How to grow grass?

[Konini]

Agree 100% about preparation.

I had a big area to cover and only required an 'amenity lawn'. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about preparation and the initial effort is well worth it.

Jip250413 263.jpgJip250413 336.jpgJipcamera191013 2142.jpg

That is one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. It must have taken you so long to plan and prepare, and it's obvious that you take good care of it to keep it looking that way.

Well done, you must be really proud when you sit back and look at what you've achieved from a paddock. Really, really nice.

[Rimbuman]

The preparation is the key and some patience prior to laying the grass will pay you dividends later. Make sure the ground is as flat as you want it, make sure you don't go overboard with fertilizer in the sand mix, as previously stated you can burn the roots. If you can get your hands on a roller and roll the grass after laying you will see a noticeable difference, if you can keep it onsite for a few days or a week and roll it several times it's well worth it.

Make sure you have excess soil, as the grass "beds down" you will see small dips and hollows, fill these later with soil and the grass will grow into them.

Lastly don't be stingy with the water, it has to be kept damp so a good watering in the morning and evening (for two to three weeks) should do the trick.

Agree 100% about preparation.

I had a big area to cover and only required an 'amenity lawn'. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about preparation and the initial effort is well worth it.

Jip250413 263.jpgJip250413 336.jpgJipcamera191013 2142.jpg

Looks great

[lucjoker]

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.

i tried 4 different types of grass ,also the grass that grows in the shade .....all BS

Show me a picture with grass under a palm tree ,and the nutrients ? Not 1 thai knows about it ,they all tell you what you want to hear ,they want to sell and the sooner your plants die the more they like it .Q1:"can this plant stay in the sun all day?" A: "yes yes ,this plant love sun makmaak "

Q2: "why do you put these plants under netting here on the market ?" A; yes ,we sell nettings also,but no need for these plants."

BS,don't believe salesmen, there are almost no plants that survive in full sun ,i said almost ,and surely not 1 plant that is sold under the nettings .

For the rest : send me the pictures of grass under palm trees....before you say "wrong"

[IMHO]

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.

i tried 4 different types of grass ,also the grass that grows in the shade .....all BS

Show me a picture with grass under a palm tree ,and the nutrients ? Not 1 thai knows about it ,they all tell you what you want to hear ,they want to sell and the sooner your plants die the more they like it .Q1:"can this plant stay in the sun all day?" A: "yes yes ,this plant love sun makmaak "

Q2: "why do you put these plants under netting here on the market ?" A; yes ,we sell nettings also,but no need for these plants."

BS,don't believe salesmen, there are almost no plants that survive in full sun ,i said almost ,and surely not 1 plant that is sold under the nettings .

For the rest : send me the pictures of grass under palm trees....before you say "wrong"

Almost no plants survive in full sun?!? Have you ever looked around this country LOL?

Anyways, as requested: Grass under a palm tree

[Steiner]

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...

[IMHO]

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.

True, but.... it still needs *some* direct sunlight...

@lucjoker: if you want grass, plan your garden layout so the areas you want grass to grow will get at least some direct sunlight. Malay broad leaf will survive on just 1 hour/day - the normal cheap stuff wants minimum 3-4 hours/day to remain thick and healthy.

One other point I didn't see mentioned yet is about watering - narrow leaf grass wants water down to about 5"deep to grow healthy - A good soaking once or twice a week is a whole lot better than a sprinkle every day. Add some urea and soak it well into the ground every 6-8 weeks to keep it dark green and thick, and if your soil is bad quality, add some potassium and phosphorous every 2-3 months to keep the nutrients up.

[Jip99]

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.

i tried 4 different types of grass ,also the grass that grows in the shade .....all BS

Show me a picture with grass under a palm tree ,and the nutrients ? Not 1 thai knows about it ,they all tell you what you want to hear ,they want to sell and the sooner your plants die the more they like it .Q1:"can this plant stay in the sun all day?" A: "yes yes ,this plant love sun makmaak "

Q2: "why do you put these plants under netting here on the market ?" A; yes ,we sell nettings also,but no need for these plants."

