Garden expert shares £1 coin hack to help grass seeds grow
With temperatures dropping to as low as 2C in some areas overnight this week, lawn experts are reminding gardeners who have overseeded their grass that warmth is needed for the seed to germinate.
Gardeners urged not to 'panic' as lower temperatures could slow grass seed growth
Ben Agnew, grass expert at Lawnsmith, said: 'The weather has been quite deceiving. While we've basked in the daytime sunshine this month, the evenings have been significantly colder. Some areas of the UK have even seen frost returning.
'Grass seed needs a minimum temperature of 10C to be able to grow with the optimal temperature being more like 12 - 15C. And the chillier nights mean gardeners will see a much slower response from their grass seed.
'This is nothing to panic about, patience is key when it comes to growing grass from seed. And these lower temperatures just mean the germination process will be slower.'
Despite not seeing results yet, Lawnsmith's expert insists gardeners aren't necessarily doing something wrong.
Garden expert shares £1 coin hack to check soil depth for grass seeds
Ben explained: 'Anyone starting a new lawn or filling in patches might be feeling frustrated with the lack of progress in their lawns. Especially if they've spent time and energy taking care of seedlings.
'And thankfully, there is nothing extra that they need to do except keep going with their usual lawn treatment. Keep the seedbed moist, but not pooling water.
'Make sure seeds are at the correct depth to stay protected from the elements and maintain good seed-to-soil contact.
'I recommend sowing your seeds at a depth of approximately three £1 coins stacked on top of each other. This will provide a comforting environment for the seedlings to germinate and grow.
'The worst thing you can do is panic and throw more grass seed down, as this could cause a situation where you lay too much seed and there is competition, leading to poor growth.'
Recommended reading:
Try to keep footfall to a minimum to reduce the disruption to your developing lawn.
Different seeds have different germination speeds so growers should pay attention to the information provided by the seed manufacturer.
'It can depend on the type of seed used, but typically germination can take five to 15 days,' Ben said.
He added: 'Grass seeds like ryegrass or fescue often germinate quickly compared to other varieties like Bermuda that can take longer and require higher soil temperatures.'
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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Horrified Brits reveal smouldering shell of Cyprus home torn apart by huge wildfire after fleeing with seconds to spare
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the moment a British family returned to their smouldering home in Cyprus after it was destroyed by a deadly wildfire. Lucy, 37, and Ben Armstrong, 38, grabbed their toddler, packed a few bags and bundled their three dogs into the car as flames closed in on their village of Souni. 9 Lucy and Ben Armstrong fled their home in Souni, Cyprus with their toddler Ethan 9 The damage to the family's home, captured in drone footage shot by Ben, who is a filmmaker 9 The family hoped their home might be spared as their neighbours' homes were The Armstrongs, who tied the knot last October, have called the quaint village home for the past four years. When they first saw smoke curling over the Troodos mountains, they didn't panic - plenty of wildfires hit the Mediterranean island every summer. But this time was different. It was the worst wildfire Cyprus had seen in half a century. Two people were killed in a car trying to flee, and over 70 houses were destroyed amid a scorching 43C heatwave. The fires began on Wednesday afternoon and swept across 40 square miles in the south, mainly in Limassol District, where the village of Souni is located. Speaking to The Sun, Ben said: "We lost everything that day, there's nothing left. "We had fish tanks in the house and there was absolutely nothing left of what was in the water except melted glass on the floor." The couple described the stress of packing in the dark as the flames neared - made worse by the bad luck of experiencing a power cut that day. They told their son Ethan to stuff as many toys as he could into a bag while they raced around the house grabbing what they could. Ben said: "Our son is quite defiant at times and he was so compliant. "He was really scared, because he knew mummy and daddy were panicking, and we were in the dark." Two burned alive in Cyprus & another 10 killed in Turkey in horror wildfires Discussing the day their lives were turned upside down, Lucy said it was 'a normal day'. She first noticed the smoke while picking up Ethan from kindergarten. "As I was driving back on the motorway I could see smoke up the hills towards where we live," she said. "The smoke just kept coming, it started getting thicker, covering the sun and the sun was turning red." By around 7pm the family of three decided to drive up to a viewpoint at the nearby village of Kyvides. There, all they could see was "a stretch of fire and smoke". In that moment, the couple knew they had to evacuate fast and quickly alerted their close-knit community on WhatsApp. Ben said: "We didn't realise how little time we had. I'm a filmmaker and photographer, so was upstairs in the office packing all my gear and shouting down to Lucy, 'how's it looking?' "She was saying, 'it's glowing over the hills'. That's when I looked out the window, and thought 'oh my god, you can see flames now'. Adding to the stress, the Armstrongs had been without water or electricity for 24 hours. Ben said: "We were in the dark, so we had to make sure we were keeping an eye on our three-year-old son while running around and still trying to pack stuff. "So I gave him a bag for life kind of thing and told him to grab as many toys as he wants." 