What Is The Best Grass Seed For Bowling Greens?

In the UK, half a million people participate in lawn bowling at both amateur and professional levels. An essential part of playing bowls is the bowling green and, ultimately, the green that is played on. If you’re looking to rejuvenate a bowling green or golf course, or if you have a large lawn that you want to have that luscious bowling-green finish, then you may want to look into some new seed mixtures. 

In a sport like bowls, precision is key. Top-quality grass seed can be the difference between a good pitch and a great pitch, and by extension, a great game. That's why here at Smart Seeds we're passionate about supplying only the best quality, fine-leaved species of grass seed to create the best possible surface with year-round colour.

For UK bowling greens, it is good practice to apply good quality course grass seed, particularly on the heads, after mowing and aerating yet before top dressing, during the Autumn renovation. When sewing, the seeds should be a mix of grass types suitable for producing a first-class bowling surface. As with most new grass areas, the best time for seeding is considered amongst those of us with green fingers to be the autumn (late July to mid-September), when conditions are often warm and moist and there is a reduced risk of annual weed competition.

Great skill and attention to detail are necessary during construction and sewing to provide a good bowling experience and luscious lawn. For instance, a bowling green requires a sandy root zone to provide a firm surface suitable for the game. Bowling green grass seed mixtures have traditionally comprised a blend of browntop bentgrasses and fescues.

Seeds Found In Bowling Green Mixtures

• HIGHLAND Browntop Bent - A small seeded, loosely tufted grass, originally selected from Oregon USA, and now available as one of the best grass seeds in the UK. Distinguished from Agrostis Tenuis by colour, Browntop Bent is low growing and can be close mown.
• NIKKY Chewings Fescue - It forms a dense turf and is one of the main species used with bentgrass to form lawns. This seed offers little forage benefits but, unlike other similar species, fescue does not have the aggressive creeping habit. Chewings Fescue has good frost tolerance and occasional mowing will keep the plant leafy.
• SAMANTA Slender Creeping Red Fescue -  This species is densely tufted and has a creeping growth habit. It can form a close turf with bristle-like, dark green yet glossy leaves. With the creeping growth and glossy leaves, it can be used for creating a finer quality lawn finish. This grass species also shows reasonable salt tolerance for coastal areas and the slender creeping red fescue will tolerate close mowing.

How to Maintain a Bowls Green

1) Regular Mowing

A lawn of bowls grass needs to be a fantastic surface for the game, and it requires a specialised bowling green lawn mower with ten or more cutting blades. Any mistakes can cause uneven growth or allow diseases to thrive, leading to an inferior bowling surface. A level lawn is easier to mow short and maintain. If you find bumps in a lawn, the grass tends to be scalped by the mower. That weakens the plants and allows weeds to invade. If your lawn has dips and holes, the grass will be slightly longer than in surrounding areas and it will be a darker colour. So levels are important.

2) Irrigating and Fertilising

The purpose of watering greens is to keep the grass alive and not bright green. Watering the grass too much can make them soft and easy to damage instead of a firm and smooth surface that can be manoeuvred on, such as is required for bowling. Fertilisers provide the best nutrients to keep the grass healthy and robust enough to withstand wear and tear. To keep on top of this you can also use conditioners to improve the uptake of nutrients making the grass healthy.

3) Scarifying and Aeration

Any thatch or dead material in the grass inhibits lateral growth. This is because it reduces the air supply to the grass. Scarifying promotes aeration by cutting through the bowling greens surface with rotating blades, removing dead material or thatch and stimulating lateral growth. This process aids in promoting the absorption of nutrients and allows water to drain without drowning the plants.

If high specifications have been adhered to and best practices followed in the construction phase it is logical to use a high-quality seed mixture. The user of the green will judge the green by the uniformity and quality of the sward. For any mixture enquiries or delivery queries, contact us or check out our FAQs.