Journalist Sam Jones is an enthusiastic gardener. By his own admission, he’s no Alan Titchmarsh but enjoys keeping his little outdoor haven in tip-top shape.
So, when the harsh winter months caused havoc to his lawn, Sam sprang into action. He said: “Couple that with a project that required me to dig up half of the garden and move a significant amount of topsoil, and it was in quite a mess.
“After seeing the cost of turf and gasping, I turned to grass seed, only to be thrilled with the results – and how quickly the lawn is returning to its former glory.” He opted for the Pronto Seed Premium Grass Seed, which comes in a 1.4kg box and is priced at £14.49 on Amazon – here’s his account of using the product.
Described as “fast-acting and hardwearing,” it sounded like just the ticket, so I decided to give it a try. With the usual Amazon Prime efficiency, it arrived the next day, and I got down to the business of sowing it, reports Wales Online.
This wasn’t my first time sprucing up the lawn, so I made sure to use a fork to loosen the compacted soil a bit and mixed the seed with some compost to ensure the best chance of success. Similarly, we’d had a pretty dry spell with hardly any rain, so I made sure to keep the seed watered with a hosepipe, and to my delight, after just over a week the seed began sprouting up.
Once the initial shoots emerged, the growth was remarkably rapid, and within days, the impact was noticeable. In just over two weeks, the grass had almost returned to its normal state.
The product’s claimed 7-14 day timeframe for results proved accurate in my experience, and its promise of “lush, green coverage in no time” was also fulfilled. However, I did observe a drawback in the shadier areas of my garden.
The presence of a beautiful acer tree, while stunning, tends to dominate the sunlight, leaving certain spots in partial shade for most of the day. In these areas, the seed’s growth was noticeably hindered, and although it did sprout, the grass was not as dense. If your garden has similar shady areas, it’s worth considering this factor.
Alternatively, you could opt for shade-tolerant grass seed, such as Gro-Sure Shady Lawn Seed, which is available at Wickes for £9. This specialized seed is designed to thrive in drier, shadier conditions and features a clever blue coating that deters birds and nourishes the seed.
The packaging also includes a convenient built-in seed applicator for easy use. As previously mentioned, numerous types of grass seed are available on the market.
One option to consider for dog owners is the Pegdev Pet Friendly Grass Seed, available at B&Q for £17.20. This product promises “fewer bare patches” and is described as “low maintenance” with “rapid recovery from pet damage”.
Other customers have expressed satisfaction with the Pronto seed, including one reviewer who stated: “I used this Pronto Seed to overseed some patchy areas in my garden, and the results were impressive. Within a week, I noticed new grass sprouting, and by two weeks, the lawn looked much fuller and healthier.”
However, not all reviewers were equally impressed, with one customer awarding three stars and commenting: “I had high hopes for this grass seed, but the results were just OK. The germination rate was decent, but it took longer than expected for the grass to fill in.”
In contrast, another reviewer reported excellent results, saying: “I recently purchased Pronto Seed Grass Seed to rejuvenate my lawn, and I am thrilled with the results! After carefully preparing my garden and ensuring the right conditions for growth, I can confidently say that this product has exceeded my expectations in delivering a lush, green lawn.”