What grass to sow in the garden?
The lawn improves the general microclimate of the garden, because it slightly increases the humidity of the air. It is worth reaching for the lawn in large and small arrangements.
The most popular types of grass
Grzebienica common is a species of clump grass that likes moist ground and is ideal for meadow lawns.
Red clump fescue is part of a mixture of lawn grasses that are great for shady positions. This species is shade tolerant, can be cut low and is very drought tolerant. His downside is that he hates being trampled on. This species is intended for light substrates, and after cutting the ends of the leaves it tends to wither.
Red fescue is one of the most popular types of grass. Its characteristics are a long vegetation period and slow growth. This type of grass is resistant to drought and frost, and the advantage is the possibility of growing in positions with little shade.
Filament fescue is the most effective species of grass. It is a tuft type that is characterized by low growth. It has a large number of small leaves, thanks to which the turf looks extremely dense. The advantages of this grass are the fact that it tolerates shade and low mowing well.
Sheep fescue is a mountain grass species that prefers sandy, dry substrates. Sheep fescue perfectly tolerates drought, which makes it ideal for sowing on escarpments and slopes. Low mowing is not a problem for it, it starts vegetation quite early and is frost resistant.
Cocksfoot grass is a tuft grass species that tolerates shade well and is suitable for meadow lawns.
Another type of lawn grass is common bent grass, which is characterized by drought resistance. It grows slowly, accelerates only in summer, it is perfect as an ornamental lawn.
The hill bent is a sporting species, as is the dog bent. Both species are resistant to trampling, but the former works well on dry soils, while the latter needs moist soil for proper growth.
Other types of grass are creeping bentgrass (a lawn species, not very resistant to trampling and drought), bluegrass (poorly tolerating mowing, best for meadow lawns), meadow grass (a sports species, perfect for heavily exploited lawns, frost-resistant and long-lived), meadow foxtail (a clump species, ideal for meadows) and perennial ryegrass (found in most sports and recreational mixes, drought tolerant with a long growing season).
Having plans to sow a lawn, we could select one species that is most suitable for us and sow it on the entire area intended for greenery at our disposal. However, such action is not recommended, because sowing the surface of the earth with one species of grass will make the resulting lawn not resistant to all climatic and weather conditions it may encounter. Sowing one species can make the lawn more sensitive to weeds, and the whole will be less durable after some time. An effective way to a perfect lawn is a mixture of three or more types of grass that have similar requirements and appearance.
Grass mixes
Depending on how a given grass mixture looks like and what strength it has, the following are distinguished:
sports mixture - the lawn created from it will be resistant to intensive use. From such a mixture, you can confidently sow a fragment of green area intended for a football field or a golf course. This mixture is characterized by very strong growth, it is necessary to mow it often and thoroughly. In addition, it is characterized by high density, elasticity and stiff blades. Using this mixture, we can be sure that we will not see uninvited weeds too often.
mix for sunny areas - this is one of the most durable mixes that is ideal for prolonged exposure to sunlight. It does not require regular watering during warm summer days, as is the case with other species. Grass from this mixture will grow even in soils rich in sand or with a predominance of clay. Its strong rooting allows it to absorb nutrients from the depths of the earth.
shade mix - an ideal grass mix for areas shaded by tree crowns that cast extensive shadows around them. In addition, this grass works well in places permanently sheltered from the sun, e.g. grass hedges. This mixture requires a lot of human effort so that it can develop and grow without any problems. It does not mind excessive moisture, and moss appears between the blades during growth.
renovation mixtures - this type of grass is a way to fill in the gaps caused by the destruction of the existing lawn. This mixture is characterized by rapid growth.
universal mix - grows in all conditions and is the best substrate for walking without shoes. The grass made of the universal mixture is very resistant and has a long life. The universal mixture is even used in urban recreation areas and lawns along streets and residential buildings.
a mixture of flower meadows - ideal grass sown for the company of decorative plants. Perfect for sowing the edges of paths and flowerbeds. This grass itself creates a wonderful composition. Unlike other grasses, this one needs to be sown every year and does not need pruning. Sometimes it grows to a height of 1 m and has an extremely decorative character.
ornamental mixture - this is the most decorative type of lawn. It has a dark green surface, reminiscent of perfectly manicured English lawns. This type of lawn requires a lot of work and regular mowing up to approx. 4 cm in height. Its advantage is frost resistance.
What to look for when choosing grasses?
Choosing the right grass that will suit our plot is not the easiest thing. We must bear in mind that homogeneous grasses are worse in our climate. For this reason, grass mixtures that are characterized by a great selection of proportions are recommended. They differ in the speed of regeneration, resistance to drought, frost, trampling or strong sunlight.
When buying a grass mixture, we must check what seeds it consists of. It is worth betting on Polish types of grass, because they are already adapted to life in our climate. Foreign seeds may not work. In addition, it is worth eliminating mixtures that contain fodder grass seeds, because they last for a maximum of 2 years, and numerous thinnings may occur after the first winter. If that was not enough, pasture grasses are less effective, their disadvantage is low resistance to trampling and frequent mowing. Forage grasses include: Italian, Dutch and Oldenburg ryegrass as well as hybrid ryegrass, multiflorous and Westerwold ryegrass.
Seeds only from proven producers!
Before buying a grass mixture, we need to realize many things. First of all, we don't set up a lawn for a year, but for many years. So if we want to enjoy a beautiful, aesthetic, green carpet for the next few years, we have to accept a considerable expense. Choosing cheaper, unsuitable grasses increases the cost of lawn care later on. Annual reseeding of grass also costs, fertilization and frequent mowing is also labor-intensive and expensive. It is estimated that the cost of the seeds alone is about 5 - 10% of the costs incurred when setting up a lawn. So it is worth investing in the right mix because the perfect choice is 50% of success!
It is safest to buy grass mixtures from well-known, reputable companies that specialize in this topic. We can then be sure that the seeds we have purchased have a high germination capacity and that the grass mixture is clean, i.e. free from weeds and other impurities.
When buying, it is important that the grass mixture has been tested and has the appropriate certificate. This can be easily checked. It is enough to check whether the label of a given grass mixture contains the identification number of the batch tested. The manufacturer's name, full composition and packing date should also be provided.
When is the best time to sow grass?
There are two dates to choose from for lawn sowing. The first is from mid-April to early June, and the second is from mid-August to mid-September. In these two periods there are the most favorable conditions for the development of grasses. Then we observe sufficient soil moisture, ideal temperature during the day (10-20 degrees). The fall term has its advantages as there is no longer such a risk of frost or drought and the grass is not smothered by sprouting weeds. However, it should be remembered that delaying autumn sowing may lead to the fact that the sown grass will not have time to prepare for winter. Spring is also a good time. The ideal time to sow grass in spring is April, because then there is a lot of moisture in the soil after winter. After winter, we can also observe various cavities in the sown lawn, which should also be filled in April.
It is worth remembering that after the first year of our lawn's existence, weeds may appear on the plot. It is not necessary to worry about them, because they grow from seeds left in the ground. Most of them will disappear completely when we regularly mow our lawn. When their presence starts to irritate us, we can go so far as to pull them out or use a delicate weeding preparation. What if we don't want to mow the lawn? A much more expensive, but certainly faster alternative is a roll lawn.
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