BS,don't believe salesmen, there are almost no plants that survive in full sun ,i said almost ,and surely not 1 plant that is sold under the nettings .

For the rest : send me the pictures of grass under palm trees....before you say "wrong"

Back to school old son - or pop round and look at my Malay grass under palm trees, tamarind trees, bamboo, leelawadee........

[Pib]

For the rest : send me the pictures of grass under palm trees....before you say "wrong"

You really need to get outside more and you would see grass growing under trees everywhere. My moobaan is full of palm trees with grass growing under them...growing right up to the trunk. And the northern side of my home gets very little direct sun for a good portion of the year...and my very shady mango tree in my lawn allows very little direct sunlight to hit the grass under it...notice I said" the grass under it" which grows just fine throughout the year...I fact I need to cut my grass real soon because the chihuahua almost disappears when walking in it. I have lived in the tropics, like the Philippines, Hawaii, Thailand, etc., where there are plenty of palm trees for well over half my life and grass does grow in shady areas/under palm trees, but you just need to use one of the shady variety of grasses.

Go to this webpage (partial quote below) which talks growing grass in the shade...and it even has a picture for you showing grass growing under shade trees. Link

Will grass grow in the shade?

Most lawn grasses need four to six hours of direct sun to survive. Some shade-tolerant grass types grow as long as light hits that four-hour quota – and that light doesn't have to be full sun. Four to six hours of dappled or filtered sunlight can fuel the growth of a healthy lawn.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Pib

[IMHO]

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...

or.... just tell your builder to imagine he's prepping for a concrete slab

[Jip99]

Agree 100% about preparation.

I had a big area to cover and only required an 'amenity lawn'. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about preparation and the initial effort is well worth it.

Jip250413 263.jpgJip250413 336.jpgJipcamera191013 2142.jpg

That is one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen. It must have taken you so long to plan and prepare, and it's obvious that you take good care of it to keep it looking that way.

Well done, you must be really proud when you sit back and look at what you've achieved from a paddock. Really, really nice.

Thank you

No rain since October so regular watering has been needed to keep it green-ish.

Good enough for me - and the dogs seem to like it.......

[Bignose]

Steiner, a good point re the vibrating plate:

"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"

When I laid my last lawn in Perth, West Australia it was "Sir Walter Raleigh" and was worth every penny, it's a highbrid Cooch and looked magnificent summer or winter (and under tree's but I won't go there as it's been flogged to death by previous combatants)

I also used a small "compactor" like you described but there are none here that I can see. I have looked about various hire shops and businesses and can see nothing resembling it, if you can find one well done but until then a roller may have to suffice.

Jip99 Bloody good effort and worth the time and expense, you'll enjoy a beer looking at that for sure...

[FACTOR]

Ah! The green, green grass of home. Can almost smell it now. Can't wait. Thanks for all the valuable advice.

[haveaniceday]

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.

If in shade in Thailand, ask for Malaysian Grass, (couch).

Have laid down 0ver 3200m2 of turf in Thailand, they simplyfy things, as Japan Grass, Thai Grass and Malaysian grass.

Also used 20kg of seeds from Oz, (which didn't go far and cost an arm and a leg). Over all, "Thai Grass" was the most hardy and looked best due to this.

(Note, clay, high PH)

You can buy Lime and Dolimite in Thailand and it is extremely cheap, had several tons delivered in 20 - 40kg bags that was spread.

As of about a year ago anyway, the avg price is about 45b m2 now. Have seen it as high as 60b/m It typically come is 100 x 50cm flat pads (2 per m)

On top of what has been said, get a load of river sand delivered and put some light springkles of top before water water in the month after you la it, will help fill in little holes etc and makes it a bit firmer in later years when you walk on it after rain..

Note, seeds are next to impossible to get in Thailand, they sow golf courses with little shoots, millions of them. You can buy these but it was all to hard at the time and I just bought turf.

Edited April 17, 2014 by haveaniceday

[JesseFrank]

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.

If in shade in Thailand, ask for Malaysian Grass, (couch).

Have laid down 0ver 3200m2 of turf in Thailand, they simplyfy things, as Japan Grass, Thai Grass and Malaysian grass.

