Clueless ! Turf or seed ?

Hi guys , new member here.

Recently started work on the mess of a garden of a house we purchased last summer.

A lot of clearance has been done and we are now looking at creating a lawn.

There is an existing small area of grass which seems to be in good shape but a bit patchy, unfortuantley the rest of the area is uneven which im trying to level.

The soil at the front is also incredibly stoney and despite my raking , the stones keep reappearing.

My initial idea was to seed but im not sure how this is going to go down in the stoney soil.

Ive also considered turfing but am put off by cost and the fact that its not going to match the existing grass ?

Any ideas appreciated as im not sure where to start ! (Pictures attached)

 

I'd seed it. Stony soil won't matter as long is it is mostly soil. Seed is cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and despite what advocates of turf say, almost as quick to establish. On that last point, sure turf will look good quicker than seed, but you still can't use it for a few weeks, and you have to keep it well watered while it establishes it's self.

 

I'd be inclined to seed it also.
But make sure the ground is reasonably compacted before doing so, and then rake the surface over before and after sowing

 

Turf it it a lot better than seeding to create a GRASS

 

Seed it. Its far more practical in many ways than turfing it.

 

I would also agree that seeding is your best route.

With seed you can choose the grass which suits your garden. With turf you only have a limited choice of species of types of grass which can be lifted and hold together. You won't really know what you are getting.

In the long run, you'll always get a better lawn with seed. IMO.

 

Thanks guys will go for seed.

Can anyone recommend a particular type ? I dont know what the existing grass is, but most seed mixes i have seen seem to be rather generic rather than specifying the type of grass.

 

They're usually fairly generic for I suspect two reasons.

1. Most people don't care too much, as long as the result suits them and

2. They're usually a mix of different species, with each species in the mix having different characteristics. For example one species might grow very fast, while another may spread to fill in exposed patches quickly etc.

Most mixes do usually list what's in there at what ratios, but you usually have to hunt for that info.

I just used wilkos cheap hardwiring mix, figuring the fine ornamental mix would be no good with kids playing on it, but if I was going to work harder to maintain a bowling green lawn, I'd have gone for the fine ornamental mix. Some suppliers give vastly more choice, with specific mixes for dry/wet/shady/sunny spots etc. And some do wildflower meadow mixes with native species of grasses and flowers in there. It all depends on what you want really.

 

I would advise avoiding any fine lawn mix or ornamental mixes. They often contain a lot of fescue grasses which need a lot of work to keep looking nice. Needs scarifying a lot, gets all the diseases under the sun and never look that great IMO. A good hardwearing dwarf rye-grass mix is usually great for most lawns. Tough as old boots, stays lovely and green and will withstand all sorts of abuse.

I would recommend buying fresh seed, ideally direct from a supplier (Grass Seed mixes / suppliers).

Also be cautious of buying "fast germinating" seed varieties. Grass which germinates quickly will then go on to grow quickly, forever. Best avoided unless you're a big fan of mowing.

 

Many thanks.

I went with the hardwearing mix from Hurells and put it down this weekend.

Hope to see something in the coming weeks !

 

Just ordering my Hurells seed today . Let me know how yours performs Jonathan. I will only reseed after mid April.

 

Nothing so far (bar for 2 tiny bits) ... granted its only been 5 days but im wondering if i've sowed a bit too early ?

 

Grass seed usually takes 10 days to germinate.
Patience!

 

Not my finest asset !

It has germinated in a few places, but the majority has not.

Ill wait it out !

 

3 weeks in and we have some grass !

Its fairly patchy and some of it has just refused to germinate.

Ive been told that in another week or so its wise to get the mower on it which should encourage it to spread out ?