Planting Grass
Lawn Preparation
- Once you have cleared your lawn area of all old weeds and stones, the soil needs to be levelled see lumpy lawns if you want a level area pegging the height is good ,or if you wish to have a gradual slope having markers is still a good idea.
- Turn the soil over and if you have a light sandy soil dig in a good amount of peat for moisture retention.
- You need to ensure the ground is not sodden or too dry – it needs to be well balanced soil for the development of a good root structure. This is the time to get the soil analysis done and correct any deficiencies
- If you have sticky clay soil it would be ideal to spread sand on the surface and working it in as this will help with drainage.
- The top soil needs to be raked and then either trodden or rolled to create a firm level surface for the seed, having the pegs there can help you to make sure it is all level.
- The chosen lawn seed can then be spread – this can be done either manually or with a spreader. If manually it is advisable to mark out the area with equal string squares to ensure even distribution.
- 50 grams lawn grass seed per square metre is the recommended distribution.
- The soil should be raked lightly to ensure the seed is in the soil layer
- Water in with a hose set on a fine spray so as not to wash the earth / seed into piles. It can be embarrassing, a new lawn with bald patches take it from a person who has been a victim of this! Ah well you live and learn.
- The following day roll the surface again to ensure a firm base for the germinating seeds.
- Keep the area moist over the next 2 weeks to ensure the germinating seeds do not dry out.
Grass Seeding
If you are keen on your lawn and have a desire to keep it in tip top condition it might well be worth purchasing a spreader. This piece of equipment takes the guess work out of spreading both fertilisers and grass seed. You are able to control the flow rate and they usually last for years, there are many on the market from domestic to commercial.
Types of Seed
Grass seeds which are sold on the internet or in garden centres use a variety of combinations of grass seeds including:
Amenity Ryegrass lolium perenne
Amenity Perennial Ryegrass
Bentgrass agrostis capillaries
Denso browntop bent
Lance browntop bent
Highland browntop bent
Chewings Fescue festuca rubra commutate
Fine Leaf Fescue festuca rubra litoralis
Hard Fescue festuca longifolia
Kentucky Bluegrass
Perennial Ryegrass lolium perenne
RTF (rhizomatous tall fescue)-.
Strong Fescue festuca rubra
Reggae slender creeping red fescue
Samanta slender creeping red fescue
Smooth Meadowgrass poa pratensis
The proportions of these grasses when combined give you lawns ranging from the
Ornamental Lawns –
These are for areas such as stately homes where the grass is not really ever walked on. These are a lush rich green with a short thin bladed grass often mowed in straight stripes
Quality Lawns –
These are for houses where the lawn is used but to a great extent it is not frequented by on a regular basis by either active children or dogs who enjoy digging and using grass as a toilet!
Bowling greens –
These are a combination of grasses which produces specialist lawns of short, level grasses. Generally a deep rooted grass cut to 1/4 inch.
Golf club fairways and greens–
These are different depending on if it is the fairway or the green and are sold as a specialist combination. Often the person maintaining the course will create their own seed combination in response to the courses conditions.
Economy Lawns-
This grass seed combination is sturdy and hardwearing and can put up with quite a punishment from young children and dogs.
Drought Resistant Lawns. –
These seeds are hard wearing and have a deep root system capable of creating a dense support system it is not for people who want a fine lawn this is durable and family, football mad friendly type of lawn.
