The Muirhead family are in their fourth generation and third Century of producing and selling grass seed.

We have a wealth of experience and the knowledge to answer any questions you may have.

We are the only merchant in United Kingdom to have shown and won the World Champion Medal in the Small Seeds section of the Toronto Winter Fair in Canada.

Allowing us the skill to acquire and select the best available grasses and blend them on our premises to your requirements. As we are Independent Seedsmen, we are able to source all available UK Grass Seed varieties from the Seed Houses of Europe. Only Seedsmen are able to produce top quality grass seeds mixtures; unlike merchants that can only sell what they are given from one Seed House, they have no knowledge of what is in the bag.

As we are Independent Seedsmen, we are able to source all the best varieties from the various Seed Houses, leaving the poorer varieties for the Merchant mixes.

Our website has been split into three sections; Amentity, Agriculture and Equine.

The Amenity section has been designed for Professionals and Gardeners, allowing everyone looking for a great finish to have it. A lawn is for life buy the best quality. Only Seedsmen are able to offer gardeners professional quality lawn seed, our mixtures are not available in Garden Centres. No one ever regretted buying quality.

The Agricultural section shows you a selection of our best selling mixtures, but as farmers ourselves we understand that you know your land better than anyone, we will mix to your requirements.

And our Equine section is for those people with an interest in horses and ponies. Having always had horses we have an expertise in grazing horses, and the knowledge to repair the damage they can do to your grassland.

As well as the seed mixtures available on the website we are also able to supply bespoke mixtures tailored to meet any specifications that you may require.

See the original post:
Grass Seed Direct

Nothing sets off a landscape like a beautiful expanse of lawn. Properly cared for with a minimum of chemical treatments and a conservative watering regimen, it neednt be a resource-hungry ecological disaster.

Fall is prime time for putting in new lawns or thickening the turf with remedial seeding, a dense carpet of sod being the best defense against weeds. Its also the ideal season for fertilizing and liming to encourage deep-rooted, drought-resistant grass.

Here are some seasonal tips to consider: If you fertilize your lawn only once a year, fall is the time to do it. Grass blades grow more slowly as temperatures cool, but roots continue to grow quickly. Fall feeding delivers nutrients to roots that help lawns get off to a healthy start next spring.

Fall is the best season for seeding since grass seedlings have less competition from weeds. Rake bald spots, spread seed with a quick-start fertilizer formula and cover lightly with mulch. Water daily for at least two weeks. Over-seeding established (but thin) lawns will help thicken turf.

Perennial rye and bluegrass have a tough time surviving in our increasingly hot and dry summers. Consider some of the newer fine fescues that take longer to knit into a solid turf but are more resistant to drought, shade and disease.

Continue to mow into November, when growth stops. Grass left long over the winter is more prone to fungus diseases. Mow high (3) and avoid cutting off more than one-third of grass blades at a time to keep turf healthy.

Keep mower blades sharp. Dull blades tear grass blades, promoting yellowing and a ragged appearance. The idea is to cut the grass and not merely scare it.

Some fallen leaves are dense, tough and likely to compact, depriving lawns of air oak and Norway maple leaves, for instance. These should be raked and composted, then added to garden beds. Other, lighter leaves can simply be mowed in place and left to decompose, adding nutrients to the soil. Test soil pH to make sure soil is not becoming too acidic to support healthy lawn growth. Get a Do-It-Yourself kit at the hardware store or visit your county office of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Service (find yours at njaes.rutgers.edu/county). Apply lime as needed.

Soil beneath lawns can become compacted over time by regular foot traffic and use of heavy equipment like riding mowers, or because it is naturally heavy and clay-like. Aerating opens holes in the turf to admit oxygen, water and fertilizer, promoting healthy root growth. Rent an aerator or hire a landscaper to remove cores of soil. Spiked sandals wont make a dent in the problem.

Assess spots where lawn grass fails to thrive. Excessive foot traffic and dense shade make it difficult to grow decent turf. Try paving or groundcovers in locations where grass fails to thrive.

Read the original here:
Fall is prime time for lawn care

By Orlan Love, The Gazette

KALONA Acknowledging the slow growth of trees, most foresters will tell you the best time to plant one is 20 years ago.

But Jerry Rediger, who broadcast more than 325 bushels of nuts on 44 acres of worn out farm ground in November 1997, will tell you that 17 years ago is also a fairly auspicious planting time.

