Hi thanks for all the great advice so far on my new garden - I've decided to tackle the borders and sort out the lawn

I wanted to know if the 'miracle seed' stuff that advertises in gardening magazines is ok to use?

I'm gonna do what Bob suggested and fill up the uneven bits on my lawn with the new soil, but i need to grow grass on top - the adverts sell enough seed to cover 1000 sq feet for about £50-70. Does this sound about right? Is this cheaper than relaying turf? Also, does it really only take 5 days to grow?? If so - BriNg iT oN!!!

The message m
from kafifa contains these words:

Hi thanks for all the great advice so far on my new garden - I've
decided to tackle the borders and sort out the lawn

I wanted to know if the 'miracle seed' stuff that advertises in
gardening magazines is ok to use?

If it's advertised in magazines you're paying for the adverts as well as
the seed, and as most old gits^^^^gardeners know where to get the stuff
for a fraction of the cost, that cost will be largely for advertising to
catch the few who will have to pay for it.

I'm gonna do what Bob suggested and fill up the uneven bits on my lawn
with the new soil, but i need to grow grass on top - the adverts sell
enough seed to cover 1000 sq feet for about £50-70. Does this sound
about right?

Phew! That's about ten paces by ten paces - what do *YOU* think?

Is this cheaper than relaying turf? Also, does it really
only take 5 days to grow?? If so - BriNg iT oN!!!

Find a local hardware or garden shop which sells seed, petfood, flower
pots, canes, garden tools, etc, and you'll buy enough (loose) seed to do
your job for a pound or two.

Square root 1,000sq' = 31·62 feet
31.62 feet is about 10½ yards

I suppose it isn't *TOO* out of the way for a much-hyped product,
working out at between 5p and 7p a square foot, but you can do it for
less than a tenth of that buying the seed loose.

And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message m
from kafifa contains these words:

Hi thanks for all the great advice so far on my new garden - I've
decided to tackle the borders and sort out the lawn

I wanted to know if the 'miracle seed' stuff that advertises in
gardening magazines is ok to use?

If it's advertised in magazines you're paying for the adverts as well as
the seed, and as most old gits^^^^gardeners know where to get the stuff
for a fraction of the cost, that cost will be largely for advertising to
catch the few who will have to pay for it.

I'm gonna do what Bob suggested and fill up the uneven bits on my lawn
with the new soil, but i need to grow grass on top - the adverts sell
enough seed to cover 1000 sq feet for about £50-70. Does this sound
about right?

Phew! That's about ten paces by ten paces - what do *YOU* think?

Is this cheaper than relaying turf? Also, does it really
only take 5 days to grow?? If so - BriNg iT oN!!!

Find a local hardware or garden shop which sells seed, petfood, flower
pots, canes, garden tools, etc, and you'll buy enough (loose) seed to do
your job for a pound or two.

Square root 1,000sq' = 31·62 feet
31.62 feet is about 10½ yards

I suppose it isn't *TOO* out of the way for a much-hyped product,
working out at between 5p and 7p a square foot, but you can do it for
less than a tenth of that buying the seed loose.

And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Rusty wrote in message after Kafifa...
I wanted to know if the 'miracle seed' stuff that advertises in
gardening magazines is ok to use?

If it's advertised in magazines you're paying for the adverts as well as
the seed, and as most old gits^^^^gardeners know where to get the stuff
for a fraction of the cost, that cost will be largely for advertising to
catch the few who will have to pay for it.

Quite agree, look around for loose seed if you can or failing that get it
from a normal Garden Centre. You will need to get seed that is suitable for
your purpose btw i.e. if it's just to look at then use finer grass, if it's
for kids to play on then you need hardwearing rye grass mixtures etc.

As I said, even with some TLC it will take the best part of this summer for
it to look like a real Lawn, no matter what sort of seed you use, expensive
or cheap. The important thing is to not let it dry out in the summer, water
it and keep it growing. Hope you have a good sharp mower too and DON'T cut
it too short which is a common cause of a patchy looking lawn.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

"kafifa" wrote in message
s.com...
Hi thanks for all the great advice so far on my new garden - I've
decided to tackle the borders and sort out the lawn

I wanted to know if the 'miracle seed' stuff that advertises in
gardening magazines is ok to use?

I'm gonna do what Bob suggested and fill up the uneven bits on my lawn
with the new soil, but i need to grow grass on top - the adverts sell
enough seed to cover 1000 sq feet for about £50-70. Does this sound
about right? Is this cheaper than relaying turf? Also, does it really
only take 5 days to grow?? If so - BriNg iT oN!!!

