Buying And Laying Turf In Thailand

[MeMock]

Hi all,

I have never dealt with turf before so am flying a little blind here.

I have a small section of my yard that I want to lay with turf. Approx 12m x 10m.

The nearest place that has it for sale is Ubon a 2 hour drive away. The stuff for sale is pretty sick looking and someone today told me it is best to get it straight from Bangkok as fresh as possible. This makes a lot of sense obviously but any ideas on how to get 120sqm of turf delivered to the boondocks of Ubon?

My other concern is how do I lay it? What preparation needs to be done?

Cheers

MM

[Foreverford]

Say hey Mocker guy with a lawn mower. Many times the way turf "sodding" is done here is with sections that have very little soil. The types of grasses that grow here in the tropics are kinds that reproduce vegatively and are propogated the same way. When large areas are to be planted a grower will lower the height of his mowers and "scalp" his turf to create many "sprigs". These small pieces of cut grass are then broadcast over the planting areas and incorporated into the soil and are kept moist until they root and then they will grow laterally and fill in and continue to root. No seed is used to propagate.

With the sections of sod (rolls or squares), the type you buy will vary by the growers and retailers. The more earth that is attached to a vigorously growing root system, the more weight, and generally the more cost involved and generally all things (variety) equal, the better quality of the transplanted sod. It is not uncommon here to get sod that virtually has no earth or root system. If that is the type that you will purchase then it is very important that you are able to purchase as soon as possible after it is cut. Many types of good turfgrass can take a bunch of neglect in regards to "sodding" and even sick looking sod will come back very easily when it is put in well fertilized good loose soil.

The best turfgrass to plant in Thailand is "Zoysia" as it is indigenous to Thailand and naturally very disease resistant and it is extremely drought resistant. Another very good drought resistant variety is "Seashore Paspalum" and it also has the ability to be salt compatible to an extent. The Zoysia doesn't have the thatching problems that are associated with the Paspalum and other vigorous bermuda type grasses. Novatek from "the land down under" is a great fine close cut grass that will tolerate very extreme low cut heights and therefore is excellent for lawn bowls and greens grade golf applications; it is very problem free.

Organically you would want to prepare a good friable soil based on well aged, manure enhanced compost that would be incorporated into the native soil. A nice top dressing of a "potting" "top-soil" mix would guarantee the best results at planting time. Keep the new sod wet at all times but don't water after the sun is down. You should use a roller to quarantee a very smooth and indent-free bed if that is what you want. Clean sand is a great resource for levelling. Try to get all your irrigation lines and digging done well in advance and compact the soil in those ditches adequately so that you won't have any shrinkage and settling that will appear under your turf. If drainage is to be put in now is the time to do it. After this is completed is the time to incorporate your composted soils and make your final level. FF

Edited March 16, 2011 by Foreverford

[IsaanAussie]

Isn't strange how the same subject gets talked about but different people at the same time. I got a call yesterday from a guy wanting to know if I could produce some "bedding soil" for him to lay grass onto. My answer was to use a combination of compost and wormcastings mixed with local soil and some sand.

On a personal basis it occured to me that growing the turf on land I want to restore may be a way of generating some income off that ground during the process. The compost and worm castings arent a problem for me . Maybe there could be a market for the basic materials for DIY lawn makers in the Sisaket area. Use the existing dirt and just buy a load of the other stuff.

I suppose like most things it would come down to cost. I would be very interested in learning more.

Anybody out there doing this?

Anyone know what the commercial aspects are?

Any ideas?

All ears like a bag of wheat!

Isaan Aussie

[kwonitoy]

I put sod for my lawn 3years ago. I bought 600sqm from a roadside nursery/plant shop in Udon Thani which they delivered. Not sure of the type of grass but they told the wife that it was the best for this area. Very heat resistant

There was a local guy in the next village that had been a groundkeeper at a hotel in Bangkok that did the installation and did a very nice job.

They brought in truckload of sand and covered the ground with about 3-4cms and leveled it much the same way as when you pour concrete. Black dirt was spread on top of this in a very fine layer. This was bought also from those roadside plant shop in those little (5kilo?) bags they sell. I used I think two Toyota truck loads of these. The sod was laid on top and then rolled to assure good contact and then watered in. Use lots of water.

