A friend has just completed house construction in Issan and has an area of some 900 sq metres of very dry clay which will soon become a mud bath. The cost of turf is prohibative so he intends to buy grass seed, however, he has yet been unable to find a stockist of other than what they call 'cow grass'. Has anyone any experience of growing grass from scratch here and if so, where did you buy the seed?

Thanks in anticipation.

Don't believe you will have much luck with seed in that clay. Didn't here in Bangkok in the fine mud we have years ago when I tried (but then have never been a gardener). Everyone seems to buy sod squares.

Making some inquiries for you.

In the mean time see if you can get some gypsum, that will help break the clay down.

Last year I've seen some grass seeds in Penang, suitable for a sports field.

In about 2 months I'll go there for my new visa, if nobody else can organise by then, pm or emailo me, I'll get some for you.

I had the same problem 2 years ago. The only place I found seeds for sale (in 1kg containers) was at Chatuchak. That was imported "bermuda grass" seeds from the US.

However, I came across web sites about a village in isaan where the farmers switched from rice to producing grass seeds, but I never found out how to contact them.

In the end I asked my father to bring a few sacks in his luggage. Planted it, it came up and was immediately consumed by local bugs.

Golf courses must be using seeds so if you have a golf course nearby you could always ask them if you can buy it from them (or where they buy it).

Anyway, if you are going to plant on clay you will need to mix the seeds with normal black topsoil and put that on top of the clay. (Preferably a few centimeters thick layer of soil).