Im excited about what weve got to show you today, Rediger said Wednesday at the start of a forestry field day showcasing the dense hardwood forest, red and gold leaves aglitter, towering in some spots 35 feet above the once badly eroded slopes on which they were planted.

Rediger said he bought the farm in 1993, one of the wettest years on record in Iowa, when heavy rains washed 8-inch-deep gullies between all the rows of his corn.

That sickening experience, he said, got him thinking about planting trees, and he took action in 1997 after he met forestry consultant Steve Hamilton of Cedar Rapids.

Hamilton recommended the then experimental technique of direct seeding, rather than planting rooted saplings.

They roto-tilled 5-foot strips, with 8-foot spacing between the strips, and tossed acorns and walnuts onto the tilled soil from the back of a pickup, Hamilton said.

The following May they were delighted to find slender saplings poking through the soil, he said.

With Rediger mowing and applying herbicide to control competition from sod grass, the trees grew rapidly, establishing after five years a canopy that eliminated the need for further mowing or spraying, Rediger said.

Read this article:
Forestry field day at the Jerry Rediger farm

EDWARDS Never has a Battle Mountain boys soccer team been so happy to receive a No. 20 seed in the playoffs.

As it turned out, Seeding Sunday wasnt a suspenseful matter. The Huskies were in easily.

Pleasant surprise, said Huskies coach David Cope, whose team has had its share of misfortune when the bracket has been issued.

Battle Mountain is at No. 13 Fort Lupton today at 5 p.m.

MEET THE BLUE DEVILS

OK, where is Fort Lupton? is probably the first question. Its northeast of Denver, north of Brighton and south of Platteville. OK, its in Weld County between Interstate 25 and I-76, just north of Boulder if Boulder were on the east side of I-25.

Arent the playoffs fun? They help one learn the geography of the great Centennial State.

Fort Lupton (11-2-2) is the champion of the Colorado 7 League, which actually has eight teams. Cope jokingly said that he thought the league was named for John Elway.

Attempting to bring some seriousness to this, No. 9 Victor Sanchez is the focal point. He has 21 goals, exactly half of the Blue Devils 42 on the year. Genaro Arellano is second on the team with eight.

The result of Fort Luptons slate, which grabs attention, is a 4-2 victory over Niwot. Thats No. 5 Niwots only loss of the season.

View post:
Huskies draw No. 20, headed to Fort Lupton

Weeds are bullies. Yes, sireee bob. Some lie in wait for an opportune moment while others erupt seemingly overnight. I have been strong-armed by more weeds that I care to say. Weeds are nothing more that plants out of place, says some gardening philosopher. I say, that philosopher has never met my weeds. They are rude, crude thugs that intimidate my lawn and flowers. A plant out of place, my foot!

It took me some time to calm this person down but when I did this gardener got a grip on how to handle pesky weeds in the fall. (Some days my job is harder than other days.) Bully weeds no longer torture this person. If you are feeling bullied by your weeds here are some suggestions.

Early November is an excellent time to control those pesky cool season weeds and give us a head start on the weeds in spring. Dandelions are more easily controlled now than in spring because they are actively moving materials from the top portion of the plant to the roots. Herbicides will translocate to the roots as well and will kill the plant from the roots up. Treating perennial broadleaf weeds, such as dandelions, chickweed, and henbit now while they are young will also allow the turf to fill in the open spots and make spring weed germination more difficult.

Herbicides such as 2,4-D or combination products (Trimec, Weed-B-Gon, Weed-Out) that contain 2,4-D, MCPP and Dicamba can take the guess work out of weed control. Broadleaf weeds that are not controlled by 2,4-D are usually controlled by one of the other herbicides. For example, 2,4-D provides excellent control of dandelion and plantain, but provides poor control of white clover or red sorrel. Dicamba, on the other hand, provides excellent control of white clover and red sorrel and only fair control of dandelion or plantain. By applying a combination of these two, all four weeds will be controlled. Combination products dont necessarily control all broadleaf weeds in your yard. It is possible to choose the wrong combination of herbicides (i.e. 2,4-D+MCPP instead of 2,4-D + MCPP + Dicamba) and some weeds are just naturally hard to control. This is why it is important to identify the weeds before purchasing products to eradicate them.

