Hi all,

We've finally reached the stage when we can start thinking about what to
do with the garden. We have an area of approx. 15m x 50m which has been
levelled off using a digger and will eventually be our lawn.

At the moment, this is just a big muddy area. My question is what do we
need to do to eventually turn it into a lawn?

I'm not too keen on the idea of turfing such a large area - sound like
hard work. Is seeding it an option? Is so, how, what with and when
should we seed it?

Is now a good time (with the possibility of more frosts)? Should we wait
and risk it getting weedy?

I may not have provided enough information - if this is the case I'll be
happy to answer any questions.

TIA

--
Grunff

Cicero wrote:


There was a TV programme ('This old house' ) recently which showed a novel
way of creating a new lawn. A kind of 'mush' was sprayed on to bare ground
and a new lawn appeared in a few days. The 'mush' was apparently a mixture
of water and germinated grass seeds. The programme showed this method being
used in America but it's just possible that it's available in this country
and if so it might solve your problem. Maybe somebody here knows of this
method being used in the UK.


Hydro seeding - used commercially in UK for motorway banks, land reclamation etc
- I doubt if it's available or cost effective for small areas.

My last efforts with normal seeding were a bit frustrating because the birds
seemed to regard my new lawn as place to fatten up on my expensive seed. I'm
going for turf next time - in a few weeks.

Did you rake the seed in and roll or compact the seedbed afterwards? Seeds need
to be in intimate contact with constantly moist soil to germinate well.
Raking helps to make the distribution of the seeds more even.
Alternate drying and wetting of the seeds is death to the seeds (not just grass
seeds - almost any seeds). Also if they're just covered it's not so easy for
the birds to find them all. This is the bit most unsuccesful newbies get wrong,
it is a shame because seeding is a far better job and much cheaper and easier
than turf.
Another thing that costs most folks money is the seed sowing rate. The seedsmen
like to sell you enough to do 2.5 oz per sq yd. You need 1.5 max. 0.75 per sq
yd is OK if you can sow evenly on a good seedbed and keep it well watered (if
needed) in the first few weeks.
--
Rod
http://website.lineone.net/%7Erodcraddock/index.html
My email address needs weeding.

Grunff wrote:

Hi all,

We've finally reached the stage when we can start thinking about what to
do with the garden. We have an area of approx. 15m x 50m which has been
levelled off using a digger and will eventually be our lawn.

At the moment, this is just a big muddy area. My question is what do we
need to do to eventually turn it into a lawn?

I'm not too keen on the idea of turfing such a large area - sound like
hard work. Is seeding it an option? Is so, how, what with and when
should we seed it?

Is now a good time (with the possibility of more frosts)? Should we wait
and risk it getting weedy?

I may not have provided enough information - if this is the case I'll be
happy to answer any questions.

TIA

We have some good coverage of this in our FAQs. See the post 'ABC' from 'sysop'
last posted on 30 Jan. If that doesn't answer all your questions do please come
back here.
--
Rod
http://website.lineone.net/%7Erodcraddock/index.html
My email address needs weeding.

Rod wrote:

We have some good coverage of this in our FAQs. See the post 'ABC' from 'sysop'
last posted on 30 Jan. If that doesn't answer all your questions do please come
back here.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I've already had a look through the faq, and while it's very useful, it
didn't really answer my question - which I suppose boils down to "what
should I do /now/".

I also found a few threads on turf v. seed, which have pretty much made
me decide on seeding it. But I realise that this isn't a good time to do
it - so I don't know whether it would be better to wait a few weeks
before seeding, but risk weeds coming up in the meantime, or what.

Can you tell I'm new to this? :-)

--
Grunff

"Grunff" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

We've finally reached the stage when we can start thinking about what to
do with the garden. We have an area of approx. 15m x 50m which has been
levelled off using a digger and will eventually be our lawn.

At the moment, this is just a big muddy area. My question is what do we
need to do to eventually turn it into a lawn?

I'm not too keen on the idea of turfing such a large area - sound like
hard work. Is seeding it an option? Is so, how, what with and when
should we seed it?

Is now a good time (with the possibility of more frosts)? Should we wait
and risk it getting weedy?

I may not have provided enough information - if this is the case I'll be
happy to answer any questions.

TIA

--
Grunff
==================
There was a TV programme ('This old house' ) recently which showed a novel
way of creating a new lawn. A kind of 'mush' was sprayed on to bare ground
and a new lawn appeared in a few days. The 'mush' was apparently a mixture
of water and germinated grass seeds. The programme showed this method being
used in America but it's just possible that it's available in this country
and if so it might solve your problem. Maybe somebody here knows of this
method being used in the UK.

My last efforts with normal seeding were a bit frustrating because the birds
seemed to regard my new lawn as place to fatten up on my expensive seed. I'm
going for turf next time - in a few weeks.

Cic.

