'Fake it until you make it," as the adage goes. When it comes to your lawn, you may imagine this entails uprooting your grass and replacing it with an artificial alternative. But not so. A new product on the market promises to banish unsightly yellow patches and keep your lawn looking green and lush throughout the year.
Essentially an eco-friendly coating, Green-Keeper is made of a natural pigment and water, and is sprayed directly onto your grass. “The paint does not affect the photosynthesis of the grass – it continues to grow normally. The soil is not affected by the paint – it dries on the grass blades and it is 100 per cent natural. Your lawn irrigation bill is cut down by five [times], and grass stays green 12 months a year. It is harmless to children, pets, groundwater and soil,” explains Silvia Contri, managing director of Green-Keeper.
Green-Keeper Middle East is a division of the Dubai-based FM Solution, which was launched by Contri and her husband after they moved to Dubai 11 years ago and found themselves disappointed with the level of home maintenance services available in the country.
One of the recurring issues that the Contris experienced was that their grass would have yellow and brown patches throughout the year – regardless of how many gardeners worked on it or how much fertiliser they applied.
Contri did some research, and discovered a product in the United States that promised to solve the problem. She ordered it “just to see what all the fuss was about”, she says.
The product needs to be applied every two months or so. It will not revive or improve the health of discoloured, dormant or dying grass, but it will mask all signs that it’s there.
“The paint dries in 45 minutes, then you can walk on it. It works in both winter and summer – the colour does not fade under the sun and the paint does not wash away in the rain,” Contri explains.
While your total bill will depend on the size and nature of the area being sprayed, Green-Keeper costs around Dh10 per square metre to apply. When you take into account that the average lawn needs to be watered twice a day and requires an average of 12 litres of water per square foot, Green-Keeper is a sustainable and pocket-friendly solution. Assuming that you don’t mind faking it.
sdenman@thenational.ae
