Over the years plant breeders have been able to bring us an increasingly high quality of grass seed. The development of grass varieties for amenity use is long-term, costly and a sophisticated business.
Generally a breeding programme takes at least 12 years before a new variety can be placed on the market, after lengthy trials. Many fine grasses evolve during these programmes but only those which are commercially viable will reach the market. They have to prove they are distinct and sustainable.
In the UK, grass trials are carried out by a number of institutes of which the leading one is The Sports Turf Research Institute, in Bingley, Yorkshire. In conjunction with the British Society of Plant Breeders, STRI annually produces a Turfgrass Seed Report, ranking the varieties under such characteristics as seasonal colour, shoot density, resistance to disease and reaction to different mowing heights. We only sell and use seeds listed in the Report.
Like many other things in life, quality varies and Stewartsturf only use grass seed of the very highest quality. In the past grass species sown were generally indigenous to various countries and even districts. Today the work of the plant breeders has brought us a myriad of choice. As far as the sports turf and lawn care market is concerned there are basically nine families of grasses the prudent seedsmen will utilise. |