Grunff wrote:

Rod wrote:

We have some good coverage of this in our FAQs. See the post 'ABC' from
'sysop' last posted on 30 Jan. If that doesn't answer all your questions do
please come back here.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I've already had a look through the faq, and while it's very useful, it
didn't really answer my question - which I suppose boils down to "what
should I do /now/".

I also found a few threads on turf v. seed, which have pretty much made
me decide on seeding it. But I realise that this isn't a good time to do
it - so I don't know whether it would be better to wait a few weeks
before seeding, but risk weeds coming up in the meantime, or what.

Can you tell I'm new to this? :-)

Nothing now - it's too wet, start clearing and preparing when things have dried
out a bit. Aim to have your seed bed prepared sometime in April. Try to get the
seeds sown before it gets too hot and dry. That is one of 2 best times for
sowing grass seeds - August is the next and probably best time.
--
Rod
http://website.lineone.net/%7Erodcraddock/index.html
My email address needs weeding.

Cicero wrote:


There was a TV programme ('This old house' ) recently which showed a novel
way of creating a new lawn. A kind of 'mush' was sprayed on to bare ground
and a new lawn appeared in a few days. The 'mush' was apparently a mixture
of water and germinated grass seeds. The programme showed this method being
used in America but it's just possible that it's available in this country
and if so it might solve your problem. Maybe somebody here knows of this
method being used in the UK.


Hydro seeding - used commercially in UK for motorway banks, land reclamation etc
- I doubt if it's available or cost effective for small areas.

My last efforts with normal seeding were a bit frustrating because the birds
seemed to regard my new lawn as place to fatten up on my expensive seed. I'm
going for turf next time - in a few weeks.

Did you rake the seed in and roll or compact the seedbed afterwards? Seeds need
to be in intimate contact with constantly moist soil to germinate well.
Raking helps to make the distribution of the seeds more even.
Alternate drying and wetting of the seeds is death to the seeds (not just grass
seeds - almost any seeds). Also if they're just covered it's not so easy for
the birds to find them all. This is the bit most unsuccesful newbies get wrong,
it is a shame because seeding is a far better job and much cheaper and easier
than turf.
Another thing that costs most folks money is the seed sowing rate. The seedsmen
like to sell you enough to do 2.5 oz per sq yd. You need 1.5 max. 0.75 per sq
yd is OK if you can sow evenly on a good seedbed and keep it well watered (if
needed) in the first few weeks.
--
Rod
http://website.lineone.net/%7Erodcraddock/index.html
My email address needs weeding.

Grunff wrote in message ...
Hi all,

snip My question is what do we
need to do to eventually turn it into a lawn?

Hi

I seeded a small lawn last spring using the BBC site guide:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...ng_lawn1.shtml

I'm a total beginner too, but it worked a treat, went great guns all
summer. Looks a bit scruffy now, mainly cos I let too many overhanging
plants do their thing too long, so I'll need to re-seed round the
edges. But otherwise I'd recommend seeding. It's so exciting when it
finally starts to come up.

good luck
Katharine

Grunff wrote in message ...
Hi all,

snip My question is what do we
need to do to eventually turn it into a lawn?

Hi

I seeded a small lawn last spring using the BBC site guide:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...ng_lawn1.shtml

I'm a total beginner too, but it worked a treat, went great guns all
summer. Looks a bit scruffy now, mainly cos I let too many overhanging
plants do their thing too long, so I'll need to re-seed round the
edges. But otherwise I'd recommend seeding. It's so exciting when it
finally starts to come up.

good luck
Katharine

Rod wrote:

Nothing now - it's too wet, start clearing and preparing when things have dried
out a bit. Aim to have your seed bed prepared sometime in April. Try to get the
seeds sown before it gets too hot and dry. That is one of 2 best times for
sowing grass seeds - August is the next and probably best time.

Thanks everyone - I'll be seeding in the spring. I'm sure I'll come back
with more Qs nearer the time.

--
Grunff

Rod wrote:

Nothing now - it's too wet, start clearing and preparing when things have dried
out a bit. Aim to have your seed bed prepared sometime in April. Try to get the
seeds sown before it gets too hot and dry. That is one of 2 best times for
sowing grass seeds - August is the next and probably best time.

Thanks everyone - I'll be seeding in the spring. I'm sure I'll come back
with more Qs nearer the time.

--
Grunff

"Katharine Mill" wrote But otherwise I'd recommend seeding. It's so exciting when it finally starts to come up.

When you come to look for signs of germination about 10 days after sowing (in good conditions) get your eyes down
at ground level and look against the light for that green haze of new seedlings.

Rod

"Katharine Mill" wrote But otherwise I'd recommend seeding. It's so exciting when it finally starts to come up.

When you come to look for signs of germination about 10 days after sowing (in good conditions) get your eyes down
at ground level and look against the light for that green haze of new seedlings.

Rod