Keep Off Grass: Frequently Asked Questions

“Keep To The Walks” or “Keep To the Paths” means that pedestrians must keep to the walkways near the grass but not walk on the grass. Signs with messages like “Please Keep To The Walks” are a polite way to express your dislike about people walking on your beautiful, healthy lawns. Instead they should use the sidewalk or the street to walk.

A property owner takes too much time and effort to grow and maintain grass in his/her lawn, yard or even business establishment. If anyone walks on the grass, it will lead to soil compaction, which means that the soil particles will be pressed, reducing pore space between them. This leads to ruining of the grass and its accompanying soil. Soil compaction is one of the major reasons lawn owners put up Keep Off Grass warning signs. These warnings certainly prohibit foot traffic on the grass. Sometimes, people are not allowed to come near grass because it is recently treated with chemicals, like fertilizers, fungicides/pesticides, harmful for people.

Children and pets should avoid playing in grass when fertilizers or any other chemicals are applied for the maintenance of grass. It's generally recommended that kids and pets should wait for about 24-72 hours after a fertilizer application. Also the lawn should be watered well before the kids go back to playing in the grass. Weed control products, pest control products pose no risk to children or pets once dry. Even organic fertilizers have the same illness effect on pets/kids as consuming large amounts of synthetic fertilizer. Hence, keeping an eye on children and pets while they play on a treated lawn, is unavoidable.

Following steps can be taken to maintain healthy grass in the lawn or yard -
1. Remove old grass and existing weeds from your lawn
2. Remove thatch and wait for recovery
3. Aerate the lawn if roots don't extend deeper than 2 inches
4. Choose your grass and apply grass seed to bare spots
5. Water the seed
6. Stay off the new lawn
7. Mow grass to 2-1/2 to 3 inches tall
8. Maintain the lawn by apply fertilizer periodically

Your grass or lawn is your private property and you have every right to decide who can be or use your property and who cannot. If someone is seen walking on your grass, despite a warning sign, it can be considered trespassing on your property. Trespassing laws and penalties differ from state to state. You will have to look through your local laws and codes to see what action you can take against the violators.
If someone trespasses on your property despite due warning the best approach is talk to them and ask them to leave. If people are constantly using your lawn as a shortcut path, it is better to put up a barbed wire or fencing along the boundary. Legal action can be taken for repeat intrusion and non-compliance.