Your Lawn’s Natural Cooling Effect

The summer heat waves seem to really take their toll. Being in the sun for only a few minutes makes us grumpier, exhausted and generally drained. Luckily, a healthy lawn can help us keep cooler in the heat. Grass has a natural cooling effect which absorbs the sun’s heat during the day and then slowly releases it through the night.

Now, we all know how photosynthesis works in providing plants with food, but grass absorbs solar radiation at the same time. Thinking about it, it needs something to fuel the photosynthesis process. However, for us, this means the surrounding environment is much cooler.  Additionally, the uneven surface of grass helps to reduce the sun’s glare as it scatters light.

Not only is lawn a great choice as a backyard option, but it outcompetes the alternatives by a long shot. On a sunny mid-summer day, a healthy lawn can be:

• 10°C cooler than bare soil
• 20°C cooler than asphalt, concrete or pebble mulch
• 40°C cooler than dry artificial turf

The average front lawn has twice the cooling capacity as a ducted air-conditioner and provides a greater cooling effect than trees. Not only that but natural turf is far less likely to cause extreme heat stress than artificial surfaces.

And, that’s just one of the many ways a turf lawn helps our environment. Other environmental benefits include reducing carbon dioxide, cleaning our water and absorbing dust particles. Keep your lawn healthy and it’ll not only look good but help keep you healthy too.