Is the grass greener?

Great lawns are an investment, adding significant value and visual appeal to your property. 

In this blog we will cover the advantages and disadvantages of three options, hydro seeding, ready lawn and artificial turf. When deciding on what grass product to use, you'll need to consider a few factors; your budget, time frame, maintenance required, how this area will be used and consider questions, will that area get enough sun to prosper. With all these products, precise preparation is vital to get maximum results.

Hydro Seeding

 

Advantages		Disadvantages
-  Cost effective		-  Highest maintenance of three options
-  Quick application		-  Will need to be sprayed to control weed growth
-  Ideal on slopes and banks		-  Requires regular watering
-  Higher germination rates than seeding		-  Takes longer to get an established lawn
-  Dust control		-  Area can't be walked on for at least 3 weeks

Hydro seeding is the most cost effective but also the most high maintenance of the three options. It is a blend of wood-fibre mulch, fertiliser, seed and water mixed to a slurry in a purpose built tank and sprayed onto your prepared site. The mulch protects the seed, retains water and ensures even germination. The fibre is dyed green which also gives a grass-like effect immediately. This mulch mixture bonds the seed to the soil, preventing erosion from the windblown soil and light rain. The fertiliser and mulch mixture provides an ideal nurturing environment for seed germination to establish a healthy lawn. 

Germination time will depend on the weather and the consistency of watering after application. In optimum growing conditions, including sufficient watering and warm ground temperatures, germination can be achieved in just 5 days. You new lawn could be requiring a mow in approximately 3 weeks. Generally lawn germination will take approximately 10 -14 days depending upon watering and ground temperatures. Irrigation in the first 2-3 weeks is most important for getting your new lawn to germinate evenly and quickly. The mulch must be kept damp at all times so the emerging seedlings do not dry out. Under or over watering can both produce unfavorable results. Depending on the site preparation, if there are any areas where water pools it can cause the grass to die which can produce bald patches. 

The hydroseeding product is weed-free but weed seed is always present in the soil whether supplied to you or existing. When you start watering your new lawn, weeds will also start to appear. These can be controlled with a selective weed-spray when your lawn is established.

Ready lawn is grown on specialist farms. The farms that produce this grass may have many varieties of grass grown in one location to best suit your use and preference of appearance. It is usually harvested 10 to 18 months after planting, depending on the growing climate. On the farm, it undergoes fertilisation, frequent mowing, watering, and subsequent vacuuming to remove the clippings. It is harvested using specialised equipment, precision cut to standardised sizes. It is typically harvested in small square or rectangular slabs, or large 4-foot-wide (1.2 m) rolls.

It requires the same level of ground preparation as hydro seeding but when laid you will have an immediate green lawn that can be walked on straight away. It will need to be kept well watered for the first three weeks until the ready lawn is established, then water normally. If perennial weeds are a problem, spray with Roundup or Buster and then leave the area for about 3 weeks. 

There is a large range of specialist artificial landscaping grasses that suit different situations and personal tastes. Variations in blade thickness, length and texture ensures you get the look that suits your property or application. The turf options can now imitate the curled structure of natural grass and can vary in color. It is popular for areas where growing natural grass has proven to be problematic or difficult to access and maintain. Do you have an area in your garden where the sun doesn't reach but you would like to have grass there? Artificial turf could be the answer.