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Is there such a thing as pesticide-free/herbicide-free turf?

Squishies

Warren Scout
Hi all,

Slightly random one from me today...!
...my lawn is looking a bit 'bald' from the over-enthusiastic nibbling of my pair and I'd like to re-turf it to 'start again'.
Up until now, I've simply re-seeded bald patches every March and previously this has worked well, but this year the bald patches are much bigger and moss has crept in.

So my question is, would ordinary lawn turf be safe to use, or will it be too full of weed killer and fertilisers, and pose a risk to the furries?
...and if ordinary turf is unsafe, are there suppliers of 'organic turf' or something safer?
Google searches have turned up nothing, but I've seen 'wildflower turf' from some suppliers (e.g. B&Q) and am wondering whether this might be ok...

Any ideas? : )

Thanks as ever forum buddies,

Mx
 
Any turf would need to be left in place for a few weeks (maybe a couple of months?) to allow it to root before it is OK for normal use. By this time, it should have had at least a couple of light trims, so should, in theory, be safe for bunnies- as long as the cut grass has been removed and not left to compost in. New turf is often grown on a very sandy substrate which won't hold on the herbicides / pesticides for long - they will wash through. It's only the residual stuff in the actual grass that you would have to worry about - hence disposing of the first few cuts. New turf that hasn't had time to root in position will get trashed by bunnies anyway.

You could try seeding the bald patches - I would sow a lot thicker than normal to get a quicker cover. Bunnies would have to be kept of those patches until it was firmly rooted eg by fencing it off or putting a raised mesh frame over it. You could also grow your own turf in seed trays - then you know that it has no added herbicide / pesticide. Keep it well watered in a slightly shady spot so it doesn't dry out.

Some grass seeds may come with a toxic coating, though - so check the packaging first.
 
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