Sod: The Dat Stats
Source: Association of Florida Native Nurseries
In just one year, we spend:
- $25 billion on lawn care products
- $5.25 billion on fossil-fuel derived fertilizers
- $700 million on lawn pesticides
- 580 million gallons of gasoline fuel our lawn mowers
- 26 million households pay for outside lawn services
- 60-70,000 lawnmower-related accidents occur
Water, fertilizer and pollution
On average in Florida, 40-60% of household water use goes to irrigating urban landscapes dominated by turf grass and exotic plants. (Exotic plants are non-native plants, i.e. they are not native to Florida.)
The University of Florida Extension Service finds that watering a 20 x 50 foot area of turf requires 500-600 gallons of water, almost as much as you might use for personal needs in a week.
The Garden Club of America laments that 60 million pounds of fossil-fuel derived fertilizer is spent keeping sod greener than normal or necessary.
The EPA found that running a lawn mower for one hour creates as much air pollution as driving a car for 350 miles. Furthermore, every year we spill more fuel filling lawn equipment than was lost by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska!
More than 30 million acres of American land is planted in lawn, a sterile monoculture that supports little life other than fleas, ticks, and mole crickets.
Be sure to follow the Watering Restrictions that are in place.