Did you know that some lawns can cause skin and airborne allergies? Certain types of grass can cause your skin to react or can cause sneezing, a runny nose, watery eyes and/or coughing. If you’re worried about reacting to your lawn, it’s important to educate yourself about how to prevent allergies with your lawn.
First of all, it’s important to realize that done right, your lawn can actually suppress airborne allergies (also called hay fever). The long leaves of the grass have the ability to catch pollen in the air and pull the pollen down where it is trapped, reducing the amount of pollen found in the air. Even grass that has been known to produce a lot of pollen, such as Bermuda grass, will produce less pollen if it’s kept fertilized, is watered regularly, and is mowed on a regular basis. You can also purchase certain types of Bermuda grass that will never produce pollen, and there are types of grass where the two sexes are separated so there is just female grass; these are also pollen-free.
There are some grasses that you should avoid if you worry about skin allergies. These include Bahia grass, a grass native to Mexico and South America, and Zoysia grass, which is native to eastern Asia and Japan.
One tip to help decrease allergic reactions is to wear a mask and close all the windows of your house when you use a leaf blower. Leaf blowers can kick up a lot of pollen increasing your chances of having an allergic reaction.
So if you’re worried about allergies caused by your lawn, realize that you don’t have to give up your lawn just to get rid of allergies. Because grass can actually reduce the amount of pollen in the air, and because there are lawns that have very low pollen counts, or none at all, you can have a lawn without worrying about allergies.