Gardening.ie

Hello all, just a quick question. I'm moving soon and some of the new garden needs a lawn. My question, being a novice in this, is how will it take from sowing grass seed to having some lawn? If it takes too long my other option of course is buying turf but I'd prefer not to. Any answers would be much appreciated.

It's best to sow in April or September when moisture levels and optimum temperature combine for good results. It can take a few weeks for the seed to germinate and grow to a length that needs cutting. The first cut needs to be to about 2" to encourage strong root growth and thickening of the grass. It's best to keep off the grass until this first cut so you don't trample and break the baby blades of grass. If you're careful and don't abuse it with heavy traffic, by the mid summer you should have a respectable lawn which you can cut to a shorter height and play on all day.

Turf is quicker but much more expensive and requires equally good soil preparation and lots of watering to help it settle in and grow. You should also avoid walking on new turves for the first few weeks except for mowing and, as above, don't cut too short before the roots have had a chance to settle into the soil.

Have a look at this link if you think grass seed is slow to germinate!!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... _seed.html