Also used 20kg of seeds from Oz, (which didn't go far and cost an arm and a leg). Over all, "Thai Grass" was the most hardy and looked best due to this.

(Note, clay, high PH)

You can buy Lime and Dolimite in Thailand and it is extremely cheap, had several tons delivered in 20 - 40kg bags that was spread.

As of about a year ago anyway, the avg price is about 45b m2 now. Have seen it as high as 60b/m It typically come is 100 x 50cm flat pads (2 per m)

On top of what has been said, get a load of river sand delivered and put some light springkles of top before water water in the month after you la it, will help fill in little holes etc and makes it a bit firmer in later years when you walk on it after rain..

Note, seeds are next to impossible to get in Thailand, they sow golf courses with little shoots, millions of them. You can buy these but it was all to hard at the time and I just bought turf.

I've never seen or heard about Thai grass. Do you have a picture of it ?

[lucjoker]

Wrong.

Malay grass will thrive in the shade.

If in sha

I've never seen or heard about Thai grass. Do you have a picture of it ?

Here is your picture,you can see those nice turfs every ware in thailand

[AyG]

Good enough for me - and the dogs seem to like it.......

DSC04501.jpgDSC04494.jpgDSC04491.jpgDSC04495.jpg

Why aren't there lots of dead patches of grass where the dogs have wee'd? It's a problem I have.

[Beardog]

We planted 1 & 1'2 rai with the 2 types available the nippon(Japanese) & the Malay . The Nippon looks great but is way finiky compared to the malay. The Malay seems to grow with any conditions & will come back way quicker from cutting back on water in low season. That and the Malay will grow fine in shade or direct sun. We got compliments from everyone that saw our grounds. The Malay to me feels just as nice on bare feet as the nippon but is just so much easier to maintain & it does require less water as mentioned in previous posts. I got the best tip from Chestshiremusic man

Here is his post that he posted. Remember when you first lay your sod keep your grass flooded for 2-3 weeks.We water 2 times a day & water till the grass is submerged by an inch of water. We grow close to rain season so nature helps but I wouldn't plant to deep in the heavy part of rainy season. We had very rich swamp soil from a farm that had a lot of cattle so we didn't need to use nitrogen chemicals as our grounds topsoil was very superior. It is a long post but this is my bible on growing Turf. This poster is definitly knowlegable & his method worked like a charm on all 4 properties we have or had. :

It depends on a lot of factors, the type of grass your growing, soil condition etc. The info below will give you a lot of very good advice as this came from an article about 'tropical lawns' I hope this helps. I personally use a 16-16-16 fertiliser that I buy from a local Thai supplier who provides all kinds of fertilisers for various local growers. A 50kg bag costs me about 960B. The feed that you refered to is most likely nitrogen and you have to be careful not to use this on its own too often as it will just make the lawn very green without building up a good root structure and eventually the lawn will become very weak and will not tolerate drought. Just one point, read the advice about watering as so many people continue to give a little water often rather than deep water which is the way to encourage the roots to go down deeper. I hope the following is helpful - if not just google 'tropical lawn fertiliser'

A good general lawn fertilizer should provide all three of the major essential elements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (abbreviated NPK). The three numbers on the front of every fertilizer bag represent the percentage by weight of these three elements. The first number represents the percentage of nitrogen. Nitrogen is required in the greatest amount by turfgrass and should have the highest value by a ratio of at least three to four times the other two. The nitrogen can be present as a mixture of several different materials. Some of these are very water-soluble and are rapidly released in a short period. Others are formulated to be released slowly over a longer period.

All commercial fertilizers are chemical compounds that must first be dissolved in water and allowed to soak into the soil before they can be absorbed by the roots of plants. Highly soluble forms of nitrogen, such as urea or ammonium, dissolve quickly and are a readily available source of nitrogen. The grass greens up and growth rate increases sharply about two days after application, reaches a peak in about two weeks and tapers off to the original condition after four or five weeks. These peaks and valleys in growth rate are typically produced by readily soluble fertilizers and require more frequent application to keep the lawn looking uniform. There also is a greater danger of burning the grass by applying too much at one time.

