'It needed to be maintenance free': Artificial turf a growing trend in Saskatoon

There appears to be a turf war happening across Saskatoon with more people opting for artificial turf over traditional grass. One local company is seeing a significant increase in demand for this synthetic alternative.

Shauna Nowakowski moved into her new home last year. She decided to forgo a natural lawn in favor of artificial turf due to her husband’s disability. She wanted a maintenance-free yard.

"My husband suffers from a disability and is no longer able to take care of a yard. So when we decided to move, we decided that it needed to be maintenance-free," she told CTV News.

Turf Doctor, a Saskatoon-based company, has experienced a 50 per cent increase in artificial turf sales over the past four years. They estimate that 80 per cent of customers now choose artificial turf over natural grass.

"Almost every second or third house there's a huge increase like lots of townhouses, condos everywhere in Saskatoon. All the new developments. Everybody seems to want it like it's easier to take care of,” Bronson Babyak with Turf Doctor said.

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Turf Doctor has been around for more than 10 years and the prices range from $7 to $14 a square foot and adds, the higher-end products look more realistic.

The other argument when discussing real or fake is the environmental impact.

"It's made out of recycled material. So it's not like you're using stuff that wouldn’t just end up in a landfill anyways. It’s saving on water. If there's a water ban, like in B.C., let's say you have turf, you don't have to worry about watering your grass. Also, you’re not having carbon emissions from lawnmowers," Babyak said.

There’s no big water bill from keeping the grass moist.

With such a big increase in the sale of artificial turf, it also means a lot of companies are jumping on the bandwagon according to Babyak. There are others selling it and installing it, but not necessarily doing it well which could cause problems down the road.

The idea is one that catches on easily among neighbours and sells itself.

“I'll be installing one and somebody walks up. Hey, can you come to our yard? Give us a quote. Yeah. Hey, can you come give us a quote?”

The products have gotten much better over the years and other than hosing it down in the spring and blowing off leaves, it’s maintenance-free. Even the frigid Saskatchewan winters don’t affect it as the product they sell is made to withstand our winters.

While it is more expensive initially than natural sod installation, he admits they still get people who prefer the natural option.

"I would say because everybody likes the smell of fresh cut grass and having that natural lawn and some people are like, well, I don't know if I want turf."

That’s not something that Nowakowski misses saying her two dogs don’t notice the difference either.