Grass Lawn: To Sow or Ready Lawn ?

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Con

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#68529 23-Sep-2010 21:46

Hi team,

Any practical advice on a new lawn.
Am considering sowing, spraying or readylawn this spring.

Considering it myself or hiring a tradesperson.Not a big addition to an existing garden..about 100 sqm.

Cheers

Con

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#383807 23-Sep-2010 22:06

readylawn

Friend looked at it and difference between sowing and readylawn was not worth the efoort plus you have a lawn stright away

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Snowflake

#383811 23-Sep-2010 22:10

sowing your own is a lot of work, and the results can be variable. it also takes a while before its useable. if you can afford it then the ready lawn will give you the best results in the shortest timeframe.

i sowed some last year, and its now got broadleaf weeds all over the place :(

i'm going to sow some more this year though, as i spent all my money on central heating :)

if you are sowing your own, dont take shortcuts.
- spray the area with roundup a couple of weeks prior to kill the weeds
- prep the surface with the rake/hoe/hired-machine
- fertilize properly
- lay your seeds evenly, prob best to hire a spreader
- keep the damn birds away and water constantly!

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Stu

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#383815 23-Sep-2010 22:24

I've seen the result of the spray method on a small residential lawn. It was untidy and the long term result was ugly.

My Parents have done the readylawn thing a couple of times and if the job is done right and maintained properly it seems to be a really good option.

As Regs mentioned above, sewing seed is hard work but can produce nice results if the ground is prepared correctly first. Trying to find the right seed to match any existing lawn was always the catch for me.

Next time I do the whole lawn I'll go the readylawn way if I can stretch the budget.

nickd

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#383849 24-Sep-2010 00:15

We have a spray lawn. It is awesome, no issues and it's pretty cool to watch. The guy wouldn't let me have a go though :-(

@Regs: That's what they invented broadleaf spray for!

Regs

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Snowflake

#383851 24-Sep-2010 00:19

nickd: We have a spray lawn. It is awesome, no issues and it's pretty cool to watch. The guy wouldn't let me have a go though :-(

@Regs: That's what they invented broadleaf spray for!

i have the spray, believe me. its a losing battle! (and an expensive one)

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Jaxson

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#383901 24-Sep-2010 08:26

I did the ready lawn a few years back trying to bring a house to market quickly. You simply can't beat it if you need it done now. I wasn't happy with the long term results though, look great initially, a year later totally average.

If there is no rush though then I think the total money could be better spent preparing the area more and using more expensive seed. So personally I'd say sow you own, but get the pro's and their gear to prep the area.

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Mattnzl

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#383926 24-Sep-2010 09:36

We're in a new subdivision so it is interesting to see how everyone's lawn has turned out after a few years.
Our direct neighbours got spray lawn and theirs still looks great, BUT they are constantly looking after it (fertiliser, weed n feed, manual weeding, airating and massive summer water bills!).

Another house got readylawn and it looked great, but with little maintenance it now looks just as weedy and crap as most others.

Ours was seed sown and looks pretty rank.

If I was starting again (and I may yet) I would import some kikuyu lawn seed from aussie. It is made by PGG I think but they don't sell it here that I've found.
I'm convinced kikuyu is the environmentally correct choice! No watering, weeding or fertiliser required. Very hard wearing, self repairing.
Just need a sturdy trimmer to keep the edges in check.

Edit: looks like you can get it as seed in NZ now: http://backyardbliss.co.nz/Kikuyu.html

graemeh

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#383935 24-Sep-2010 09:50

So Matt, your experience seems to suggest that whatever type of lawn you get (spray, ready or seed sown) it will need constant maintenance.

Perhaps concrete is the answer, then you get some lawn carpet from The Warehouse and glue it down :)

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#383950 24-Sep-2010 10:15

They actually do that in the States, they have some rather nice fake grass. Low maintenance!

Or, you could do what I do and ignore it. Your neighbours will hate you though! ;)

Balchy

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#383966 24-Sep-2010 10:55

Just spray paint your dirt green. problem solved

For billions of years since the outset of time, every single one of your ancestors survived, every single person on your Mum and Dads side, successfully looked after and passed onto you life. What are the chances of that like?

blakamin

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#383969 24-Sep-2010 10:56

I would say concrete... or readylawn.
I landscaped our yard at the old place and had a mate get me the seed and soil the council uses and sowed my own... Never again!
After about 6 months it was all weeds (and I used to dig those suckas out nightly) and most of the actual lawn was gone. I spent sooo many hours on that it wasn't funny.

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Jaxson

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#383990 24-Sep-2010 11:32

Yeah it's real important to nuke the crap out of the dirt with roundup etc, several times if need be to kill everything before you put back into the area what you want to be there, ie grass.

The ready lay guys actually came in and shaved off the top inch of our existing grass with a digger before laying their stuff back over the top.

In my opinion it's all about time. Both methods take lots of prep, and the more prep the better the results. If you need it now then there is only one option. If you need it in the next few months and will be living there for the next 5 years then you have options.

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#383992 24-Sep-2010 11:37

I actually was working at a digger company when I started mine... dug out an existing "old person" garden and put a foot of soil in.
My problem was the damn birdsh*t

Con

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#384129 24-Sep-2010 18:41

Regs: sowing your own is a lot of work, and the results can be variable. it also takes a while before its useable. if you can afford it then the ready lawn will give you the best results in the shortest timeframe.

i sowed some last year, and its now got broadleaf weeds all over the place :(

i'm going to sow some more this year though, as i spent all my money on central heating :)

if you are sowing your own, dont take shortcuts.
- spray the area with roundup a couple of weeks prior to kill the weeds
- prep the surface with the rake/hoe/hired-machine
- fertilize properly
- lay your seeds evenly, prob best to hire a spreader
- keep the damn birds away and water constantly!

Did you end up installing a brivis ?

Con

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manta

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#384142 24-Sep-2010 19:32

Get astroturf: I'm sure here in Chch you'll find sports clubs replacing theirs after the quake.

Otherwise, as with most things in life, the more you prepare, the better you do the job and the more you maintain then the better the lawn you'll get. Make sure you get the right seed for your usage.

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