exited my car and could tell immediately that the Ficus tree looked terrible. Half of the leaves were missing and it looked unhealthy.  I walked over and much to my chagrin, they had installed a play area and yes, artificial turf, surrounding the tree. Jesus Christ.

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This once magnificent tree now faces the same fate as the sickly oak at the restaurant: suffocation by artificial turf. I’ve mentioned before how humans often fail to consider the impact we have on other species, but here’s one that’s directly tied to the “artificial grass” craze. At some point, someone will try to save this dying tree, and the solution will likely involve “feeding” it. Did I mention trees are perfectly capable of feeding themselves? Instead of removing the suffocating fake grass, landscapers will be called in to nurse the tree back to health—but not by addressing the root cause. No, they’ll dump nitrogen-based fertilizers into the soil, which will eventually leach into the aquifer and make its way into our homes through drinking water.

This once magnificent tree was suffering the same fate as the sickly oak at the restaurant. Suffocation by artificial turf. I mentioned humans not considering the impact we have on other species, but here's one directly tied to the "artificial grass" silliness. You know at some point they'll try to save the dying tree and the solution will be it needs to get fed. Did I mention trees are perfectly fine at feeding themselves? So they'll bring in landscapers to nurse the tree back to health, and it won't be by tearing out the fake grass. It will be by dumping in nitrogen based plant foods which will leach down into the aquifer, and make its way merrily into our homes via drinking water. 

Side note: a disturbing trend I see at Lowe's and Home Depot they're selling artificial turf for homes. Anyone read "The Death of Grass" by John Christopher btw? 

I'd also suggest if you want a wonderful overview of the science of plants, pick up a copy of "Botany for Gardeners" by Brian Capon. It's written for people who are curious about how plant life works but don't want to get bogged down in science. It's a wonderful read and I highly recommend it. 

I hate to be "that guy," but sometimes I have to be. ​