Do not apply broadleaf herbicides within 4-6 weeks before seeding and not until the new grass has been mowed at least twice.

Choose a day that is 50 degrees or higher to apply herbicides.

With liquid or soluble broadleaf herbicides, do not mow for several days before and after the application to allow for maximum uptake and translocation of the herbicide.

Do not add grass clippings to the compost pile that have been treated with a herbicide. Residuals can kill good plants in your garden in spring.

Do not water for at least 24 hours after application, and do not treat if rain is expected within 24 hours.

Always read and follow the herbicide label instructions carefully to maximize the efficiency of your application. Remember, more is not always better. It is possible to make weed infestation worse!

Read the original here:
At Home Living: Fall weed control helps prevent spring outbreak

A popular play area at Dinton Pastures will be closed over winter for repairs and to let the grass grow.

The 500,000 nature play space with zipwires and troll holes has been a huge hit since it opened in May.

But it has been so popular it is already showing signs of wear and tear and patches of grass need re-seeding, so the park will close from next month until the Easter holidays in April.

Cllr Angus Ross, Wokingham Borough Councils executive member for environment, said: Im delighted the play area has been such a success and proved so popular since it opened earlier this year.

It is one of the many improvements we have made to the country park, making it a local destination of choice for a family fun day out.

We need essential maintenance in time for the start of next season so everyone can enjoy the play space next year.

I understand there may be some disappointment about this news, but winter is the best time of year to do this.

Id like to remind visitors that there are plenty of great things to do elsewhere in the country park during the winter season.

Families will still be able to enjoy sailing, hire boats, climb, walk and watch the wildlife.

The nature play space now in line for some TLC features giant nest towers, swinging hanging logs, zip wires, a funnel net trap, a play bridge and giant climbing logs.

Excerpt from:
Popular Dinton Pastures playground to close for the whole winter

18 hours 47 minutes ago by Aja Goare - Q2 News

BILLINGS - A plot of land along Shiloh Road now features two ponds, park benches and paved trails, but it's not a park.

The conservation area is the first and only one of its kind in Montana.

It's designed to treat storm water and control flooding on the West End.

Following new state and federal requirements under the Clean Water Act, storm water must be cleaned before it goes to the Yellowstone River.

Grasses and man-made wet lands will naturally clean the water and remove the nutrients.

The $6 million project spans 70 acres of land and took four years to complete.

Funding will continue to come from storm water fees, but the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks also funds an urban fishery on the land, which features small bass and trout.

Visitors can fish in the ponds and the shelters are available for picnics.

Public Works Director Dave Mumford said it's important to respect the area, which opens to the public Thursday.

Read the original:
Shiloh conservation area treats storm water, offers fishing and picnic area

STEVENSVILLE With a pouch filled with aspen, snowberry and Woods rose, Abe Fielding is doing his part to turn black to green.

Every few steps inside the charred circle where a pile of slash burned last year, Fielding stops to swing the hoe-like tool above his head and slam it into the moist earth.

A few seconds later, his hand slips into his pouch for the next seedling to plant. Following a well-practiced stoop, the plants long roots slide into the fresh hole cut in the ground.

His foot packs the earth around the plant as he moves on to the next planting.

In two days, Fielding and others from Hamiltons Watershed Restoration Group and Missoulas Miller Creek Reforestation planted 4,000 seedlings and spread native grass seeds over the last disturbed areas on the Bitterroot National Forests Bass Creek Recreation Area.

Their work marks the end of a project that thinned 765 acres of the forests second most popular recreation area last year.

Last winters ample snow and the summers rain provided enough moisture to kick-start the native bunch grass, shrubs and aspen this summer on most of the acreage that was thinned.

But the places where slash piles were burned and logs skidded needed some extra help to recover.

Bitterroot Forest botanist Robin Taylor-Davenport said crews walked over the project area last year and noted places that needed seeding and some other plant life.

Before the project started, the botanist and others collected cuttings and seeds from native plants on the site. Those were used to grow seedlings at the Bitterroots Great Bear Restoration greenhouses.

