Trampolines are a fantastic way for the whole family to have a good time. It’s a great addition to a backyard since it keeps the youngsters entertained for hours. Adults can also get some exercise by jumping on a trampoline. In a safe and regulated setting, a trampoline in your backyard allows your family to bounce about and jump to incredible heights.
Families frequently express worry about the trampoline’s impact on the grass underneath it. They don’t want to harm the grass beneath the trampoline. They spent a lot of money to turn their backyard into a great entertaining space, and they want to keep it looking beautiful. If you have a trampoline in your yard, here are some helpful hints for keeping your grass healthy and green. Remember that the size of your trampoline influences the amount of effort required to keep your yard in tip-top shape.
Moving The Trampoline
When you have a trampoline, the greatest way I’ve discovered to keep your grass alive is to move it about regularly. Yes, the trampoline is a touch hefty, but moving it around every time you mow is a lot less effort than mowing underneath it or caring for your lawn, but more on that later. We mow the grass at least once every two weeks, but once a week is ideal, and that is what we would advise you to do if you haven’t already. Mow the half of your lawn that does not have the trampoline each time you mow your grass, then relocate the trampoline to the side that you just mowed so that you may mow the other half of your lawn without difficulty. To relocate my trampoline, we usually rotate between two locations in my yard, but you could alternate between three different spots if you have enough space. The more locations, the better.
Moving your trampoline around as much as possible will ensure that none of your grass dies or is damaged as a result of being under the legs for an extended period of time, as well as ensuring that your grass receives the same amount of sunlight and water throughout. The more places you can move your trampoline, the better because it will give your lawn more time to heal until you eventually move the trampoline unattended. Ideally, you should wait for your lawn to completely recover before returning the trampoline to its original location to avoid gradually harming your lawn and causing difficulties later. Any minor areas generally heal in a couple of days, so changing your trampoline once a week is acceptable. If you find it difficult to move your trampoline about all of the time, you might be interested in what we’ll discuss next.
Adding Wheels to a Trampoline
Because dragging a full trampoline across the yard might be challenging due to its size and weight, why not make it simpler to move? If you didn’t know, you can buy wheels to connect to the legs of your trampoline, making it much easier to maneuver around your yard. They take a minute to put on and may stay on for as long as you like, making them a far better option than dragging the full trampoline across your yard.
If you do decide to buy them, keep in mind that unless the wheels have a locking mechanism, your trampoline will be blown across your yard anytime there are heavy winds, so make sure you either get wheels that lock or take them off when you aren’t using them. Another thing to consider is that if you choose to use the wheels, you will need to move your trampoline a bit more frequently because the trampoline’s weight is concentrated on the wheels rather than the legs. This puts additional strain on your grass and causes markings to appear more quickly. The wheels may create temporary tire tracks on your grass when you move it, but these traces will not be permanent. In the worst-case situation, moving your trampoline would flatten the grass, but this will likely correct itself in minutes or hours at most. The markings will be less likely to appear in your yard if you can remove any weight from the trampoline before moving it.
What If I Can’t Move My Trampoline?
A trampoline is heavy and difficult to move, which may be one of the reasons you don’t want to move it. Another explanation could be that you don’t have enough space to move it about all the time. Whatever the cause, the difficulty with leaving the trampoline in one location is that it is impossible to mow underneath it, and the grass will die due to the trampoline’s weight. The grass beneath will also receive less sunshine and water, which will influence the development of your grass in a number of ways. Before we go into what you can still do, there are a few things you should know about the changes your lawn will go through if you don’t move your trampoline.
Change In Color
First and foremost, your grass will most likely change color in the circle beneath you. This is because the grass beneath your lawn receives less sunshine, making it more difficult for it to live and develop properly. In my instance, the grass became yellow with brown spots, but I’ve observed a few of neighbors who haven’t been impacted at all, so it truly depends on the sort of grass you have. Some grasses can thrive in the shadow or with less water, which is why you may be fortunate or unfortunate. In nearly all situations, though, the grass will continue to grow and, like the rest of your yard, will need to be mowed.
