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Tips For Avoiding Lawn Damage When Using Inflatables
This Summer
By KATE NICHOLSON
Summer is the time to enjoy Slip N Slides, bounce castles, and inflatable Jacuzzis, but the downside is the carnage they inflict on your lawn. These tips can help limit the damage.
First, choose a shady place for your inflatable yard toy, as the underlying grass heats up too much in full sun. Move the toy every 12 to 24 hours, staying out of the sun’s path.
Next, don’t empty an inflatable pool onto the grass, or it’ll get waterlogged, and the pool chemicals will poison it. Use an electric sump pump to route the water into a drain.
After you remove your yard toy, lightly water the grass and brush crushed blades with a stiff-bristled broom to help them stand up again, or mow the area to stimulate new growth.
Consider resodding your lawn with a tougher turf species, like Bermuda grass or shade-tolerant carpetgrass. Alternatively, replace the grass with easy-to-maintain artificial turf.
You can instead keep your inflatable yard toys completely away from your lawn by setting them up on a paved patio, a concrete driveway, or even a large wooden deck.