How to grow grass?

[Steiner]

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I wrote this guide some years back when I still lived in the UK but it is applicable anywhere.

I have never seen a flat lawn here, always uneven and patchy.

Pay attention to the type of sand used in #3, in the UK it is known as plasterers sand or sharp sand, the grains are a little bit larger than fine sand and this is not negotiable.

Also don't know where you would get a vibrating plate here, they must be available but the Thai method appears to be to get people to walk around on the proposed destination for the turf which is a pointless exercise.

THIS IS MY ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LAYING A FLAT USABLE TURF LAWN:

Step #1. Preparation preparation preparation! This should start about one week before step #2. Weeds are your enemy and may have a root that is 2 feet deep, try to dig it out and you may leave a broken tap root which will grow back bigger and stronger! Treat the area for weeds and the lawn with a kill all type weedkiller. If you plan to lay the turf over existing grass don't cut the grass area short, many weedkillers are absorbed through the leaf so give it the best chance. Yes you did read correctly, I said kill your existing lawn; no digging, no tilling and no rolling around in the mud. Leave the area for a week or until everything is dead, dry weather and no rainfall will help speed things along.

Step #2. Once you are sure that all of the old grass and weeds are dead cut or strim the lawn. Short is the order of the day, down to the soil if you can. Clear the area and remove any mountains or stones. Get the area reasonably level. Don't worry about it being perfectly level now as we will take care of that in the next few steps.

Step #3. Spread sharp (plasterers) sand over the area to a depth of 2-4 inches. Again get it reasonably level but don't waste time on it; you will see why in the next two steps. The type of sand used here is important don't use ordinary sand, it just wont do the job. Give the dimensions of your lawn to your builders merchant or sand supplier, tell him the required depth and he will deliver the correct amount.

Step #4. Hire a vibrating plate; these come in 2 types flat bottom and curved botton for trenches. Get the flat bottomed type not the trench type. Your hire center should know what you mean Don't skimp here and try to compact another way; forget rollers, tapping and stamping, it's the 21st century and believe me this piece of kit will make the difference to your lawn. Should be around 20 pounds for the day.

Step #5. Go over the area with the vibrating plate to compact the sand, 2x passes no more. The area will be very uneven now with troughs, highs and depressions but don't worry about that.

Step #6. Get a good strong straight edge, at least 6-8' and make sure it's STRAIGHT, use your eye to look down the length of your chosen straight edge, if it bows or bends, discard it. No flimsy bits of wood. A good strong 4x2. at least. DON'T try to do this with a rake, believe me your eye is not that good and you want this finished before Xmas!

Step #7. OK down on your knees and go over the area with the straight edge shaving off the highpoints and add the 'shaved off' sand to the depressions, use additional sand for the lowpoints as required. Remember you are going to pass the vibrating plate over this one more time so allow a little extra in the depressions for compaction.

Step #8. ONE more pass with the plate.

Step #9. Down on your knees again and use the straight edge again to shave highpoints and highlight any remaining depressions.

Step #10. repeat step 8 if necessary.

Step #11. If you have followed the steps and done this correctly you should have a perfectly flat area which is compact enough to actually walk on (within reason, be careful) without churning up the ground.

Step #12. Give the entire area a very LIGHT rake, even a grass rake would be sufficient for this, TAKE CARE; you only want to tease the surface of the sand, no more.

Step #13. Lay your turf neatly; The system should be to lay the rolled-up turf; then unroll it away from you. Again do this neatly with no gaps (don't water it first) using the straight edge to gently 'butt' and ensure tight joints but don't damage the edges or knock soil lose when rolling out; one or two buts if required only. Trim to fit if necessary with an old wood saw and once laid; water in and the expanding turf will ensure a tight fit. No tapping beating thumping required as you are now the owner of a perfectly flat lawn!

Take a moment to savour the perfection before you, the expanse of golf course standard green that you created.

You can now walk on your new lawn (no football), no waiting, no nonsense. Ensure that you keep the lawn well watered for the first couple of weeks to prevent shrinkage or gaps; be diligent here it is a newborn and still needs attention! If you followed the steps correctly there will be no depressions, peaks or troughs and you lawn will resemble a golf course and not a Royal Marine obstacle course!

Now your new lawn is down and you have used the most labour friendly way to do it.

"When do I cut it?" Is generally the next question. We recommend a light cut on the highest setting once the grass is long enough to trim the top of the grass and no more.

Good luck with the lawn...

What a load of cobblers. You don't need to vibrate builders' sand, it can't be done. Water it and it will more or less assume its final level. The sods will be of variable thickness so don't bother about getting a land surveyor in to level the sand off. Just get down on your knees and check out the worst bits. Don't worry about gaps between the sods, these are inevitable, they will grow together. I was a 'lawn specialist' and then a 'lawn expert' and was responsible for acres of sport fields, recreational areas, horse paddocks....

just level it off, more or less, and get the sods on in an afternoon.

Did I say use builders sand?
I specified sharp or plasterers sand which compacts, what a stupid thing to say, you must have seen sand that can defy physics and a vibrating plate!

"Water it and it will more or less assume its final level."

Oh it just gets better, so you want to create a sodden mess of mud and pooled sand to work in instead of a nice dry level compacted area?

Now just to complete your nonsense approach, what if the ground is not flat? if there is a gradient then watering it will cause the sand to run downhill with the water.

You really didn't think that through.