Dead Grass Underneath The Legs
If you don’t move your trampoline every now and again, the grass beneath the legs will most likely die or be harmed. This may leave markings on your grass that may never heal without human intervention, so be prepared for this unless you plan on keeping your trampoline in the same location forever. Keep in mind that cutting the grass that is right up against your legs may be tough, and you will need to use a weed waker, so keep that in mind.
Solution
So, now that you know how your grass surrounding the trampoline will alter, what can you do to avoid having to move it? So, your first choice, is to simply accept the fact that mowing underneath the trampoline is a nuisance and mow back and forth from the outside all the way to the center of the trampoline.
While you must acknowledge that this isn’t the best method, it’s still a possibility if you only need to get the grass mowed beneath, even if it’s inconvenient, time-consuming, and unattractive. The next alternative is to just stop mowing below the grass and let it grow, but this is unsightly and attracts ticks and other pests that no one wants in their yard.
Remove the grass below the trampoline and replace it with a different material where no grass or weeds will grow. This is the greatest option we discovered for not having to move the trampoline. Mulch, artificial grass, gravel, turf, or sand are just a handful of the materials you may utilize.
Another option that will essentially beat all of the others is to choose a lawnmower with a handle that can be folded or adjusted so that you can easily reach the entire region beneath. The only drawback is that you’ll probably have to go down on your hands and knees, which is potentially dangerous and will leave grass stains on your clothes.
Where’s The Best Place In The Yard To Put The Trampoline?
Obviously, you’ll want to install your trampoline somewhere in the yard that looks quite decent, but there may be a spot that will save your lawn or keep it looking normal. Keep an eye out for the shadiest spots in your yard and place your trampoline there. Hopefully, this won’t make much of a difference to the area’s overall appearance because it already gets a lot of shadow, thus putting the trampoline on top of the grass won’t make much of a difference. If you put your trampoline somewhere that receives a lot of sunshine, the grass below will almost certainly change color or die, so try to put it somewhere that gets the greatest shade. If you don’t have any trees or an area that receives a lot of shade on a regular basis, the trampoline should be placed close to your home.
If you must place your trampoline in a sunny spot for whatever reason, simply move it more frequently to ensure that the grass beneath it receives the same amount of sunshine as it is used to. This will keep those brilliant green or yellow spots from appearing on your grass. If you’re putting your trampoline in a sunny place, I’d recommend moving it once a week; but, if you can move it twice a week. Even if you have the wheels, moving a trampoline is a headache, which leads us to the following alternative, which is arguably the best on the list.
Installing A Sunken Trampoline
Installing a sunken trampoline is another alternative if you don’t want to deal with grass under your trampoline. It requires a little more work but produces an amazing effect. If you’ve never heard of it before, think of it as a ground-level pool with a trampoline.
While we have not personally tested it, it fully eliminates any sunshine or moisture issues that a traditional trampoline would have. You can bring the mower right up to the trampoline’s edge and still have all of the grass mowed this way, making it the most convenient alternative after it’s built. Also, if we’re being honest, this just looks amazing, and it’s safer than an above-ground trampoline. The only two issues we can see with this solution are that grass clippings may end up on the trampoline, which can be easily brushed off, and that it would take a lot of effort to put up. Because this is really a permanent solution, make sure you select the ideal location for your buried trampoline before proceeding.
Fixing Existing Damage
This section is for you if you already have dead patches in your lawn from your trampoline and only need to know how to fix them. If you’ve relocated your trampoline and any dead places in your lawn refuse to recover, simply sow fresh seed before winter, and those patches will be repaired when the new grass grows in the following spring. When spring arrives, make sure to give this part lots of water so that the roots of your new grass may get a good start.
However, don’t water your new grass every day because it will harm it and weaken the roots (your grass will become reliant on having water all of the time, causing the roots to not bury themselves deeply enough in the ground), so give it a good long watering at least once a week (twice a week if it gets really hot so that your grass doesn’t dry out).
To repair any existing yellow or brown areas below your trampoline, move it momentarily to enable those regions to get plenty of sunlight, then water that area for at least 20 minutes once or twice a week. This should help bring those regions back to life and restore their previous appearance. However, do not fertilize any still yellow or brown places, just as you would most other times, since this might cause more damage than good and prolong the healing process.
