Growing a lawn from scratch.

MR_Punk · 1 Oct 2018 at 13:32

Hi all,

We plan to move into our new house in about 8 weeks time. As part of the buying process I opted out of the turf option as I thought it was a little expensive and at that point wasn't 100% sure how I wanted the garden to look.

Now I would be looking to turf a large section of it but I've never successfully grown grass to a standard I would deem good. My thoughts would be to leave until March time and dig the garden over and seed and try my look. I could buy turf but I actually want to do it properly from scratch - there is no rush.

Does anyone have experience and advice to get as lush grass as possible.

Participant · 1 Oct 2018 at 13:47

Whereabouts in the UK are you? In my experience you can grow grass from seed all year round in many parts of the UK.

I would agree with opting out of the turf option. It's extremely expensive and often just laid on whatever crap and rubble the builders have left behind, resulting in a failed lawn. Seeds are MUCH cheaper than turf and guarantees the type of lawn you will end up with in terms of grass varieties. It's also really satisfying seeing the results.

My thoughts would be to wait and see what state the to-be-lawn area is in when you move in and take it from there. If it's flat and they've put down some reasonable topsoil, then seed with an appropriate grass variety along with some pre-seed / lawn builder type fertiliser, using a cheaper spreader like Scotts, then cover lightly with compost.

The correct fertiliser is absolutely key; don't skip it if you want a strong lush lawn come spring.

If it's a building site then you'll need to dig it up, rotovate, and buy x tonnes of blended loam topsoil from somewhere like Travis Perkins. Then seed per the above process.

Even if you seed in 8 weeks, come spring you'll have a nice lawn if you do it properly. Autumn is a great time to sow grass seeds as there's more moisture.

MR_Punk · 1 Oct 2018 at 17:43

South Yorkshire is where I live. The garden itself is at the end of a street and its banked on one side which shelters it which is a bonus.

Looking at the site now they seem to have cleared most of the rubble but I think rotavating is a must. I want as full covering as possible and knowing I can do this early is a good point. I assume it wouldn't be conducive to growth if I seeded and there was frost about.

Slam62 · 1 Oct 2018 at 18:00

Get loads of grass seed, make sure the top soil is as aired as possible,

Participant · 1 Oct 2018 at 18:46

MR_Punk said:
South Yorkshire is where I live. The garden itself is at the end of a street and its banked on one side which shelters it which is a bonus.

Looking at the site now they seem to have cleared most of the rubble but I think rotavating is a must. I want as full covering as possible and knowing I can do this early is a good point. I assume it wouldn't be conducive to growth if I seeded and there was frost about.

Frost and cold weather will just delay growth, not preclude it. Grass seed is extremely hardy. I've left bags of grass seed out in the shed all winter and it's germinated in spring no problem.

Not sure how shelter is a bonus by the way? Shelter's pretty much the opposite of desirable if you're growing a lawn.

MR_Punk · 1 Oct 2018 at 19:24

Participant said:
Frost and cold weather will just delay growth, not preclude it. Grass seed is extremely hardy. I've left bags of grass seed out in the shed all winter and it's germinated in spring no problem.

Not sure how shelter is a bonus by the way? Shelter's pretty much the opposite of desirable if you're growing a lawn.

Oh right, I thought I heard that somewhere.

b0rn2sk8 · 1 Oct 2018 at 20:22

Good drainage, decent soil and sun is all you need.

Psycho Sonny · 2 Oct 2018 at 14:31

b0rn2sk8 said:
Good drainage, decent soil and sun is all you need.

i would also add. regular mowing where you only chop a tiny bit off the top and leave it mixed in.

as in you have to mow it every week of the year using the highest setting on your mower. rather than what people usually do is use the lowest setting and mow it once a month.