The newer slow-release formulations for nitrogen overcome several shortcomings of soluble sources. These are synthetics that have a much slower, longer residual nitrogen release pattern and a greatly reduced burn potential. They don't produce peaks and valleys in growth rate. Several forms of slow-release nitrogen are available. The most common found in typical home lawn fertilizers is called sulfur-coated urea, or SCU. This is usually mixed with more soluble nitrogen forms.

The more slow release the formulation, the better. To determine what, if any, amount of slow-release nitrogen is present, look on the back of the bag in the label section marked "guaranteed analysis." The total nitrogen percentage will be broken down into the various forms of nitrogen in the mixture. The soluble forms are listed as ammoniacal nitrogen or urea. If there is any slow-release nitrogen, it will be listed with an asterisk on the urea as "slowly available nitrogen" usually in the form of SCU. Look for the fertilizer containing the greatest amount of slow-release nitrogen.

The final considerations when using commercial fertilizers are how much to apply at one time, and how to spread it. The pounds of fertilizer you apply will depend on the formulation you buy. The recommended amount for grass is one pound of nitrogen for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. To determine how many pounds of fertilizer this will require, look at the first number on the front of the bag — the percentage of total nitrogen. Divide that number into 100. This gives the pounds of that particular fertilizer to use for every 1,000 square feet of lawn. For example: a 2,000-square-foot lawn using a 30-5-5 formulation requires 3.33 pounds of fertilizer (100 divided by 30) per 1,000 square feet, or 6.6 pounds for 2,000 square feet.

Always use a rotary spreader to make the application, and water well immediately afterward. Hand-spreading always results in uneven application that can cause some areas to be burned and others to remain unfertilized. And by the way, grass clippings do not add to thatch buildup and are best left on the lawn if the grass is mowed often enough. The clippings contain large amounts of nitrogen and other essential nutrients that will be recycled back into the soil. Thatch accumulates more rapidly as a result of too much water and nitrogen fertilizer. Higher mowing heights also allow for thicker thatch.

Cheshiremusicman, thank you for a very informative article. I have approximately 1600 sq ft of 'Nippon" grass and I use the 16-16-16 fertiliser which I buy for 20 baht per kilo, 5 kilo bags for 100 baht. (About the same price as your bulk buy.) Your formula for how much to spread is very useful and will allow me to increase the application from 3 kilos per 1600 square feet to 5 kilos (provided I have understood your figures correctly). I usually feed the grass 2 x per month and for most of the year the lawn is in good condition. Growth and appearance is below par during the winter season - Nov through Feb. I cut the grass as close as the mower will allow, usually 3 to 4 times per month, and I prefer to collect and throw away the grass cuttings. Less mess brought into the house by my daughter and our dogs.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Beardog

[JesseFrank]

I had a look at your post Beardog, but there must be clearly something wrong with the figures the guy provided.

1600 sq feet is 148 sq meter and 5 kg of 16-16-16 fertilizer sounds about 3 times too much for that area. I was always told that rule of thumb for 16.16.16 is divide the sq meter by 100 to reach the kg needed. So a 148 sq meter area would need 1.48 Kg.

[Jip99]

Good enough for me - and the dogs seem to like it.......

DSC04501.jpgDSC04494.jpgDSC04491.jpgDSC04495.jpg

Why aren't there lots of dead patches of grass where the dogs have wee'd? It's a problem I have.

The missus has trained them to go in the jungle at the back of us

[kannot]

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.

i tried 4 different types of grass ,also the grass that grows in the shade .....all BS

Show me a picture with grass under a palm tree ,and the nutrients ? Not 1 thai knows about it ,they all tell you what you want to hear ,they want to sell and the sooner your plants die the more they like it .Q1:"can this plant stay in the sun all day?" A: "yes yes ,this plant love sun makmaak "

Q2: "why do you put these plants under netting here on the market ?" A; yes ,we sell nettings also,but no need for these plants."

BS,don't believe salesmen, there are almost no plants that survive in full sun ,i said almost ,and surely not 1 plant that is sold under the nettings .