9 The couple had been living in the home for the past four years 9 Lucy and Ben believe their home could have been saved if there had been more firefighting support in Souni 9 The sheer destruction to the family's home They left the house just before 9pm, rushing to Lucy's parents home, which is a 15-minute drive away. "We all stank of smoke and were sweating. Ethan's also been quite ill from the smoke in the last couple of days. "I'm pretty sure he's had some sort of smoke inhalation - or it could just be from the stress of the situation," Lucy said. After a sleepless night, fearing they might have to evacuate again and unsure if their home had survived, Ben set out at 5am. "I followed his location the whole way up and my heart was racing," Lucy said, weeping as she recalled it. "I called him as soon as he got to our home and he said, 'Lucy, it's gone'. "All the other houses on our street were okay, so he had hope he was going to come up to our home and everything would be fine." Lucy, who runs a kids' entertainment business, lost at least £8,000 worth of bouncy castles and bubble houses in the fire. But what upsets her the most is that it's the place where they have "so many memories", including Ethan taking his first steps. The couple said four officials from the Cypriot government showed up on Friday morning, asking them to list everything they'd lost - from white goods and TVs to couches - to claim money from the disaster relief fund. While they said the Cypriot government has been "really organised" in terms of its reparation efforts, the couple believe there were not enough resources to tackle the wildfires. "We didn't see any firefighters in our village, no police, no army. No one told us to evacuate, we were telling people to evacuate," Lucy said. The government has particularly faced criticism by residents and community leaders over its evacuations in Souni and Lofou and Souni. Speaking on state radio on Thursday, Cyprus' justice minister Marios Hartsiotis said the firefighting and rescue effort had been 'enormous' and that he had witnessed first-hand the wildfires' "shifting winds and intensity'. Lucy and Ben, who were told by "brave neighbours" that their house burnt down at around 2am in the morning, believe that it could have been saved if there had been greater assistance on the ground. Lucy said there are other families in Souni who feel the same. But the couple are choosing to focus on the positives, saying they've been deeply moved by the kindness of their community. "You never think you're going to be one of these people that are in need of handouts," Lucy said. "But the Cypriot people are just so kind. I can't speak highly enough of them." She noted that Ethan's headteacher has given him clothes and is even buying him new shoes, while parents from the school have been keen to donate money. Christos, the owner of their local taverna, has opened up despite having no power or water, and taken it upon himself to feed the community, Lucy said. The family plans to eventually move back to the village of Souni and rebuild their home and their lives. "We love the people in that area. It's a beautiful area, it will recover," said Lucy, adding that she hopes to organise re-planting fire-resistant trees. For now, with the village still reeking of smoke and memories of their destroyed home still raw, they're grateful to be living elsewhere - and to be alive. 9 The couple's burnt home 9 Burnt homes in Souni
Leader Live
06-07-2025
- Leader Live
Garden expert shares £1 coin hack to help grass seeds grow
Despite the warmer, sunnier days arriving in the UK recently, some areas are now experiencing cooler temperatures. Lawn experts are reminding gardeners who have overseeded their grass that warmth is needed for the seed to germinate. Ben Agnew, grass expert at Lawnsmith, said: 'Grass seed needs a minimum temperature of 10C to be able to grow with the optimal temperature being more like 12 - 15C. And the chillier nights mean gardeners will see a much slower response from their grass seed. 'This is nothing to panic about, patience is key when it comes to growing grass from seed. And these lower temperatures just mean the germination process will be slower.' If you've not seen results yet, don't worry, as Lawnsmith's expert insists gardeners aren't necessarily doing something wrong. Ben explained: 'Anyone starting a new lawn or filling in patches might be feeling frustrated with the lack of progress in their lawns. Especially if they've spent time and energy taking care of seedlings. 