Sod's don't 'grow' together, if placed badly they have depressions around the sods for years which are hidden by grass and slowly fill with debris over a long period of time.

glad I didn't play on any of your pitches, something tells me none of them were premier league standard!

[cooked]

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Did I say use builders sand?

I specified sharp or plasterers sand which compacts, what a stupid thing to say, you must have seen sand that can defy physics and a vibrating plate!

"Water it and it will more or less assume its final level."

Oh it just gets better, so you want to create a sodden mess of mud and pooled sand to work in instead of a nice dry level compacted area?

Now just to complete your nonsense approach, what if the ground is not flat? if there is a gradient then watering it will cause the sand to run downhill with the water.

You really didn't think that through.

Sod's don't 'grow' together, if placed badly they have depressions around the sods for years which are hidden by grass and slowly fill with debris over a long period of time.

glad I didn't play on any of your pitches, something tells me none of them were premier league standard!

Deary me. If you don't use builder's sand, you will be using calcareous sand, which does compact, true. It compacts like concrete, and the last thing you need under a lawn is an impervious layer. All lawn grasses prefer slightly acidic conditions, so anything but builder's sand is OUT. You do NOT want a level (as in horizontal) lawn, it must have a gradient of at least 3% to one side, so that water can run off. I worked for many years as a lawn specialist and solved many problems for customers. I NEVER, EVER, heard of somebody using a compacting apparatus on the substrata of a lawn, you are trying to improve drainage, not impede it. Clay + acidic (river) sand mixed together is what I have used on lawns here and in many other places, the result is well worth while. The sods do grow together with time, shrinkage is inevitable despite watering, you can also fill them with sand if it disturbs you.

Sorry OP.

[weegee]

How's the grass going FACTOR??....any results yet? A photo would be good

[guzzi850m2]

Some put a lot of science into it. We didn't, we had "Thai grass" before and it looked like shit, balded or thin on large parts of the lawn. So we hired a Thai garden dude that took out the old one and fitted Malaysian grass in turf, app 100M2 for 8000 baht if memory serves me right. Here is a shot from last week. It grows slow in the dry season and fast in the wet season.

[weegee]

Some put a lot of science into it. We didn't, we had "Thai grass" before and it looked like shit, balded or thin on large parts of the lawn. So we hired a Thai garden dude that took out the old one and fitted Malaysian grass in turf, app 100M2 for 8000 baht if memory serves me right. Here is a shot from last week. It grows slow in the dry season and fast in the wet season.

Paw paws seem to be growing healthy as well...

Edited June 4, 2014 by weegee

[guzzi850m2]

Paw paws seem to be growing healthy as well...

If you mean the mango's? Yes they are very tasty which also a squirrel have found out, it comes every day via the electric cables out on the soi after sun set and starts eating, little bugger, he-he.

[weegee]

Paw paws seem to be growing healthy as well...

If you mean the mango's? Yes they are very tasty which also a squirrel have found out, it comes every day via the electric cables out on the soi after sun set and starts eating, little bugger, he-he.

no no...the papaya trees beside the mangos....but the mango trees also look healthy.....good job.

[Pib]

Paw paws seem to be growing healthy as well...

If you mean the mango's? Yes they are very tasty which also a squirrel have found out, it comes every day via the electric cables out on the soi after sun set and starts eating, little bugger, he-he.

Yea, squirrels love the bark of a mango tree...and they love the mangoes also....or at least the squirrels that visit my mango tree sure like the bark and mangoes.

[ChrisB87]

Great information here! Thanks.

I am a newbie gardener and will have to do a lawn sometime, so i have some silly questions.

What time of year is best to lay the lawn?

My earth has just been taken from an Isaan farm, will i need to add any other soil? (we have planted trees and flowers and they are doing great)

Our house was just built and the builders left a lot of garbage buried under the soil. The area is probably to big and the earth too deep for me to dig it all up. Will this affect the lawn badly?

I plan to grow the Malay grass. I hear this one spreads out and grows easily. How easy is it to grow a nice lawn from seed to save costs, rather than buying the rolls of sod.

Thanks for any help

Edited June 15, 2014 by ChrisB87

[ChrisB87]

Is it ok to lay a lawn during the rainy season? (silly question i know, but i am clueless)

[Chao Lao Beach]

make sure the grass area is in full sun,grass will not grow in the shade .

You will never see grass in the shade of a tree,unless it is plastic grass.

I gave up grass after 10 times ,so good luck.

Wrong.

Malay grass will thrive in the shade.

This is true.

Seeds are a no go in Thailnad.

[CharlesHH]

Buy and put in SOD... it is proven to grow already and if watered and fertilized correctly should grow at your place just like it did where it came from. Seeding does not seem to work for me.

[JesseFrank]

Great information here! Thanks.

I am a newbie gardener and will have to do a lawn sometime, so i have some silly questions.

What time of year is best to lay the lawn?

My earth has just been taken from an Isaan farm, will i need to add any other soil? (we have planted trees and flowers and they are doing great)

Our house was just built and the builders left a lot of garbage buried under the soil. The area is probably to big and the earth too deep for me to dig it all up. Will this affect the lawn badly?

I plan to grow the Malay grass. I hear this one spreads out and grows easily. How easy is it to grow a nice lawn from seed to save costs, rather than buying the rolls of sod.

Thanks for any help

There is no Malay grass seed. Your soil will be fine and as you say the rubbish is buried deep it will not affect your lawn, as long as it aren't chemicals.

The timing for laying the sods is right now as it need to be kept wet for a few weeks.

[ChrisB87]

Thanks