For the rest : send me the pictures of grass under palm trees....before you say "wrong"

Edited April 19, 2014 by kannot

[AyG]

Why aren't there lots of dead patches of grass where the dogs have wee'd? It's a problem I have.

The missus has trained them to go in the jungle at the back of us

Ahhh! That explains it. Thanks. Pity I don't have a jungle next door. I guess I'll just have to learn to love the patch effect.

[JesseFrank]

Why aren't there lots of dead patches of grass where the dogs have wee'd? It's a problem I have.

The missus has trained them to go in the jungle at the back of us

Ahhh! That explains it. Thanks. Pity I don't have a jungle next door. I guess I'll just have to learn to love the patch effect.

You could teach them to use the toilet .

[Beardog]

I had a look at your post Beardog, but there must be clearly something wrong with the figures the guy provided.

1600 sq feet is 148 sq meter and 5 kg of 16-16-16 fertilizer sounds about 3 times too much for that area. I was always told that rule of thumb for 16.16.16 is divide the sq meter by 100 to reach the kg needed. So a 148 sq meter area would need 1.48 Kg.

Have no idea about the fertalizer or figures. We had very high nitrogen levels in our soil & we didn't have to use any. But our lawns were world class.. The trick is in making sure the lawn is flooded well during the first 2-3 weeks. Always good to use the brain & double check stuff! I never use any pestisides or fertalizer except key quai so I never look at the ratios. But if you enrich your soil with quai ,guy or moo crap you never need to use any chemicals period. Even for our 3 orchards we had never needed artificial fertalizer. And the only two things we have a problem growing re pan pan squash & tomatoes.

[bigbamboo]

A bit of pet subject of mine!

Without going into all the details we have a large area that requires different kinds of grass and different cutting heights. In the north grass grows remarkably well and if you have good draining soil you won't need a sand base. We grassed an old longan orchard using sod with no problems, just remember to lay it in an irregular pattern and it will knit perfectly. The key things to remember once the seed or sod has taken is to make sure it gets plenty of sunlight, is well aerated, well watered and cut regularly but not too short so it doesn't burn in the strong sun.

Best of luck!

[Rimmer]

Two posts and a reply removed:

In using Thai Visa I agree:

7) Respect fellow members by posting in a civil manner: do not launch personal attacks, or be hateful or insulting towards other members, ie No flaming

[cooked]

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.

[Phrafarang]

I need to purchase 8,000 sqm Malay Grass, the price seems to fluctuate a fair amount, can I get some advice as to the best place to buy price wide and quality wise. Also I need someone, who knows what they are doing, to lay it so i presume that will come from the same shop.

I have been to the grass shop in Camtien near Tesco Lotus and they were talking 22 baht per sqm which seems a little expensive after Jip99 saying his was 18

[JesseFrank]

I need to purchase 8,000 sqm Malay Grass, the price seems to fluctuate a fair amount, can I get some advice as to the best place to buy price wide and quality wise. Also I need someone, who knows what they are doing, to lay it so i presume that will come from the same shop.

I have been to the grass shop in Camtien near Tesco Lotus and they were talking 22 baht per sqm which seems a little expensive after Jip99 saying his was 18

Did you notice that Jip added a delivery cost of 3500 Bt for 800 sqm ?

Prices fluctuate a lot through the year, depending on the weather conditions.

I think 22 Bt is very reasonable if it is good quality sod, as there is also a lot of difference in that. When I wanted to lay my grass right after the 2011 floods the price was 120Bt/sqm.

4 months later it was 35Bt

Edited May 9, 2014 by JesseFrank

[Pib]

Yea, I've seen Malay grass cost vary from around Bt15/sqmtr to Bt25/sqmtr...price can vary throughout the year, from vendor to vendor, etc. And right after the big flood in late 2011 which killed off a lot of landscaping, Malay grass here in my part of western Bangkok was going for Bt75 to 100/sqmtr for a couple of months--some real price gouging...but then again the grass was probably damaged/killed off in the fields where they grow it for sale.

[weegee]

Hi all,

Had three afternoon storms a week ago.....from dry dead grass to this in a week....(with the fertilizer).

Thought you may be interested....Malaysian grass...