Thread: Grass seed in Chiang mai

I’m in Chiang Mai for the weekend and wanted to buy some grass seed to take back to the village. Does someone know of any place to buy it. Down in Tak you would think we’re asking for alien eggs only sod is available and we have a big area to seed.

Thanks in in advance for any suggestions, mike

Mike are you planning on putting a lawn down? If so i'd go for turf, more expensive but weeds grow soooo quick in Thailand you'll have your young grass getting outcompeted by them - just a thought.

Mike,
Hope not to late. There is a HUGE nursery area behind the big Tesco on the main highway in CM. Not sure of its name. They have places there that will sell seed or know of it.

You can also find it online. My wife has seen it.

Good luck

Originally Posted by NamPikToot

Mike are you planning on putting a lawn down? If so i'd go for turf, more expensive but weeds grow soooo quick in Thailand you'll have your young grass getting outcompeted by them - just a thought.

I was thinking the same as well NPT, I know we got some to repair areas. Not sure of Mikes intention

Thanks for the quick replies. We are having about 1000 sq meters soded starting tomorrow but that’s only about 1/4 of our garden it seems s bit to much to sod. I will check out the garden center you mentioned on our way back tomorrow.

Thanks

Originally Posted by naptownmike

Thanks for the quick replies. We are having about 1000 sq meters soded starting tomorrow but that’s only about 1/4 of our garden it seems s bit to much to sod. I will check out the garden center you mentioned on our way back tomorrow.

Thanks

No Prob, Hope they can help ya out. 1000 sqm is a nice sod job. I did about a 400 to 500 sqm sodding. It was fun but a lot of work, especially the rolling part. We had a big truck show up with the sod and FIL, SIL, my little niece came over to help my wife and I. Went fast and took a lot of water. I set up rain birds. This is the best time to plant being its cooler and the sun will not torch it.

Good Luck

Agree with JPPR.

Here's my 5 pence worth Mike. If you are seeding my approach would be this, and i don't like using it but here goes. Before you seed, say 3-4 weeks before water the area, we're in dry season so the weeds seeds will shoot up, keep watering to encourage the weed seeding, after say 2-3 weeks you should have a good crop, then spray the area with Glyphosate and kill them all and this way you'll significantly reduce the amount of weeds which competing with your grass seedlings.

The other way which i prefer on smaller area is to water the area a few days then cover with black plastic so the weeds germinate and then die off. but the area you are talking about makes that impractical.

Here is one of the 4 sections we did.



I moved all the dirt myself. Must have been a few hundred wheelbarrow loads. I bought a 55 gal drum and rolled myself. worked great.



My dog is a character. Loved to lay in the dirt before I rolled it. In this pick looks like I rolled her over as she looks flat.

In general, for making a lawn in Thailand you do not need grass seed (I have made a similar mistake 30 years ago, after long search paying a lot for a can of Bermuda grass organized in Bkk, never available up-country).

Just go and ask at the garden market in Tak where you can get grass carpet. They will negotiate price per sqm and come with it on a pickup, loaded neatly folded. And they will place it for you as per your directives.

For a huge area you do not need to cover it 100%, just with a space in-between the rows or squares. When properly watered it will grow soon into 100% as well.

Thanks here is the area getting sod. Prepped for days by the couple putting down the sod. We had 120 more loads of to soil spread out on the whole place. So didn’t want a mud pit when it starts to rain again. The gardeners did a great job in this section cleaning it up and leveling it out. I had loads of large stones in it from the fill dirt. I’ll let you know if I find any seed.

Ha I’ll bet my dog would have loved to roll on our dirt pile as well. We did get a few local dogs come over to check it out.

I’ll report back in a few days the results.

So I am assuming the grass seed is for touch up Mike? Seeding that much area will be problematic as under the trees they will not see much sun, if any.

You have a similar problem I think we all do here. There are grass strains that love sun and do well, there are grass strains that do not like sun at all. Sadly its hard to find a balance. I have one area that the Malaysian grass is taking over because originally my hedges were shorter and the area got sun but that has all changed and now its in the shade most of the time.

