Do some paving and hardy garden beds instead. we are heading back into El Niño.

Hey Sarah, have a read of these stories - they might shed some light on the grass issue ;)

[So Faux So Good: Fake It With the Green, Green Grass of Home[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/so-faux-so-good-fake-it-with-the-green-green-grass-of-home-stsetivw-vs~32413606)

[The Modern Lawn That's Kind to the Environment[(https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/the-modern-lawn-thats-kind-to-the-environment-stsetivw-vs~42891543)

There is also this Houzzer having a [similar issue[(https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/to-astro-or-not-to-astro-that-is-the-burning-question-dsvw-vd~3350998?n=6) and is struggling to decide - maybe you two could discuss!

Here's a pic of our backyard - it gets good sun in summer but not much in winter.
Dilemma - spend $5k for real turf (and find we have a similar 'dying grass' problem next year with winter sun & growing large ficus tree in neighbours yard) or $10k for fake grass (with concrete plinths to hold better).
Not sure if artificial grass will make the house feel hot in
summer...
Due to slope, paving not really an option.

I believe buffalo grass is pretty good in shady areas. Not sure how well it stands up to dogs, though.

Labradors are destructive to lawns, years longer than most other breeds, including digging holes. Wondering if they will chew faux grass, try putting out a smaller piece first if you go that route, see what they do. They are very intelligent so get bored easily. Big dogs need lots of big walks, too.

Gorgeous, how old is he?

He's 12 and a bit. I expect he'll be running our household for a few more years.

Yeah, they're not digging at age 12!

I'd go fake but a good one that looks 'real'

I've got bad vision, bargainhunter, can you choose ?

Have you thought about smell I have seen a similar discussion on a WA dog site from people with fake lawn and dogs, saying the urine smell is bad and they have to use a lot of water washing the fake lawn each week to control the smell. I don't have fake lawn myself so no experience but reading this put me off fake lawn as I love our dogs.

Definitely FAKE IT. No water, No mowing, No fertiliser, No maintenance, No sun No mater, how much money have you saved just there... I have had fake turf on a section of our back yard for over three years and I wish I could afford to do the whole yard. I have two Siberian Huskies and have no problems. They prefer to go to the toilet on real ground so maybe leave a small section down the very back for that. Come the weekend, while the neighbour is mowing his lawn, your off to the beach hahaha

Thanks Sophia - I'm hoping that our Queensland summer rains will help wash it away (combined with slope) to reduce smell, but it is a big consideration...
Huge thanks for your comments everyone - I'm still 'torn' - especially with the 'heat' aspect (north sun).
Of course the artificial makes so much sense... Im still worried our dogs might destroy it - probably opting for the real grass with hope that 'Sir Walter' (buffalo?) will stand the tests...

Aussie Chat Thread

https://www.houzz.com.au/discussions/aussie-chat-thread-is-koala-the-new-grey-dsvw-vd~3337730?n=468

I've just signed us up for fake grass (35mm - Australian made)... Happy to update - job due for completion early Nov.

Well our 'grass' is in... It's certainly green! (Especially when compared with before photo above).
My experience so far...
Advantages;
- no dirt or mud (Yey!!!! This was driving me mad with 2 dogs tramping dirty paw print everywhere)
- no digging (so far)
- it makes the area look bigger
- outdoors being used - ball sports (dogs and kids)
- kids enjoy lying on grass and reading a book (bonus... Outside and no device/iPad etc), with no ants or prickles, or dirt.
- practical... No whipper snip or mow required...
- actually feels quite nice to walk on.
- dog waste seems easier to see and remove, rather than only found when too late (landmine style)

On the negative side
- I truly hated it at first... The rest of the family love it (or said they do to make me feel better) - it seems so fake - not sure if it's to do with colour - looks more green than I expected... (Looks better with shade, leaves on it etc). - I'm getting used to it now.
- it can be hot to walk on, but we've had overcast days and rain recently
- balls don't bounce as well... (Dogs don't care that much though)
- is expensive compared to grass but overtime this is neglible.
- installation was held up due to rain... Minor point really ax I want the glue to hold...

Overall verdict
We went with fake grass, as real grass just wasn't growing in our space. Everyone seems to be enjoying the area and whilst it's only been one week, the dogs have not destroyed it... They seem to like rolling on it, except when hot.
It is proving to be practical already... At the end of the day, that's why it was chosen.
Happy to update later... Especially from the 'dog' perspective.

If you have any issues with dogs on it use bicarbonate soda and allow it sit, then rinse off

Go with artificial. I nearly used in in our courtyard, but my wife wanted stepping stones and plants. I have a friend with a good quality artificial grass and you have to look twice to notice that it is not real. Real grass in a shaded area with dogs etc does not work.

We've had our grass in for more than 6 months now - it's fantastic!!!!
Dogs have not destroyed it at all.
No more muddy dog paw prints ...
Has been a perfect solution for us.
Very happy!

Thanks for sharing! I don't think I would ever have imagined doing this, but it's interesting that it has worked out so well for you and for the dogs. Cheers!

Beautiful conversion, and so happy to hear your solution is working perfectly for you! Astro/synthetic turfs get a bad wrap, so we are thrilled to see a successful application here! Sounds like great synthetic grass (much like ours if we do say so ourselves!) If anyone is interested in learning more about quality synthetic turf check out our range: http://www.coolaroo.com/synthetic-grass

Hi Sarah can I ask who your installer was? Brand of grass?

Still very happy with our grass (12mths now) - it does give a bit of heat, but a 'hose down' could always help with that, and is not as bad as I was expecting.
We had 'Turf Green' install for us in Brisbane. Not sure of the Product name (Killarney?), but I'd say it's the only Australian one - all the others were made in China.
We smile each time the neighbours mow... We only have the front to do - and there are no prickles in the back yard (hehe!).
The dog manages fine with it, and kids still love lying on it to read, watch clouds etc.

I have heard it can be hot underfoot if not shaded. There has been a post on this before.

Hi everyone, I know you have laid your turf now, but for others in a similar situation, I have found that 'Paspalum vaginatum' is a fantastic alternative to the buffalo and Couch varieties. Its non invasive, very shallow root systems and takes shade and full sun. As its is highly salt tolerant, its a great cost effective alternative around swimming pools and helps keep the temperature down around the pool, so kids can run around with bare fee. It looks fantastic in summer, doesnt get woody and looks pretty good throughout the winter months. Although I have no experience with fake turf I have heard that it can get very hot and smelly, making it difficult to enjoy for little feet during the hot summer months. Hope this helps :-)

Yes - fake grass can get hot... We've coped fine with ours though. Trees in neighbours yard (reason why our grass doesn't grow) provides shade at certain times of day.
I have a friend who has beautiful grass growing in her shady area... It's so lovely and works well
If I had time over I would look at that... Fake grass is a bit like 'acrylic nails' - with all the filler that goes in 'underneath' the 'carpet' roll of fake grass, there's no turning back without a major drama before you can 'restore' to a healthy start to start the natural process.
I'd still prefer to stick with a natural product too.
Plus the good quality fake grass is not cheap...