In certain situations, fertilizing the yellow areas of your grass beneath the trampoline might cause lasting damage, necessitating more treatment. Instead, wait until the trampoline spots in your lawn have healed completely before fertilizing this region. Last but not least, if you have any pets who go outdoors to pee, make sure they don’t do so in this area since this might cause to more damage. If you’d want to learn more about why your pet could be hurting your yard, please see my other post, which you can access by following the link below.
How to Prepare the Grass for Your Trampoline and Keep it Alive?
To begin, think about where you want to put your trampoline and whether or not you will be able to move it about your yard. You don’t need to do anything extra if the weather is hot or you’ll be in the sunshine. If it will be on a shadier side of the yard, grass seed and grass feed will be needed to keep the grass growing. If the trampoline installation is to remain fixed and/or fastened to the ground, this is critical.
Another thing to think about is drainage. You won’t end up with a little lake under your trampoline if your yard has proper drainage. The amount of water will not only impact grass growth, but it will also make the terrain unstable for the legs.
How Frequently Should You Move the Trampoline to Protect the Grass?
If you mow your lawn once a week and have enough room to relocate your trampoline to several locations during the summer, make it a part of your lawn care routine to move your trampoline every time the mower comes out. It could make it easier to maintain it manicured with the rest of your grass. Otherwise, keep an eye on the color of your trampoline’s grass to see whether it has to be moved to the other half of the yard more regularly.
How to Cut the Grass Under Your Trampoline?
Depending on your trampoline or yard size, the most convenient way to trim your lawn is to relocate it. This is great for lighter-weight trampolines or if you have someone who can assist you in moving it to at least the width of your trampoline. For higher trampolines, some trampoline owners have been able to reach under the equipment using a lawn whacker or push mower.
How to Repair the Lawn if the trampoline has Damaged the Grass?
You may transplant grass seed, just like any other lawn maintenance, especially if the trampoline needs to return to that location. Another quicker alternative, but also more expensive is to lay sod or turf. Sometimes the grass is lovely, but the legs have left holes in it. Grass seed and earth, used to fill in the gaps, will restore that section of the yard to its former splendor.
There are alternatives to a grassy underside of a trampoline if keeping the grass is no longer a possibility or if you want an easier method to maintain a lovely yard. Due to a lack of yard space or concern for user safety, some trampoline owners have placed mulch or bark under the apparatus. They outlined the circle to hold it in place. Finally, they built a space that appeared to be designed specifically for the trampoline. This is also great for drainage problems.
If the trampoline is removed, the area can be replaced with a flower garden plot or a previously cleaned patio area. Synthetic grass in the trampoline area keeps the space green without the need of upkeep. An in-ground trampoline is another option. It’s easier to keep up with and may be safer for smaller jumpers.
Various factors determine the quantity of grass that grows beneath your trampoline, but it can all be regulated, repaired, or improved. You may modify the look of your yard with minor DIY adjustments if you don’t like something about it. The same may be said about the appearance of your trampoline.
How to Avoid Grass Under Trampolines Dying?
The good news is that you may simply prevent any modifications your trampoline might make to the appearance of your garden. The majority of trampolines are quite light. If you have the room, you may move them about the yard periodically with the aid of another person to minimize grass dying or overgrowth.
Depending on how the grass appears, this offers you the opportunity to mow below or sow a few seeds. You may also buy a wheels kit to help you transport trampoline
If you don’t believe you’ll be able to move your trampoline frequently, another option is to place a sprinkler below it while it’s not in use.
Another option is to lay your trampoline on synthetic grass or even soft bark during construction to minimize any grass damage.
Your trampoline, like other outdoor play equipment, should be set up on a forgiving surface, but with a few adjustments, you can ensure that your lawn stays healthy and green.
Conclusion
We would rate each of the numerous alternatives discussed in this post in the following order, from best to worst, so that you can get a sense of how successful each one is.
- Trampoline in the water
- Trampoline with wheels that can be moved
- Trampoline drags across the yard (no wheels)
- Material to be placed under the trampoline (mulch, gravel, fake grass, turf, etc.)
- Leaving the trampoline in its current state
Except for number five, the majority of the alternatives on this list are actually quite decent, so as long as you take some precautions, you shouldn’t have too many problems with your grass. We hope this information has aided you in making the best decision possible, and we would love to hear how things turn out for you!