Grass seed mats any good?

[ashthekid]

I keep hearing about these grass seed mats you lay out that include perfectly distributed grass seeds for an even grass growth and germination fertilisers etc built in to give you the perfect new lawn.

Are they any good?

 

I have about 30 sqm of new lawn to lay and just looking at the options where to buy already grown rolls, just seed it the old fashioned way myself or perhpas buy these mats and get it going evenly straight away.

And do you lay any sort of membrane down first to protect against weeds etc?

[bassanclan]

Do you mean turf...

[Temp]

If you turf it make sure you have a decent sprinkler and someone on hand to keep it wet. In windy/sunny weather it can dry and shrink in an hour leaving big gaps. 

[Roundtuit]

It's a bit late in the season for seeding I think; better to wait until Autumn.  If you want a lawn quickly, then turf is the way forward, but as above, watering will be a full time job.

[tonyshouse]

I sow grass seed by hand very thin to allow room for the plants to establish, prefer non ryegrass mix 1/3oz /m2 and patience 

Edited May 4, 2022 by tonyshouse

[Radian]

1 hour ago, Roundtuit said:

It's a bit late in the season for seeding I think; better to wait until Autumn.

Oh no, have I left it too late again?!?

 

I was going to sow a lawn last Autumn but events got in the way so I put it off until this year. Having had no rain here apart from about 5mm on April 12th, I've also been delaying this spring.

[SteamyTea]

52 minutes ago, Radian said:

Oh no, have I left it too late again

Just plant some  it will be fine.

A good lawn is more than the months you plant it.

[Radian]

I figured we were due for a wet spell sometime this month - given the drought we've had down here in April just gone. Ironic how it seems to be the driest month of all.

[Roundtuit]

1 hour ago, Radian said:

Oh no, have I left it too late again?!?

I'd leave it till autumn personally, but you can always try if you're able to water regularly. The problem over summer will be weed competition (and you can't spray off weeds for ar least 3 months after sowing...) and the risk of a hot dry spell scorching off the seedlings.

[TheMitchells]

Personally, I'd wait till September so you have a good chance of autumn and winter rains to get the lawn established.  You'd need to water pretty much every day over summer if you did it now.

[SteamyTea]

This watering business is showing a great lack understanding of the UK's variable rainfall.

Whenever you sow, you will need to water.

 

[Roundtuit]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

Whenever you sow, you will need to water.

That's not strictly true... all sorts of agricultural and amenity grassland is established without the benefit of irrigation.  I wasn't in a position to water, so just had to time it as best I could to minimise the risk of having to do it again.  If you sow in dry weather, the seed will just sit there until there is enough moisture in the soil, assuming temperatures are favourable. Once it germinates, you need to keep it going though, and that's not easy over summer if you have a big area.

[ashthekid]

I meant these seed mats, not just your standard turf.