We’ve all seen them: lawns that usually lose their colour in winter or summer suddenly become an abnormally bright green once the ‘For Sale’ sign is hammered into place.
The practice of painting lawns originated on Hollywood film sets during the 1950s and was adopted by the managers of golf courses in the southern United States.
They used it as a temporary fix on dormant warm-season grasses because it was cheaper than overseeding with cool-season grasses in autumn to ensure surfaces stayed green during winter.
Lawn painting is now commonplace in sports fields across Australia and is becoming increasingly popular with landscapers and in the real estate sector for improving the roadside appeal of properties.
It’s so easy to do that some homeowners are even touching up yellow and brown spots or colouring entire lawns for special events.
What is Lawn Paint?
Good quality lawn paint is made from biodegradable ingredients that, once dry, are environmentally safe and harmless for humans and pets.
It’s different to the standard spray paint you can buy from the hardware store. Many products are made with pulverised particles of kaolin, a clay mineral, or plant-based pigments.
Depending on how quickly your lawn grows and how often you mow it, the paint can last for up to 12 weeks.
The Benefits of Lawn Paint
In a matter of hours, lawn paint can be used to instantly green up frost-affected lawns in winter or drought-stricken summer lawns.
The other good news is that it won’t wash off with rain, doesn’t run on dewy mornings and won’t rub off on clothing.
Research has found 93 per cent of real estate agents recommend vendors improve their lawn before going to market, because vendors “never get a second chance to make a good first impression”.
The survey found a nicely presented lawn could add 20-30 per cent or more to the value of a home. Based on the 2022 national median house price of $740,000, that equates to an extra $148,000 or more, which is not to be sneezed at.
But Is It Good for Your Lawn?
The appearance and longevity of lawn paint varies according to dilution and application rate, as well as air temperature, humidity and turfgrass species.
Products containing plant pigments are absorbed into the leaf, rather than coating the blade, and have no impact on plant processes.
Some products also contain fertiliser to give the grass a pick-me-up from the inside as well.
How to Apply Lawn Paint
You’re hosting a milestone birthday party or Christmas gathering in the back yard, but the lawn is not looking its best.
If time is on your side, we recommend following our tips for keeping your grass green year round here.
But if you don’t have the time or money to bring it up to scratch, lawn paint is an option as long as the grass is thick and dormant, but not dead. A dead lawn will need to be replaced.
If you’re not sure how to go about it, you could hire a professional. Try searching online for “professional lawn painting” or “lawn care services”.
But if you’d rather take the DIY route, there’s numerous demonstration videos on YouTube.
Like any other project, preparation is important.
- Once you’ve chosen the product you intend to use, make sure you’ve bought enough to cover the whole area.
- Make sure you read and understand the instructions and have the appropriate protective equipment. Even products that are non-toxic can sting, irritate or stain the skin and eyes.
- Mow the lawn to the correct height for your grass type and rake up and dispose of all the lawn clippings.
- Choose a sunny day when the lawn is dry and there’s no wind.
- Cover plants, driveways, pavers, footpaths, fences and anything else you don’t want to paint using plastic sheets, tarps, drop cloths and painter’s tape.
- Wearing gloves, goggles and old clothes or coveralls, pour the concentrated product into a hand pumped garden sprayer and dilute it according to the instructions on the label.
- Set the spray wand to deliver a fine mist and test the colour on a secluded patch first. If it’s too dark, add water. If it’s too light, add more concentrate or plan to apply a second coat for a deeper, richer colour.
- Start in a corner and work your way across the lawn, spraying the paint in a circular or back and forth pattern.
- Hose off any mistakes from hard surfaces and scrub with a wire brush and ammonia-based window cleaner, if necessary.
- Allow the paint to dry completely – this can take as little as two hours or up to 24 hours so check the product label – before walking on the grass, watering nearby plants or letting kids and pets onto it.
- Thoroughly clean out the spray unit.
- Continue to water, fertilise and mow the grass as you would normally, taking special care to avoid scalping. The lawn will grow through the colour, and it can be repainted in a few months, if needed.
Recommended Product
Conclusion
If you have a special requirement (such as a selling your property, party or wedding) to have a green lawn then lawn paint can be the answer in the cooler months when your lawn is not looking its best.
However remember, painting your lawn can be a quick fix, but it’s only a short-term solution and won’t repair underlying problems caused by poor drainage, disease or having the wrong variety in the wrong place.
Browse the myhomeTURF website for solutions to a range of lawn ailments, and bookmark our Ultimate Turf Maintenance and Lawn Care Guide for future reference.
You can also find a range of lawn care products from leading brands in the myhomeTURF online store.
Shade
Maint.
Drought
Wear
$12–$18/m² 
