Growing a lawn: Seed or sod, which is better?

Seed

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by Sammy Stein

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Growing a lawn from seed takes more time and you will not gain an instant lawn but you will end up with the lawn you want for around half the cost of laying one from sod or turf.

The key to achieving the best lawn for your purpose is the seed mix and sod sowing has drawbacks in that there are limited types available. You can get meadow sod, which is cheaper but will contain many weed seeds and a mix of grasses, not all of which will be suited to your site so gaps may appear shortly after sowing as those grasses not suited to the conditions of the site disappear. You can also obtain high quality turf, usually grown in coastal regions and guaranteed free from weeds but this is expensive , both in actual costs and carbon footprint as transport is required from the growing aras to your site. Also,careful preparation is needed.

If you grow from seed you can choose the best grass mix for your site. If you want a high quality lawn a mix of 8 parts Festuca rubra to 2 parts Agrostis tenuis is a good mix. This will produce a deep green sward and tolerates close mowing but will not tolerate being regularly sat and walked on (hence the 'keep off the grass' signs around large areas of grass in parks).

For a utility lawn (one which is used for playing,sitting and family gardens, a mix with 3 parts F. rubra, 3 parts Poa annua , 3 parts Lolium perenne and 1 part A.tenuis is a good mix as this will tolerate regular but not too close mowing and take some regular wear and tear.

There are also seed mixes specifically for dry, sunny, shady, damp and dappled shade so choosing the right mix is important. Then you need to prepare the site, removing stones and debris and raking the area to a fine tilth. Sow according to the manufacturer's instructions (measure the area into metre squares to get the sowing rates correct) and then you need to take the first year to establish the lawn. It is worth it though because after this, you will have a lawn which is suited to the site, grows well and is practical for general purposes.

The best way to care for your new lawn from seed is to follow a simple year planner as follows.

September protect from birds with cotton on sticks or netting and irrigate if necessary. When lawn reaches 3cm give light roll to encourage tillering and push any stones down.
October when grass reaches 5 cm give first mow using blades on high setting. Brush leaves off with besom. Break up ant hills with besom and scatter any mole hills away from lawn.
November mow for last time if grass still growing, use besom to brush leaves and debris off lawn.
December keep off lawn if wet and service mower.
January stay off lawn if wet or frozen. Use plank if access is vital.
February as Jan
March when grass starts to grow give first mow. Use high blade settings. Aerate using fork or aerator. At end of month apply spring (high N fertiliser). Check for signs of any weeds and hand weed. You can use a proprietary weed killing product for new lawns.
April irrigate and mow when needed. Re-seed any poorly germinated or bare patches, edge lawn well.
May water if necessary when needed. Mow and use proprietary weed killer for new lawns if weeds become a problem. Check for pests and moss and treat accordingly, ensuring any products used are for new lawn.
June aerate and scarify using spring tined fork to remove thatch. Mow as necessary and irrigate.
July as June.
August mow, aerate and scarify. Apply autumn feed (low N) at end of month. Top dress using 50/50 peat/sand mix and apply lawn sand to defeat moss if present.

You wil also ned to keep an eye out for pests like leather jackets and chafer grubs whose prescence is indicated by yellowing of areas . Simply dig the area to bring the grubs to the surface for birds, cover with plastic sheeting for 3 months, remove it and re-seed.

It does take longer with seed but the end result is well worth it.

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