On a side note, You gonna get you a sit down mower? Once that grows you will be a big lawn mower type like I am now. I personally enjoy it. I have a Husqvarna front wheel drive walk behind mower. Great exercise. Whatever you do, don't get a cheap mower. it will trash your lawn.

I have tried grass seed a few times over the years never had the slightest bit of luck, tried seeding and laying turf at the same time for a thick growth also, seed did little and eventually died off - turf took no problem.
For the areas under the trees you would be better off with Malay grass.
When you lay the turf keep it wet for the first couple of weeks, start by watering 2 or 3 times a day more in direct sun.
Good luck!

The couple doing the job are very knowledgeable and are going to use a different type under the trees. I think the Malaysia type you mentioned. The pictures are only of the smaller area that is getting sod. I was intending to seed the rest but from what you guys are saying it might be a waste. Back home seed works ok on big areas I see on job sites. I guess we’ll hold off for now. Maybe get some suggestions from the couple doing our sod and other gardening jobs.
We will be needing a good quality mower. I haven’t seen to much available in Tak we’re heading back home soon so will have to set up someone to do the mowing. The family will take care of watering it. I will try and make it as easy and straight forward as possible.
Ha what could possibly go wrong.

Try this thread. https://teakdoor.com/farming-and-gard...ml#post3763902

Originally Posted by naptownmike

We will be needing a good quality mower

A simple electrical mower with 20m cable for 4 - 5,000 Baht available in TW (or in any other smaller hardware shop) will be OK to entrust it to your people.

Originally Posted by naptownmike

Thanks for the quick replies. We are having about 1000 sq meters soded starting tomorrow but that’s only about 1/4 of our garden it seems s bit to much to sod. I will check out the garden center you mentioned on our way back tomorrow.

Thanks

It's called Kamtiang Market

Pics and English text...

https://tonyinthailand.com/chiang-mai-garden_heaven/

https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attrac...hiang_Mai.html

Pics and Thai text...

https://www.facebook.com/Kamthiengmarket/timeline

Originally Posted by naptownmike

We will be needing a good quality mower.

Look at the Husqvarna site in Thailand. They have some walk behind mowers I believe. They are not going to be cheap but the quality is top notch and will last for years and years. I know that Klondyke mentioned an electric mower above and I would highly discourage it for a lawn of that size. You would be fighting the cord around the trees all the time and they are significantly underpowered which would tear the grass not cut it. Get a good 4 to 5 hp mower with adjustable height. I have seen other brands here as well. In fact in CM there are numerous shop I have seen with what looked like descent mowers I just never stopped to look.

Good Luck with the lawn.

I have three lawn mowers, Murray, Honda & Asgatec, use them all, the best quality, cheapest to service and run by far is the Honda, looked at Husqvarna, they are similar quality to Honda.
Couple of pictures below, about three years between them:-

Originally Posted by Airportwo

cheapest to service and run by far is the Honda, looked at Husqvarna, they are similar quality to Honda.

I absolutely agree with AP2. Getting a 21" Honda powered anything is a good call. My Husqvarna is powered by the G160 Honda motor which is just under 5Hp. Cuts the grass well and clean. It can also mulch by removing the rear catch bag

BTW, AP2, heck of a soccer field you have there. Perfect for some lawn bowling or practice putting....

Originally Posted by Airportwo

Couple of pictures below, about three years between them:-

Nice lawn Airport, i'd be tempted with croquet on that.

^ Thats probably about half the total area we have grassed! (don't know what else to do with it!) I am not much of a gardener but do know how to grow and cut grass, I am also getting extremely proficient at maintaining grass cutting equipment, a skill I never really wanted to learn, Honda is by far the best quality equipment I have, oil & gas and the occasional air filter clean and good to go Can't say that about the other two pieces of crap!
PS NamPikToot Drop by any-time for a round of croquet, bring your own bat N Balls

Sodding is under way. What a difference I was getting used to walking around on bare dirt.

I’ll check in town if I can get a Honda mower. There are quite a few farm supply shops that may be able to get on in for us.