'And thankfully, there is nothing extra that they need to do except keep going with their usual lawn treatment. Keep the seedbed moist, but not pooling water. 'Make sure seeds are at the correct depth to stay protected from the elements and maintain good seed-to-soil contact. 'I recommend sowing your seeds at a depth of approximately three £1 coins stacked on top of each other. This will provide a comforting environment for the seedlings to germinate and grow. 'The worst thing you can do is panic and throw more grass seed down, as this could cause a situation where you lay too much seed and there is competition, leading to poor growth.' Try to keep footfall to a minimum to reduce the disruption to your developing lawn. Different seeds have different germination speeds, so growers should pay attention to the information provided by the seed manufacturer. 'It can depend on the type of seed used, but typically germination can take five to 15 days,' Ben said. He added: 'Grass seeds like ryegrass or fescue often germinate quickly compared to other varieties like Bermuda that can take longer and require higher soil temperatures.' Recommended reading: RSPCA shares how to get rid of rats in your home or garden without harming them Expert shares 90p tea hack that improves your garden's health and deters pests Which neighbour is responsible for paying for garden fence repairs? How to check If you have a dog, it's worth noting that grass seeds can get stuck in their paws and other places. The most common places that grass seeds cause trouble are in the eyes, between the toes and around the ears, but they can find themselves anywhere and work their way under the skin, PDSA warns. Using the right equipment, it might be possible for a vet to pull the grass seed out of where it has got stuck. However, grass seeds that work their way into the skin are harder to find and don't often show up on X-rays. They can also start travelling around, causing inflammation, infection and abscesses.
Powys County Times
04-07-2025
- Powys County Times
Garden expert shares £1 coin hack to help grass seeds grow
Have you added some grass seed to your garden this year? A garden expert has shared the importance of patience and a £1 coin hack to help you 'provide a comforting environment' for your seeds. Despite the warmer, sunnier days arriving in the UK recently, some areas are now experiencing cooler temperatures. Lawn experts are reminding gardeners who have overseeded their grass that warmth is needed for the seed to germinate. Gardeners urged not to 'panic' as lower temperatures could slow grass seed growth Ben Agnew, grass expert at Lawnsmith, said: 'Grass seed needs a minimum temperature of 10C to be able to grow with the optimal temperature being more like 12 - 15C. And the chillier nights mean gardeners will see a much slower response from their grass seed. 'This is nothing to panic about, patience is key when it comes to growing grass from seed. And these lower temperatures just mean the germination process will be slower.' If you've not seen results yet, don't worry, as Lawnsmith's expert insists gardeners aren't necessarily doing something wrong. Garden expert shares £1 coin hack to check soil depth for grass seeds Ben explained: 'Anyone starting a new lawn or filling in patches might be feeling frustrated with the lack of progress in their lawns. Especially if they've spent time and energy taking care of seedlings. 'And thankfully, there is nothing extra that they need to do except keep going with their usual lawn treatment. Keep the seedbed moist, but not pooling water. 'Make sure seeds are at the correct depth to stay protected from the elements and maintain good seed-to-soil contact. 'I recommend sowing your seeds at a depth of approximately three £1 coins stacked on top of each other. This will provide a comforting environment for the seedlings to germinate and grow. 'The worst thing you can do is panic and throw more grass seed down, as this could cause a situation where you lay too much seed and there is competition, leading to poor growth.' Try to keep footfall to a minimum to reduce the disruption to your developing lawn. Different seeds have different germination speeds, so growers should pay attention to the information provided by the seed manufacturer. 'It can depend on the type of seed used, but typically germination can take five to 15 days,' Ben said. He added: 'Grass seeds like ryegrass or fescue often germinate quickly compared to other varieties like Bermuda that can take longer and require higher soil temperatures.' Recommended reading: Dog owners warned about the dangers of grass seeds If you have a dog, it's worth noting that grass seeds can get stuck in their paws and other places. The most common places that grass seeds cause trouble are in the eyes, between the toes and around the ears, but they can find themselves anywhere and work their way under the skin, PDSA warns. Using the right equipment, it might be possible for a vet to pull the grass seed out of where it has got stuck. However, grass seeds that work their way into the skin are harder to find and don't often show up on X-rays.
