Seeds for Turf
The seeds we use for lawn, sports or amenity areas are very different from the rest of those featured in this website. Amenity seeds are specifically bred and selected for characteristics such as wear tolerance, greenness, disease resistance and fineness of leaf.

Unlike agricultural species these lawn seeds only produce small plants and therefore need to be sown at considerably higher rates.

The main choice the user must make is whether to select a mixture with or without dwarf ryegrass. The ryegrass is useful as it establishes quickly and tolerates wear. However, it will require more frequent mowing and if this is a consideration then it is best avoided.

Ornamental Lawns
For an ornamental lawn a fine leaved seed mixture of fescues and bent should be sown. These mixtures provide a very fine and low growing turf which tolerates close mowing.

To get the best results, ornamental lawns should be mown frequently mown regularly with a cylinder mower. Once established, these lawns are quite hard wearing and will grow well on most soils and in shaded areas. The amount of toppings they produce is less than lawns containing ryegrass.

Tough and Reliable Ryegrass
Many lawns are subjected to heavy wear from children, dogs and other traffic. In these cases we recommend the use of ryegrass.

There are many misconceptions concerning ryegrasses. They are used agriculturally and until about twenty years ago these same ryegrasses were used in lawn mixtures. The situation changed when plant breeders developed dwarf ryegrasses.

Dwarf ryegrasses have been specifically bred to produce fine leaves and maintain greenness whilst retaining tremendous wear tolerance. These dwarfs are a real breakthrough and should not be confused with their agricultural counterparts. They are quick and easy to grow and are an ideal component of mixtures which are expected to receive wear.

The disadvantage of ryegrasses is that they do grow more quickly than non ryegrasses and therefore will require more frequent mowing. Typically, a 5-7 day period between cuts is likely in the peak growing season during May and June.

Shaded Lawns
All growing things need light and grasses are no exception. From experience we know that the less vigorous grasses such as the fescues will tolerate less light than fast growing types such as ryegrass. When establishing lawns in permanent shade results may be unsatisfactory. For example, in areas by walls or under evergreens it will be difficult to get perfect results.

Grass growing in very shaded areas will benefit from being left long, around 2 or 3 inches, thus leaving maximum leaf area for available light.