Turf & Seed Quality
Whichever you’ve decided on you now need to decide what kind you want and need!
As a rule you will find the bulk of lawn seed is split into 3 types: family or utility lawns, gardeners or landscape lawns and finally ornamental or croquet lawns. These types are discussed on the next page. Turf may be a little more restrictive but with a bit of effort most can be sourced. Be careful with so called luxury garden turf – it may not mean what you think it does!
If you have a problem soil, climate or local environment you may need turf or grass seed for dry or shady lawns.
Grass Seed Quality
Purity (weed free) and age are perhaps the most important. Boxes and bags of lawn grass seed without dates can be years old so go for something bagged in the last 12 to 18 months. Look for the ‘green label’ certification on bags over 5 kilos to ensure it reaches the highest standards. Grass seed in the Lawnsmith Shop meets these criteria.
Lawn Turf Quality
To check out lawn turf:
- Smell it; if you smell rotting vegetation don’t buy it!
- Check it for weeds. If you see any don’t buy it!
- Pick up a roll by one end. If it falls apart don’t buy it!
- Hold it up to the light. If you can see through it don’t buy it!
If you buy ‘sight unseen’ or buy turf online the delivery will be from a local supplier so you still retain the right to refuse poor quality goods. The moral here is to buy good turf from a reputable supplier rather than cheap turf. That way you will pay perhaps 10% more but have next to no problems.
A word about rye grass
Somewhere along the line rye grass seems to have got a bad name for itself. I don’t know why or when, but today’s dwarf amenity rye grass species are beautiful, giving by far the best green that a grass can have. If you don’t want a bowling green and your soil is neither extremely wet nor extremely dry then having some rye grass content in your lawn turf or grass seed mixture will make for a great looking lawn.
Buy Lawnsmith Grass Seed Mixtures
More on Creating a New Lawn
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Creating a New Lawn
The range of types of grass is generally far greater with grass seed than turf thus allowing you to have exactly the right type of lawn for your needs
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Creating a New Lawn
Matching use to seed type is critical. There are play lawns, ornamental lawns, and plenty in between so we try to make the choice as simple as possible
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Creating a New Lawn
If your garden is dry, poor soil or has a lot of shade planting fescues and particularly rhizomatous tall fescue grass seed can be very useful
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so the nicest grass for your lawn in the UK will be an individual choice based on stripes, greenness and fineness of leaf.
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Creating a New Lawn
Garden turf is not cheap so you need to measure accurately. With grass seed being so much cheaper you can afford to be generous when sowing a lawn from seed
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Creating a New Lawn
If you get this part right the grass will be easier to maintain and cause fewer lawn care problems. Timing is also important when sowing grass seed or laying turf
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Creating a New Lawn
Proper preparation of the ground for a new lawn will reward you with years of problem free lawn care, easier mowing and a beautiful healthy lawn
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Creating a New Lawn
When you plant grass seed do it correctly and at the best time of year to ensure success. Moisture, warmth and fertiliser are the essentials
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A step by step guide on how to prepare the ground, sow your grass seed, protect and nurture it to create a brilliant lawn in a matter of weeks.
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Creating a New Lawn
When you are laying turf do it methodically and at the best time of year to ensure success. Start by rolling out and laying the first row of turf grass to form your border
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Creating a New Lawn
Planting and growing a lawn from grass seed requires warmth, moisture and air to ensure success. Learn what's needed for a great lawn in quick order.
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Creating a New Lawn
Watering grass seed is quite different from the way you would water a lawn. The golden rule is never let the seed dry out so frequent light watering is needed.
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Covering your precious newly planted grass seed with polythene sheeting is not only an effective protection from birds but also drying winds and torrential downpours. Very cheap, easy to lay and speeds germination.