Grass painting spreads as U.S. drought ravages lawns

[Liberal_in_LA]

Grass painting spreads as U.S. drought ravages lawns



INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – When this summer's harsh U.S. drought turned her prized lawn brown, Terri LoPrimo had it painted green, making her suddenly lush-appearing yard the envy of her neighborhood.

The New York resident hired a local entrepreneur to spray the grass with a deep-green organic dye. No watering was needed.

"It looks just like a spring lawn, the way it looks after a rain. It's really gorgeous," said LoPrimo, a 62-year-old retiree.

As the worst drought in decades hits two-thirds of the USA, residents and businesses in normally well-watered areas are catching on to the lawn-painting practice employed for years in the drier West and Southwest.

LoPrimo paid $125 and said it was worth every penny.

Her contractor, Joe Perazzo, said his company has touched up close to 20 lawns this summer, making it his best year to date. He uses a turf dye that he said is commonly used on golf courses and athletic fields.

Perazzo said the dyed lawns will hold their look for a few months.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-07-27/drought-lawn-painting/56534862/1?csp=24&kjnd=e9ZavUVUVs6W7pDWOkL8rdqyW5nTMgeDV3fuFUCB%2BxS8xFvcfVuC5VGeoRyoEVq0-ee214ccd-1187-47e3-b9d8-0fdd7498f841_m9e%2F7KC5wvP1c61gQ11iYdh2dGI%2BrVPdW1vVkkyWyp2Szcdxcl1Uoibv3fA8ZEdI

[upaloopa]

1. A new form of climate change denial?

At some point people have to admit this isn't just a fluke. Food prices in the future may put the breaks on lawn painting.

[piratefish08]

2. we're in a drought. food prces WILL spike this fall.

grow vegetables not lawns

[drokhole]

9. +1,000,000

Something along these lines, I'd say:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/112720128

[protect our future]

3. New business opportunity

for anyone unemployed who still has a little money left. Wouldn't take much cash to start up but requires experience in advertising in order to establish customer base quickly. Any DUer could probably be successful (due to DUers being much more intelligent than the average human).

[Uncle Joe]

4. In a related story passengers on the Titanic decided it was a good time to go snorkeling.

Thanks for the thread, Liberal_in_LA.

[drokhole]

10. Nailed it.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Does it retard growth for those two months?

If it doesn't retard growth what happens when the grass rejuvenates and necessitates mowing?

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. does grass "rejuvenate" after it goes bone dry? or does it need to be dug up and replanted?

[Earth_First]

11. In the case of the most recent drought, probably not...

What we are seeing is a lot of dead lawns, not dormant lawns.

There is going to be a lot of overseeding needed for the folks who just must have that perfectly green lawn.

[Robb]

7. My guess: if it's growing, it's green again.

I had a neighbor famous for picking the hottest day of the year and mowing his lawn as short as he could, then just not watering any more.

I don't recall that lawn growing at all after that treatment, as I think of it. A little paint might've lasted until the snow fell.

[Earth_First]

8. No, this product will not retard growth and simply 'grows out'

After a few mowings, could be several weeks to months depending on the drought, it's gone.

I'm in the landscape industry and we've done this for a few clients, all residential applications without irrigation for weddings, reunions, etc.

It's mostly a service utilized by a higher price point client, your average homeowner isn't dying their lawn.