Somebody is trying to sell you snake oil

Get yourself some ordinary lawn grass seed at a tenth of the price instead.
Your lawn will take no longer to become usable than that of the wide boys
who are trying to lay their hands on your money.

Franz

And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

--
Rusty



I just discovered that hitting the reply button in Outlook sent my reply to
Jacques personally instead of to the group .....
Sorry, just discovered the function of the 'reply group' button..........

A



And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

--
Rusty



Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Annelies



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And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

--
Rusty



I just discovered that hitting the reply button in Outlook sent my reply to
Jacques personally instead of to the group .....
Sorry, just discovered the function of the 'reply group' button..........

A



And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

--
Rusty



Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Annelies



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.587 / Virus Database: 371 - Release Date: 12/02/2004

"Annelies" wrote in message
And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Ah! But that where all those Cd-roms from AOL come in handy, hang them on
strings across where you have seeded so they flash in the breeze. If you
have some old video tape you can also use that crisscrossed with a slight
twist across the seeded bit, that will also flash and vibrate in the wind.
Works on the allotments!

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

"Annelies" wrote in message
And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Ah! But that where all those Cd-roms from AOL come in handy, hang them on
strings across where you have seeded so they flash in the breeze. If you
have some old video tape you can also use that crisscrossed with a slight
twist across the seeded bit, that will also flash and vibrate in the wind.
Works on the allotments!

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 14:43:06 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:


"Annelies" wrote in message
And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Ah! But that where all those Cd-roms from AOL come in handy, hang them on
strings across where you have seeded so they flash in the breeze.

It takes most small birds about 2 minutes to get used to flashing CDs.
I hung them among the balls of fat and bags of peanuts and timed how
long it took for birds to ignore them.

If you
have some old video tape you can also use that crisscrossed with a slight
twist across the seeded bit, that will also flash and vibrate in the wind.
Works on the allotments!

--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

"martin" wrote in message after Bob wrote:


"Annelies" wrote in message
And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that
was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Ah! But that where all those Cd-roms from AOL come in handy, hang them on
strings across where you have seeded so they flash in the breeze.

It takes most small birds about 2 minutes to get used to flashing CDs.
I hung them among the balls of fat and bags of peanuts and timed how
long it took for birds to ignore them.

But it will keep the pigeons off and they do by far the most damage.
--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

"martin" wrote in message after Bob wrote:


"Annelies" wrote in message
And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that
was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Ah! But that where all those Cd-roms from AOL come in handy, hang them on
strings across where you have seeded so they flash in the breeze.

It takes most small birds about 2 minutes to get used to flashing CDs.
I hung them among the balls of fat and bags of peanuts and timed how
long it took for birds to ignore them.

But it will keep the pigeons off and they do by far the most damage.
--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 14:59:38 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message after Bob wrote:


"Annelies" wrote in message
And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that
was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Ah! But that where all those Cd-roms from AOL come in handy, hang them on
strings across where you have seeded so they flash in the breeze.

It takes most small birds about 2 minutes to get used to flashing CDs.
I hung them among the balls of fat and bags of peanuts and timed how
long it took for birds to ignore them.

But it will keep the pigeons off and they do by far the most damage.

It didn't do that either.
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Sun, 15 Feb 2004 14:59:38 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:


"martin" wrote in message after Bob wrote:


"Annelies" wrote in message
And are they suggesting you'll have a *LAWN* in 5 days? I'd say that
was
a claim for the Trades' Descriptions Act. Under very favourable
conditions you might see the tips of some of the shoots appearing in
five days......

Provided you kindly and foremost politely ask the birds to have their
banquet somewhere else..........


Ah! But that where all those Cd-roms from AOL come in handy, hang them on
strings across where you have seeded so they flash in the breeze.

It takes most small birds about 2 minutes to get used to flashing CDs.
I hung them among the balls of fat and bags of peanuts and timed how
long it took for birds to ignore them.

But it will keep the pigeons off and they do by far the most damage.

It didn't do that either.
--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

"kafifa" wrote in message
s.com...
Hi thanks for all the great advice so far on my new garden - I've
decided to tackle the borders and sort out the lawn

I wanted to know if the 'miracle seed' stuff that advertises in
gardening magazines is ok to use?

It's OK, but it's a rip-off. Usual caveats apply - if it looks too good to be true it almost certainly is. The seed
as far as I can tell is just the same as any other. The miraculous treatments to aid germination etc are just the
same as those used by other suppliers. The best protection from birds is to rake the seed in and compact slightly
by tamping with the back of your rake. The covered seed will germinate better as well. Whatever it says on the box
1 1/2 oz per sq yd is more than sufficient - I use half that.

Rod