Follow this link:
Restoration job: Crews planting native vegetation at Bass Creek Recreation Area

Ive never met a gardener who hasnt planted something that at first sight looked innocent and pretty and later lived to regret it. It neednt have been something big like giant hog weed or a Norway maple, either. Many plants become invasive by root runners or self-seeding. They choke out the plants we want and can take over entire swatches of a garden. Some, like garlic mustard and purple loosestrife, endanger our woods and wetlands. In my garden, I have a tiny ground hugging sedum that blooms yellow in late spring. It was here when we bought the house and served its purpose in a newly planted garden around our pond. It has insinuated itself into the creeping thyme, ajuga and iris as well as every other nook and cranny it can find. There are other culprits to avoid, many of them ground covers: English ivy, houttuynia, periwinkle, ribbon grass, goutweed to name a few. Plant wild strawberry, wild ginger, wintergreen, mayapple or foamflower (tiarella cordifolia) instead. Grasses are all the rage now. But buyer beware as some such as miscanthus sinensis are invasive, spreading by seed and rhizomes. Ive found oat grass, as lovely as it is when its seed heads are swaying in the autumn breeze, has worked its way into places it shouldnt be and is a pain to dig out. There are many great alternatives out there, so do your research. When plant shopping, always read the plant labels carefully. Lastly, beware of gardeners bearing gifts of plants that they have an abundance of! Growing Green is a regular feature prepared by the Mount Hamilton Horticultural Society (gardenontario.org/site.php/mhhs). Helen MacPherson, vice-president of the society, wrote this report.

See original here:
GROWING GREEN: Beware of garden thugs

By Michael Potter / Horticulture columnist

October is an important month for your lawn. A weak turf is much more susceptible to winter damage and other stresses. In addition, turf is much slower to recover in the spring. Early to mid-October is the best time to fertilize due to cooler weather that causes grass growth to slow down. Slower turf growth rates combined with slow release fertilizers give good results for a wonderful spring green-up. There are a few things to consider for fall lawn care.

I would suggest using a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen, low in phosphorus and has a moderate to high level of potassium that such as a 15-5-10, 21-7-14, 18-6-12 or something similar. You should try to find a fertilizer with at least of the nitrogen in a slow release form. If you have had recent or continuous issues with Take-All Patch or Large Patch (Brown Patch), then you should consider using more natural type fertilizers with lower nitrogen rates that release slowly. Just dont go overboard with the nitrogen. Research shows that high nitrogen in a fast-release form can increase the activity of fungus. Slow release forms provide the lawn with nitrogen over a longer period of time resulting in a consistent growth while reducing nitrogen run off. Be sure to check the recommended rate of application on the label and take a few minutes to measure your yard. This will help you to apply the right amount of fertilizer for the area. Most people discover that they have better results using too little fertilizer rather than too much. Too much can lead to additional problems. Lastly, if you have not performed a soil test, now would be a good time to do one. You can either pick up the kit from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office or download the instructions and form at http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/. A soil test will let you know how much fertilizer to apply and more specifically what nutrients are needed for optimum growth.

Most annual winter grasses and weeds that plague lawns in late winter and early spring begin to germinate in September and October. The best way to stop them in the lawn is to apply a pre-emergence herbicide before the weed seeds start to germinate. Now is a good time to work on this problem as well. Pre-emergent herbicides are chemicals that kill weed seedlings as they germinate. They are not effective once weeds grow beyond the seedling stage. They should be applied according to the label in a uniform broadcast treatment, followed by at least 1/2 inch of rain or irrigation to move the product down to the soil where it is activated.

Post-emergence herbicides are used for weeds which have already begun to show up. You have to be careful with these because most of them can damage St. Augustine grass if temperatures are in the mid to upper 80's. There is a "window" of time in the fall to catch the broadleaf winter weeds. The earlier you catch them the better. Just watch out for days which are too warm. Also be careful not to get them on desirable flowers, shrubs, etc. They don't know the difference between a broadleaf weed and a broadleaf ornamental!

Over-seeding is generally not recommended on St. Augustine lawns. It competes with the grass for sunlight, nutrients and water. The additional competition from over-seeding slows spring recovery of the turf. If your turf is stressed or weak already, I would avoid over-seeding altogether. It will only make the problem worse.

Just remember to reduce your watering as temperatures start to cool off over the next few months. Turf will not need the typical 1 per week watering. Excessive water will only be wasted. Reducing or turning off irrigation will not only save water but will reduce your water bill.

Dont forget to send your garden questions to Plant Answers at 9020 Airport Rd., Conroe TX 77303 or e-mail: mpotter@ag.tamu.edu.

Continue reading here:
October the best time to fertilize your lawn