Buying Grass Seed For A Play Lawn?

Grass seed for a play lawn has to meet one simple requirement: it has to be lived on. Play grass seed produces a beautiful green turf with a dense sod. The grass varieties used tend to have a high germination rate and purity. In addition, playgrass has a high treading tolerance and can therefore take a beating. This type of grass generally has a high recovery capacity. So no need to panic if it does get damaged.

What is playgrass?

The name says it all: Playgrass is a type of grass that can be played on and lived on. Playgrass comprises a grass mixture consisting of several grass varieties such as ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and red fescue. The grass seeds create a strong, dense and stiff turf. Ideal when you have children who like to play (ball) games on the grass. Or maybe you regularly use the grass yourself, for example during the annual barbecue season. It all doesn't matter, because with playgrass seed you will have a reliable lawn!

What is the difference between playgrass and sports grass?

Sports turf grass seed is often sown when the turf is used for constant, intensive treading. Sports grass generally has a high percentage of English ryegrass. This is precisely why it is also often used at sports clubs. After all, ryegrass is a fast-germinating grass seed. Even when there is an accidental bare spot in the lawn, it recovers itself. So during the summer break, many sports clubs sow grass mixtures with a high percentage of ryegrass, so that the sports field will look good again within a few weeks. Because there is a lot of ryegrass in sports turf seed, it has a somewhat lower ornamental value and does require more frequent mowing. Even though playgrass can withstand regular walking and playing on it, it is generally just a little weaker than sport grass. This is because there is usually more red fescue in grass seed for a play lawn. Red fescue is less vigorous than ryegrass, but has a higher ornamental value. A play lawn, because it contains a reasonable amount of red fescue, usually performs better in the shade than sports grass.

Play lawn grass seed versus sports lawn grass seed

Below we strip off the benefits of play lawn grass seed against the benefits of sports grass. Which grass seed will you choose?

Play grass requires less maintenance than sports grass
Play grass has a higher ornamental value than sports grass
Play grass can withstand shade better than sports grass
Sports grass germinates faster than playing grass
Sports grass is slightly stronger than playing grass

Conclusion: for private use, our preference is for playgrass. The properties of this grass meet the requirements of a family lawn. Its high ornamental value makes your lawn the calling card of your garden. For sports clubs and recreational areas, sports grass seed is the best choice.

When to sow playing grass?

It is best to sow playing grass in spring or autumn. During these seasons, the soil is often moist and the soil temperature is usually neither too hot nor too cold. To get the best sowing results, it is important that the soil temperature is at least 10°C. If, for example, it is still freezing at night but you have sown grass the day or week before, there is a risk that the young grass plants will be damaged. So keep a close eye on the weather forecast before you head out into the garden!

How should you sow play lawn grass seed?

You can sow playgrass from hand or with a spreader. You can also sow grass with spreading tools such as the Wolf garten hand spreader. This universal spreader comes in handy for spreading grass seeds, fertiliser and road salt. If you need to work large areas, it is advisable to use a spreader or hand spreader. For lawns smaller than fifty square metres, you can also choose to sow the grass by hand. The disadvantage of this, however, is that the grass seeds are often not distributed as well. Before you start sowing, it is first important to prepare the soil. You can do this by raking compact soil loose. This way, you can be sure that the sports grass seeds make good contact with the soil. This will not only improve but also speed up the germination process. Now sow the play lawn grass seed lengthwise and widthwise. Cover the seeds very lightly with some soil. Not with too thick a layer, as grass seed needs sunlight to germinate.

How much play lawn seed should you sow?

To sow a new play lawn, we recommend using 35 grams of grass seed per square metre. Restoring an existing lawn? Then half is enough. So about 17 grams of seed per square metre.

It won't happen very often, but you may find that a different sowing density per square metre is displayed on the Graszaaddirect webshop. The difference is usually minimal, but we still recommend following the sowing advice given on our webshop. This will only benefit the final sowing result!

How to maintain playgrass?

A lawn laid with playgrass is relatively low-maintenance. Of course, there will always be some maintenance chores, no matter what kind of grass you have laid. For instance, it is always wise to fertilise the lawn annually. A play lawn is best fertilised three times a year. The first fertilisation in early spring with lawn lime, the second fertilisation during spring/early summer with a lawn fertiliser and the third fertilisation in autumn with an autumn lawn fertiliser. In addition to spreading fertiliser, the play lawn should also be mowed. You won't have to spend too much time on this in autumn and winter, but during spring and summer you may have to mow your grass several times a week. Finally, it is important to maintain the lawn edges. You can do this garden job effortlessly with a grass edge trimmer. This edge trimmer is lightweight and also features a step. This makes cutting your lawn edges a breeze!

How often should you mow playgrass?

In the months when playgrass grows slowly, you only need to mow it once every two weeks. During the winter months, in low temperatures, the grass will not grow at all. It is then wise not to walk on the lawn at all, to avoid possible damage. During the spring and summer months, you will have to go into the garden more often to cut the grass. For some gardeners this is a relaxing chore, for others it feels more like an obligation. For several reasons, though, it is important to mow the grass. Moss and weeds are less likely to pop up. Mowing the grass ensures that you maintain a dense sod with a neat appearance.

What are the advantages of playgrass?

Playgrass is one of our best-selling grass varieties. This makes sense, as it provides a real family lawn with a dense sod that can take a beating. In addition, playgrass also has high ornamental value. We have listed the main advantages of playgrass seed:

Intensive use

Playgrass contains several strong grass varieties in the grass mixture that provide high treading tolerance. The grass can therefore be used intensively on a regular basis. Pets, children and loads from garden furniture, for example, do not cause ailments to the grass.

Mowing

Playgrass can be mowed reasonably short, giving it a luxurious appearance. Ideally, you should mow play lawns at a height of about 4 centimetres. During the warm summer and winter months, it is better to leave the grass a little longer.

Maintenance

Playgrass requires less maintenance than sports turf and many other grass mixtures. Of course, it is important that the grass is watered sufficiently and mowed regularly.

Buy playgrass at Garden Select

Looking for grass to play and live on? Playing children, romping pets: nothing is too crazy for a play lawn! Our grass mixtures combine high treading tolerance with high ornamental value. With playgrass from Garden Select, you create a family lawn suitable for young and old. Our playgrass seeds are inspected by the NAK (Dutch General Inspection Service), so we can say with full conviction that we deliver the highest quality of grass seeds to our customers. Order playgrass cheaply online at Garden Select!