This whole project was done in October which he said was the best time to give the grass time to root in before the rainy season. If you put it in now this a chance that it will get washed away when the rains come. When the rainy season did come there was some sand being washed out, but it's stable now

It looked great when they put it in and we watered it diligently through the winter and hot season,trying to keep the dogs from ripping it up was the hardest part they love the grass. I replaced lots of sod that the dogs ripped up and the wife beat the hell out of the dogs

PM me if you want some photos of the instalation and end result.

My lawn is very solid now and looks great.

[IsaanAussie]

I put sod for my lawn 3years ago. I bought 600sqm from a roadside nursery/plant shop in Udon Thani which they delivered. Not sure of the type of grass but they told the wife that it was the best for this area. Very heat resistant

There was a local guy in the next village that had been a groundkeeper at a hotel in Bangkok that did the installation and did a very nice job.

They brought in truckload of sand and covered the ground with about 3-4cms and leveled it much the same way as when you pour concrete. Black dirt was spread on top of this in a very fine layer. This was bought also from those roadside plant shop in those little (5kilo?) bags they sell. I used I think two Toyota truck loads of these. The sod was laid on top and then rolled to assure good contact and then watered in. Use lots of water.

This whole project was done in October which he said was the best time to give the grass time to root in before the rainy season. If you put it in now this a chance that it will get washed away when the rains come. When the rainy season did come there was some sand being washed out, but it's stable now

It looked great when they put it in and we watered it diligently through the winter and hot season,trying to keep the dogs from ripping it up was the hardest part they love the grass. I replaced lots of sod that the dogs ripped up and the wife beat the hell out of the dogs

PM me if you want some photos of the instalation and end result.

My lawn is very solid now and looks great.

Khonitoy,

You have made my day! They used that stuff in the little bags? WOW plenty of room for reducing cost against that. Those bags are normally sold for 20baht, 10 baht to the nursery and 10baht to the supplier. Next time get a load straight from me and forget the nursery. Not only is mine cheaper, its a SH1T load better!

Again thanks for sharing that experience. Now I'm really keen.

Isaan Aussie

[MeMock]

foreverford - thanks for such an in depth response and lots of great information especially about the type of grass available. Everywhere I have asked the last few weeks they always say 'malay' is the best. I think this means Malaysian grass. Does this go by any other name like the ones you mentioned? is it any good?

kwonity I will PM you now.

IssanAussie - I take it you are in the sisaket area and that you have some kind of gardening/mulch business? Can you explain a little more as perhaps I could make a trip to come and see you and chew ya brain a little more!

[Foreverford]

foreverford - thanks for such an in depth response and lots of great information especially about the type of grass available. Everywhere I have asked the last few weeks they always say 'malay' is the best. I think this means Malaysian grass. Does this go by any other name like the ones you mentioned? is it any good?

kwonity I will PM you now.

IssanAussie - I take it you are in the sisaket area and that you have some kind of gardening/mulch business? Can you explain a little more as perhaps I could make a trip to come and see you and chew ya brain a little more!

Better than that secure a load of his magic snake oil and haul as many bags of his compost as you can. If woim compost tea is your flavor (there is no "u" in that woid) he has had it going on. A great operation that is looking like it willk never stop moving forward. truly the magic of compost captured and bagged (and tied!!). If you get there or are going try to get there get a lock on as much as you can as he has a super good mix going right now.

who knows what the heck they are growing and selling when it gets to turfgrass (watch out for the Kikuyu is could take over!!). If you want quality it is out there but you will have to gravitate towards Bangkok as i know it. try to see some turf that has been planted by this same nursery's sod source, you'll learn everythig you need to know when you see it. Zoysia is indigenous to Hua Hin and it thrives in all conditions and it is the choice of turfgrass that has been used at some of the finest country clubs in teh US. Grand Slams weere played on Zoysia. We're lucky to be living inThailand where this the finest of turfgrasses is basically a weed. Such is life. Hey I thik this is the place where you can't lose when it comes to fgrowing any kind of turfgrass. Make your own blend if you want to sprig it or even chop up some sod to create a blend that may be a nice soft playground. Otherwise the best i've seen comes from out of New Orleans and is called St Augustine and it's a sharp ( not a good turfgrass for one to four year olds) big bladed fescue looking type of tropical bermuda variety. I'm sure it isn't available here. Everybody in New Orleans and Louisiana area has probably ended up planting some zoysia. any who choke dee Furt Turf Dorf Ford Rotovator Rotovator Forever

Edited March 17, 2011 by Foreverford

[IsaanAussie]

Forever smelling dem dare wildflowers for too long. Get back here and start growing dem dare Heavy Herbs so we can all join in!

