The science behind your luscious lawn
Ruth learns about the millions of pounds and years of research behind successful sowing
There is much more to sowing a lawn than scattering grass seeds. Grass breeders DLF spend millions of pounds each year on research and development to get the best possible products to consumers and the brands they supply, such as everGreen, Johnson Lawn Seed and Westland.
DLF lawn-seed spokesman Guy Jenkins said: “From the day we start on a product it will probably take 14 years, give or take a couple, until the product is on the shelf.”
Brands such as everGreen and Johnson use breeders to research and develop new strains of grass from across europe and beyond. They collect seeds from the wild in areas where they are subjected to constant pressures (high footfall, shade, extremely saline conditions) and then impose particular stresses on different genotypes of each variety to work out which ones perform best overall.
existing genotypes with the most desirable relevant characteristics for commercial sale are then crossbred over many years to develop the strongest strains suitable for a wide market.
“One of our breeders found a type of red fescue growing near Mont St Michel in France,” said Guy. “It had been growing in that coastal spot for years, so we knew it was tolerant of salt and fairly thin soil, which would make it ideal for road verges.
“Another grass growing on a mountain path that is walked every day by herds of goats would be perfect for an area that gets a lot of wear, as it can tolerate a lot of footfall.”
Grasses are sourced from around europe and beyond, and are developed on vast testing sites divided into myriad squares of growing sward.
“There’s no point researching in the African savannah because the grasses won’t be right for here,” said Guy, “but we do have a lot of breeders in Denmark and around europe, and they will ship their products to the UK, Germany, New Zealand and America.
“however, not all will travel well because there may be slightly different climates or soil bacteria elsewhere that they don’t get on with.”
‘Amenity’ grasses (those bred for lawns and sporting areas such as football pitches and golf courses) are developed to withstand a range of pressures, including drought, wear and tear and shade. Agricultural grasses are
bred to be easily digestible and good for drying as winter fodder for livestock.
Guy said: “Genetic strengths are selected and developed, depending on the key stresses that need countering. Is it wear and tear, shady areas or for a highquality lawn that gets regular close mowing? Different pressures can all be present in one small area of a lawn.”
The main grasses used are ryegrass and fescue. Rye is quick-growing and tough, while fescue is finer but more shade-resilient.
At one time, ryegrass got a bad press and had a reputation of being a cheap and thuggish addition to lawn seed. Now it has been rehabilitated and is used for areas such as the tennis courts at Wimbledon, the goal mouths of Premier League football clubs, and gardens with pets and football-mad children that need a fast-growing grass.
“If you want to narrow down the gene pool – without using GM – to develop grass to the quality you need, it takes a investment and time,” said Guy. “Gardeners may need to pay a bit more to get the lawn they want, but people will do so.”
If you want to find out more details about different grasses, visit
lovethegarden.com (for EverGreen), johnsonslawnseed.com and
gardenhealth.com (Westland).