It's this stuff. This is the plastic netting which is used to hold sod together when it's professionally grown and shipped to landscapers, in order to quickly and efficiently put in a lawn. I always wondered how they could grow grass and then cut it into neat little rectangles to be shipped and laid down in yards, and this is how it's held together, at the root level. With plastic.
This is all well and good until you decide to remove your lawn, in which case you will have to deal with it, as you're killing the grass which keeps it underground and out of sight. In the areas where we killed the lawn, I've had no less than two chickens get their feet caught in this mesh while trying to scratch around, and found one dead snake wrapped in the deadly plastic snare.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to dig down several inches every place the chickens have access to which once had lawn covering it, and pull out the plastic netting to ensure their safety. Yesterday, Cleo (our Aracauna hen) got a toenail caught in some and was probably there for an hour before I noticed her. I also found Valentina with some wrapped around a leg a couple of months ago. Luckily both hens had the brains to just sit down and not struggle, but this could easily have resulted in a broken toe or dislocated leg, both of which might have proven difficult to treat.
In the rest of the yard, we killed the grass and threw down four inches of bark on top of the dead grass and plastic netting, which means that while the grass will decompose, the plastic is still there, hanging out and not decomposing for 500 years. Should it ever become un-buried in the decades to come, it could easily trap wild birds, toads, snakes and even larger mammals such as foxes or coyotes. Once wrapped around a foot or toe, it quickly cuts off circulation, so even for a good sized animal it could quickly become a problematic and possibly even fatal issue.
I predict (and fervently hope) that as more and more folks start taking our their lawns in these parts, the outcry over this eco-hostile netting will cause someone to come up with a biodegradable version, which won't last beyond the lifetimes of our great-great grandchildren, as this plastic will. In the meantime, we will always be sure there are several good inches of bark covering ours, and pray any future homeowners will do the same.
This is one of those cases where you say, "there has GOT to be a better way."
Rant over. Carry on.
Your post reminded me of all the plastic waste that ends up in our lakes, rivers, beaches and forests. The animals that get trapped usually have no one to rescue them. As you said, there has to be a better way.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of microbeads (such as in shampoo or facial scrubs) as being a problem, but I understand aquatic animals are ingesting them with serious effects. I never liked the scratchiness anyway, so I don't buy those products, but I really wish they would ban them. I think there is some movement to do so.
How interesting, Molly! I had no idea, but it makes sense. It's so easy to find a product we like and don't really understand how/if it breaks down in the environment. I think most of us hope the people who invent such things are responsible enough to think of that before putting it on the market, but clearly that is not the case. Very sad.
DeleteI never knew this was how sod worked! I always wondered how they did it! Certainly not worth it. Luckily around here, a seeded lawn is more en vogue because we have such predictable "lawn seasons" in the spring and fall. Whereas sod struggles to thrive in our moody weather after becoming accustomed to optimal weather being grown. I think it's still prevalent in crowded neighborhoods where the lawns are small though. Good luck eradicating this mesh! Hopefully you'll rid yourself of all of it before it can be a problem to any of the animals.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try, that's for sure! It's a menace, honestly, and I'd hate to see anything get caught in it. Also going to do some research and see if there's any information on how long it takes to biodegrade.
DeleteI cannot imagine having to deal with this like you are.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if this mesh is a regional thing or a characteristic of the production of the type of grass in your former sod? Fescue is the norm here in the MidAtlantic. We put down a small bit of sod at the steps of our pavilion when we were readying the place for our daughter's wedding in 2011. I plan to run our there later and do some excavating to see if there's mesh embedded in it.
Interesting, I wonder if you'll find the same in your sod. I get why the mesh makes it convenient to cut, transport and re-plant, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it used nationwide. It's just so terribly permanent, in a way lawns should not be! One should always have the option to replant over lawn, either with a different kind of lawn seed or just covering it up and doing something completely different. We will be patching our remaining lawn with a little bit of new sod but will be ripping the mesh out before we do.
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