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More exam commentaries - from Level 2 Garden Planning
by Janet Prescott - Monday, 3 December 2018, 12:10 PM
 

R2112 February ‘18

Q6a) State an appropriate grass seed mixture for a high quality ornamental lawn.              2 marks   

b) State FOUR distinct benefits of establishing a lawn from seed.                                             4 marks

c) State FOUR distinct limitations of establishing a lawn from seed.                                         4 marks

 

This question relates to the following parts of the syllabus:

6.1 State appropriate grass mixtures for the establishment of a high quality ornamental lawn and for a hard-wearing utility lawn.  

State a mix of grass species for an ornamental lawn Examples could include: Agrostis capillaris+ Festuca rubra subsp. commutata and  a utility lawn which must include Lolium perenne, plus others such as  Festuca rubra rubra,  Poa pratensis, Agrostis capillaris 

 

6.2 State the benefits and limitations of establishing lawns from seed. 

To be compared with establishing lawns by turf (see 6.4) to include ideal months to carry out task, time required for establishment, immediate impact, evenness of initial growth, sustainability, species in mix. Costs (either in purchase or labour these must be qualified, i.e. x£s per kilo or labour hours x square metres).

 

 6.4 State the benefits and limitations of establishing a lawn from turf. 

To be compared with establishing lawns by seed (see 6.1) to include ideal months to carry out task, time required for establishment, immediate impact, evenness of initial growth, sustainability, customising of species in mix. Costs (either in purchase or labour these must be qualified, i.e. x£s per kilo or labour hours x square metres).

 

This is a straightforward question relating directly to the syllabus content. For part a) an example is given in 6.1 of a suitable mix for an ornamental lawn with two grass species. Make sure you include the full botanical names for these examples, not forgetting the subspecies name!

For parts b) and c) it is a good idea to structure your answer either with bullet points or numbers for the four points needed for each. Both parts have ‘distinct’ in the question, so make sure you include different points for all parts.

The examiners’ comments suggest the following:

b)

·        Easier to handle

·        Easier and lighter to transport

·        Greater range of cultivars and mixtures available

·        Cheaper to purchase than turf

·        Lower labour costs than turf

·        Can be stored longer than turf between purchase and use

c)

·        Takes longer to establish a lawn

·        Restricted to specific times for sowing the lawn

·        More prone to pest and disease problems

·        Preparation of seedbed is more critical than when laying turf

·        More prone to weed problems compared to turf