[MeMock]

HI IA - just wondering if you caught my last paragraph of my previous post with a few questions directed your way. Cheers.

[transam]

Airport road Ubon have FRESH Malay or Japanese turf. Malay very course but easy to care for. Jap, fine grass like farangland which l have. No probs but needs lots of water. Can PM or ask more here.

[IsaanAussie]

HI IA - just wondering if you caught my last paragraph of my previous post with a few questions directed your way. Cheers.

Check your mailbox. Welcome any time.

[MeMock]

PM send to transam and IA - thanks everyone.

[JungleBiker]

There are two types of Zoysia here:

Zoysia matrella - known in Thai as "yaa nuan noi". This would be my choice. There are usually a number of plant shops selling this stuff, so it's just a matter of finding one that has had a recent arrival from the Bangkok area. I doubt it would make sense in terms of transport costs to buy 120sq.m. direct from the grower. I think the price is or was around a dollar a sq.m. so I would just buy 120sq.m. and cover all the soil rather than cut the "sheets" into small pieces and plant them further apart because this was may save you money buying the turf but it may require you to spend more time pulling up the weeds that may grow in the blank spaces before the turf spreads to fill those spaces in.

The other Zoysia is Zoysia japonica - "yaa yippon" (Japanese grass). This has a finer leaf than the yaa nuan noi. I've not grown this myself so cannot comment on how it looks/performs.

Another grass often seen here is Axonopus compressus - known in Thai as "yaa Malaysia". I find it's leaves too coarse (too large, wide).

There are some specialist grasses used by golf courses (e.g. for the greens) but I don't think they are distributed by the retail plant sellers and require more fuss to take care of.

[MeMock]

Thank you Jungle Biker - I have a PM on it's way to you as well!

[ThaiPauly]

Great thread.

I just brought some land adjacent to my house and had it turfed.

My wife used a cheap local guy, and we got a cheap crap job

Still I should have taken charge really

So half of it has been replaced, when I took the dead turf up, the earth underneath was mess it was so uneven it was laughable.

I have learnt my lesson, I have been here long enough to no better TBH.

Does anyone know anywhere in Chiang Mai to get decent grass, and regards to sand can you just use the same sand they mix to make cement?

[ThaiPauly]

Well nearly a year on and my lawn is looking more like a field.

It's so uneven, there are large holes everywhere. I must have spent 5,000 B on humost trying to level it up and fill the holes but its been a waste of money.

Does anyone know the best way to fill holes here given the limitations of what's available, should I use grass seed to fill them? If so mixed with what?

Thanks in desperation, if I had hair I would be tearing it out

[transam]

Well nearly a year on and my lawn is looking more like a field.

It's so uneven, there are large holes everywhere. I must have spent 5,000 B on humost trying to level it up and fill the holes but its been a waste of money.

Does anyone know the best way to fill holes here given the limitations of what's available, should I use grass seed to fill them? If so mixed with what?

Thanks in desperation, if I had hair I would be tearing it out

You say holes, do you mean holes or bald areas ?

If the latter just run a knife into the soil in a square or rectangle, run spade under the stuff to be removed, buy turf of the same grass type, lay in your cutouts and trim the overlap with the knife. Few weeks and all will be fine. Water lots.

[ThaiPauly]

Holes, yes Transam...hundreds of them, its about 1/2 a rai of lawn.

I'm gonna try the grass seed and potting soil approach...if I can get the grass seed.

If that does not work....I think I'll buy a condo

Thanks for your imput to my problems (again)

[transam]

Holes, yes Transam...hundreds of them, its about 1/2 a rai of lawn.

I'm gonna try the grass seed and potting soil approach...if I can get the grass seed.

If that does not work....I think I'll buy a condo

Thanks for your imput to my problems (again)

Birds will eat the seed in an hour. But, good luck chum.

[ThaiPauly]

Yes of course they will.

I'll try putting some mesh down, or get the missus to stand in the garden all day flapping her arms

[transam]

Yes of course they will.

I'll try putting some mesh down, or get the missus to stand in the garden all day flapping her arms

Mines good at that too , BUT, cheap hourly rate just for you. .